Federal Gold match .308 length

[JRucker2004]

Can someone who has some 308 federal gold match please do me a favor?
I'm working on figuring out how long of a throat I want on my new rifle, and I'd like the ability to use federal gold match, so I need to know where the bullet is seated.

So if someone has some lying around, and a comparator for their calipers, could I get a few length measurements from the ogive?

Thanks guys!

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Re: Federal Gold match .308 length

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JRucker2004</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Can someone who has some 308 federal gold match please do me a favor?
I'm working on figuring out how long of a throat I want on my new rifle, and I'd like the ability to use federal gold match, so I need to know where the bullet is seated.

So if someone has some lying around, and a comparator for their calipers, could I get a few length measurements from the ogive?

Thanks guys! </div></div>

I measured a box, circa 1995, that I have here and the were between 2.800" and 2.808", for COAL. Pretty much the book standard.

Chris

 

[JRucker2004]

Re: Federal Gold match .308 length

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ChrisGarrett</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JRucker2004</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Can someone who has some 308 federal gold match please do me a favor?
I'm working on figuring out how long of a throat I want on my new rifle, and I'd like the ability to use federal gold match, so I need to know where the bullet is seated.

So if someone has some lying around, and a comparator for their calipers, could I get a few length measurements from the ogive?

Thanks guys! </div></div>

I measured a box, circa 1995, that I have here and the were between 2.800" and 2.808", for COAL. Pretty much the book standard.

Chris</div></div>
Thanks, but I'd like some measurements from the ogive. Should be closer to 2.1something to 2.2something

 

[CSAR]

Re: Federal Gold match .308 length

168 gr showed a lot of variance even within the same batch for me. Low was 2.203 and the high was 2.228. Averaged out to 2.218. I had measured 21 rounds. On a side note the HSM 168 match was a much closer spread. 2.210 - 2.217 = 2.215 for 21 randomly measured rounds from the same batch.

 

[clmayfield]

Re: Federal Gold match .308 length

I would pay more attention to the high side than the average. BTW - I had heard that in recent batches of FGMM 168gr, the length to the ogive is a bit larger than it once was... just something I have heard, but I have not verified through measurement.

 

[JRucker2004]

Re: Federal Gold match .308 length

Awesome, thanks guys.
How about this... would there be any problems with taking factory ammo, such as the gold match, and running them through my seating die to seat them .01" deeper or so, so they'd fit in a chamber with a shorter throat?
I imagine the increase in pressure from doing so would be pretty small.

ETA: Or maybe more importantly, if I run those longer rounds in a chamber with a throat shorter than that, so the bullets are into the lands, will they be dangerous?

 

[billf]

Re: Federal Gold match .308 length

I measured 10 rounds a few days ago - 2.230 to the ogive, this was a pretty consistent number without much variance at all in this batch. This was purchased new in the past month.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Re: Federal Gold match .308 length

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JRucker2004</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ChrisGarrett</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JRucker2004</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Can someone who has some 308 federal gold match please do me a favor?
I'm working on figuring out how long of a throat I want on my new rifle, and I'd like the ability to use federal gold match, so I need to know where the bullet is seated.

So if someone has some lying around, and a comparator for their calipers, could I get a few length measurements from the ogive?

Thanks guys! </div></div>

I measured a box, circa 1995, that I have here and the were between 2.800" and 2.808", for COAL. Pretty much the book standard.

Chris</div></div>
Thanks, but I'd like some measurements from the ogive. Should be closer to 2.1something to 2.2something </div></div>

OK, I measured 10 rounds from a Blue/White box I have here and as I said, it's probably circa 1995ish.

I used a Stoney Point/Hornady .30 cal comparator insert and got an average of 2.2073" for those 10 rounds. I then used my Sinclair Hex Nut comparator's .30 cal hole and got 2.2427", so the Sinclair's hole is smaller, hence a longer ogive to face measurement than the Stoney Point comparator.

If you're going for a tight fit, meaning little jump, make sure you measure newer ammo with your smith's comparator, as they all might deviate bit.

Personally, I'd give myself some room for the day that Sierra changes the profile a bit, or the day you want to shoot different ammo.

No sense in being wedded to one specific type of ammo.

Chris

 

[vman]

Re: Federal Gold match .308 length

I agree I wouldnt restrict myself too much.

Keep in mind other projectiles some with higher BC's, differ in length. Lapua projectiles being one of them, with typically longer projectiles.

If you ever wanted to change to something like that you would potentially end up reducing case volume.

To me just perfect would be something that allows a fit thats still magazine loadable yet very close to the lands.

 

[JRucker2004]

Re: Federal Gold match .308 length

Thanks for measuring those for me, guys.
I'm thinking I'm going to go around 2.250" That should give me enough room to shoot even the longer gold match, and still allow me to make my reloads right where I want them. I'll be able to go as far as .05" into the lands and still fit in the mag. (way way more than I'll ever need, I suspect)
If for whatever reason I need to change the bullets I'm loading, or if Sierra changes the profile of their bullets, I can always lengthen the throat. Better to cut too short than too long, right?

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Re: Federal Gold match .308 length

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JRucker2004</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for measuring those for me, guys.
I'm thinking I'm going to go around 2.250" That should give me enough room to shoot even the longer gold match, and still allow me to make my reloads right where I want them. I'll be able to go as far as .05" into the lands and still fit in the mag. (way way more than I'll ever need, I suspect)
If for whatever reason I need to change the bullets I'm loading, or if Sierra changes the profile of their bullets, I can always lengthen the throat. Better to cut too short than too long, right?

</div></div>

Well, there are long throats and then there are long throats, ah-la Remmy M-700s. Depending on the overall length of your mag box and this is an important measurement to know before you cut your chamber, you might want to have a longer throat, rather than a shorter one and here's why.

Some of these long and heavy bullets with the better BCs will have to be seated deeper into the case for short mag boxes, or in order to fit short throated barrels.

By seating the bullet deeper into the case, you're removing case volume for powder. If you're not planning on shooting really long distances on a regular basis, then seating deeper into the case isn't going to be an issue.

Also, if you're shooting more factory ammo vs. reloaded ammo, having a shorter throat to accomodate the factory COALs won't be a problem, either.

It's when you want to seat that bullet just a caliber's width into the neck, when you can't, is where the potential problem rears its head.

I think that we're splitting hairs here and picking nits, but I sure as heck wouldn't have a chamber cut based on a specific dimension dictated by a match grade cartridge that's not even 'great' out to 1k.

Maybe the 175 SMK, but not the 168 and I'm a fan of the 168 SMK!

Chris

 

[JRucker2004]

Re: Federal Gold match .308 length

Thanks for the input, Chris.
I'm going to talk to my gunsmith a little more, and see what he thinks.

 

[pjparker]

Re: Federal Gold match .308 length

I get the freeling you are going about this ass-backwards. Talk to your 'smith first, tell him your concerns and trust his advice.

The really important thing here is to get the throat cut to a dimension that will let you utilize your magazine's maximum allowable cartrige length. No, I won't give you any numbers, because at this point they are all arbitrary.

Cartrige dimensions vary from lot to lot and company to company, within SAAMI specifications, nothing is absolute, so you have to go within a range of acceptable dimensions,and your smith will surely be able to help you sort this out.

Paul

Edited to add +1 to ChrisGarrett's reply

 

[Seekers]

Re: Federal Gold match .308 length

Wouldn't you be limiting yourself from being able to use the 175 smk and the 178 amax? Both seem to be ruling in the long range game for the 308. While the 168 seems to be limited to 600 and under or to shorter ranges anyway.

just a thought,

Seekers