Curious what everyone is getting for CBTO for a factory 30-06 rifle?

[Elite]

I am wondering if I am missing something with the 30-06.

I wanted to start reloading the trusty 30-06 and decided to find out how far in my lands were. Here is what I found

Max magazine length is 3.500”
Measured to the lands by seating a bullet far out. Inserted into the rifle and felt the bullet push smoothly in and closed the bolt I also used a sharpie to colour the bullet to verify it doesn’t pull back out when ejecting it. I did this several times and all the results were within .003” of each other. Using a bullet comparator also. This gave me a CBTO of 2.701” with a Hornady eldx 200grn. This would be jammed in the lands so I seated it .020” further in to get off the lands. This gave me a overall length of 3.344”. SAMMI specs are 3.340”?

I definitely thought I would be able to at least load to max mag length with out hitting the lands? Anybody else find this or have any insight? Rifle is a savage ultralight with a proof carbon barrel


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[Elite]

Brass also was fire formed in this rifle


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[gbflyer]

That seems good to me. I hate long throated rifles. They get there soon enough if you shoot it much.


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[goathunter]

Try the same process with a once fired shell and loctite the inside of the neck, insert bullet "seated" long. Make sure there's none coming out of the neck. Chamber and close bolt, wait 10, carefully extract.

 

[35WhelenAI]

I see the question mark (?) you put by SAAMI specs. SAAMI specs set the max OAL for factory loads (30-06 in this case) so they will function in pretty much any long action rifle. Long action OAL is 3.340" whether a .270 Win, 30-'06, 300 Win Mag, 338 Win Mag, etc.

Whether you can load closer to magazine length is all dependent on the bullet nose shape, and really can't be used as a guide for anything other than "yep, that's as long as I can go without jamming the lands or being too close" even thought there is magazine space left to use.

Looks like you have done your homework diligently on the max length your magazine will hold, and found an OAL based on being .020" off the lands. Start there and see how it goes.

 

[Harvey_NW]

Did you use a fired case with the neck dented in or an actual sized case? If you used the bolt to seat a bullet with sized brass you're likely jammed into the lands hard. The Frankford Arsenal cleaning rod kit is cheap works pretty well universally.

 

[LaHunter]

If you will do the same procedure with a conventional / old school style bullet, your base to bullet tip will be significantly less than the round loaded with the eld-x bullet. Those bullets are long and 'pointy', which results in longer rounds. When the SAAMI specs were set for the 30-06, eld type bullets were not a thing.

 

[Elite]

If you will do the same procedure with a conventional / old school style bullet, your base to bullet tip will be significantly less than the round loaded with the eld-x bullet. Those bullets are long and 'pointy', which results in longer rounds. When the SAAMI specs were set for the 30-06, eld type bullets were not a thing.

I agree with the new bullets being a lot more point for a higher BC value but I am only over SAMMI specs by .004” which I find odd compared to other calibers I have hand loaded for


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[A382DWDZQ]

I just measured my Tikka T3x Lite 30-06 with a 175gr LRX and it was 2.712 BTO and about 3.397 OAL.

 

[35WhelenAI]

I agree with the new bullets being a lot more point for a higher BC value but I am only over SAMMI specs by .004” which I find odd compared to other calibers I have hand loaded for


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A thought, and only a thought... bullet manufacters are making bullets more pointed, per se, but have to make the bullets useable for any '06. The '06 is always going to have a 3.340" SAAMI max OAL. Doesn't surprise me newer BC maximized bullets allow a handloader to keep OAL more or less within SAAMI specs, otherwise they wouldn't be useable by A LOT of shooters.

 

[49ereric]

Watch a video on chasing the lands and then reload accordingly.
reload using the recommended length per bullet choice and shoot paper then you can increase the length .003 and shoot until find length the bullet likes regardless of where the lands are.

 

[Elite]

I just measured my Tikka T3x Lite 30-06 with a 175gr LRX and it was 2.712 BTO and about 3.397 OAL.

Thanks for checking that. Very close to the throat length of mine


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[Elite]

Watch a video on chasing the lands and then reload accordingly.
reload using the recommended length per bullet choice and shoot paper then you can increase the length .003 and shoot until find length the bullet likes regardless of where the lands are.

That’s what I usually do with all my cartridges. I just like to know how long I can seat a bullet out


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[TX_Diver]

For reference...

30-06 Length for Savage - Short(ish) Chamber?

Being home sick the last few days I finally got some time to load up some rounds for a Savage 114 American Classic - Stainless in 30-06. 22" 1:10 barrel. While trying to determine a starting point for COAL/CBTO I ended up with the rounds significantly shorter than I thought they'd be and am...

rokslide.com

 

[49ereric]

For reference...

30-06 Length for Savage - Short(ish) Chamber?

Being home sick the last few days I finally got some time to load up some rounds for a Savage 114 American Classic - Stainless in 30-06. 22" 1:10 barrel. While trying to determine a starting point for COAL/CBTO I ended up with the rounds significantly shorter than I thought they'd be and am...

rokslide.com

My savage F12 308 win is short chambered as well.
Loaded Sierra PH 180 RN and seated to 2.80 and ran into severe pressure asap. Ejector marks blown primers etc, Had to throw the 3 pieces of brass as they longer fit a shell holder in the press. the same load works in the Howa rifles and an older savage bolt rifle.
recently found Sierra load info that said test round was 2.71 length.

 

[wind gypsy]

I agree with the new bullets being a lot more point for a higher BC value but I am only over SAMMI specs by .004” which I find odd compared to other calibers I have hand loaded for


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I'm catchin what you're throwing and I agree although the 200 ELDx is designed with a shorter nose to work in mag length constrained rifles compared to others like the 212 ELDx which is sleeker. That said, it still has a longer nose than a lot of the more traditional stubby nosed bullets. I'd expect some of the stubbier soft point type bullets to be jammed into the lands well before 3.340 COAL in your rifle.

I'd definitely prefer a longer throat if you've got another 0.160" of mag length. The 180 berger elite hunter is one that has a pretty sleek form factor and long nose and would allow you to get the bullet out of the case quite a bit more.

 

[TX_Diver]

FWIW I also had immediate pressure signs (hard bolt lift & flat primer, maybe an extractor mark but I don't remember now) in this gun w/ each bullet at 53.5gr of H4350 (and also ~2700 fps MV) when I finally got around to shooting my ladder. Nosler load data starts at 52.5gr and goes to 56.5. Hornady and Sierra max loads are around 55-56 too.

I have loaded some more starting around 48 and also some with RL17 but haven't shot this rifle much since.

 

[49ereric]

FWIW I also had immediate pressure signs (hard bolt lift & flat primer, maybe an extractor mark but I don't remember now) in this gun w/ each bullet at 53.5gr of H4350 (and also ~2700 fps MV) when I finally got around to shooting my ladder. Nosler load data starts at 52.5gr and goes to 56.5. Hornady and Sierra max loads are around 55-56 too.

I have loaded some more starting around 48 and also some with RL17 but haven't shot this rifle much since.

I am using 57 grains IMR 4350 from an older Speer book with 180 grain Sierra PH RN in the M1917 06 and after the brass screw fix for the crown it is a shooter. No signs of pressure with that load.

 

[Elite]

I am using 57 grains IMR 4350 from an older Speer book with 180 grain Sierra PH RN in the M1917 06 and after the brass screw fix for the crown it is a shooter. No signs of pressure with that load.

Any idea on the speeds?


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[49ereric]

Any idea on the speeds?


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Just what the book says. Frosted barrel might be slow.