I'm worried: 32 gr VMax

[bow shot]

I measured 20 of the sierras, and came up with 0.004" variance bullet to bullet. That's base to tip.

As mentioned before, I've heare that base-to-tip consistancy is not very important in the accuracy game, FWIW.

[Rick in Oregon]

FWIW: Considering manufacturing tolerances on bullet length and the actual tolerances of the poly tips (I've seen the engineering drawings on both components), you're completely wasting your time measuring base to tip on poly-tip bullets......they're gonna vary, period,...... and affect absolutely nothing.

Best to concentrate on ojive to lands measurements or ojive to base if you really want to measure your bullets and have any meaningful measurements as a result.

If you've ever been in a bullet manufacturing plant, you'd wonder how they get the overall bullet lengths as close to dimensional uniformity as what you see with presses chomping out a bullet every half second. We've got the best quality bullets these days than ever before in the history of shooting. Nit pick if you want, but I'll just load them up, measure distance to the lands, and go kill some varmints!

[FireBallGuy]

Amen rick!

[bow shot]

Aye!

[FireBallGuy]

Just teasin' you bowshot!

[bow shot]

LOL, not a problem!

[Ryan S Albright]

I have been having problems with all bullets on my heavy rifle that I just changed the trigger out on I deciced it was the action bedding and have had the rifle apart numerus times to rebed the laminated thing. I have finely given up due to time constrants and ordered a new Hoque stock with the aluminium block in the stock it should be here any day I hope this will tighten up my groups with the 32gr Vmax. In the past when my rifle would not shoot the 32 gr bullets I glass bedded it and it brought the groups right together. A stock can make a big difference in what weight a bullet that rifle will shoot. I have had 7mm mags and 270s that would not shoot light weight bullets untill I bedded them same with my 204 standard weight.

[FireBallGuy]

As I have said elsewhere in this forum.....I was RELIEVED that my gun did not really care for lighter bullets! For some odd reason the barnes VG is the exception and remains the MOST accurate bullet I have tried in my remington to date. To me the caliber really shines at long range with the 39's and 40's and above anyway and this has been my primary focus for this rifle.

[bow shot]

Just bedded the action a few weeks ago, Ray. It came out well (according to this ameture). The action goes in and out of the stock very clean. Once it is home, there is no wiggle what soever, and the action screws come home with a very sudden stop. Before, I could feel a little "squish on the rear screw, and the rear tang would wiggle if a little pressure was applied to the barrel.

Just gott get out and shoot now!!!

[Wrangler John]

Sorry I've been away awhile writing comments on a Forest Service management plan that we feared would eliminate varmint hunting in the hottest spot in California - no not as good as RIO's wild ranch splatfest but it goes almost all year around.

It ain't the variance between bullets I'm talking about but the over all length. For example the Barnes 62 grain 6mm Varmint Grenade averages around .974" long (they vary from .970" to .981"). Three bullets would give a representative sample. I don't have any lead core bullets around so they don't get accidentally loaded for use in the Lead Free Area.

Bullet length variation isn't as important as you would think. But overall length relative to weight is. I ordered a 1:8.5 twist barrel from Pac-Nor to test .204 bullets with, because I had a few extra bucks left over from my Social Security check and I'm well past spending it on booze and broads. So maybe I'll pick up some Hornady V-Maxes just to test.

Don't measure Barnes Bullets - you'll go nuts. The only way to get 'em all the same is order a set of custom swagging dies and make 'em yourself. My 7mm home swagged bullets were just absolutely perfect - little jewels of precision. It's just so much easier to plunk down a credit card and walk away with little green, yellow or red boxes of squirrel death.

[Iamsignal3]

Ditto on the Remmy hating VMaxs and is so so with the 32 grain Noslers also but feed it some 39 gr. Sierra or 40 gr. Noslers and presto sub 0.5s all day with H4895, R15 or 10X and 0.25s are pretty common. Found new best powder IMR 8208 which with the Sierra gets me quarters all day and my .17 furball loves it with the 20 and 25 gr. Vmaxs. Buddy is getting 3/4 with Vmaxs in his 204 Remmy and both our guns are sporting laminate stocks that are devcon and pillar bedded with 1# triggers and 20+ power scopes, so those aren't factors. Pretty confident in saying most Remmy 204 ruger guns are not worth wasting too much time and powder on Vmaxs if they do not show promise in the first box. Buddy is on 3rd box of Vmax 32s trying to save a few bucks and working on another powder/primer/case to get sub 3/4 but gets angry when I shoot a one hole group on the target next to his with the Sierras.

[FireBallGuy]

Amen brother!

[Wrangler John]

Wrangler

What measurement are you looking for?
Tip to base or base to ogive?

Overall bullet length tip to base.

[jo191145]

Wrangler

What measurement are you looking for?
Tip to base or base to ogive?

Overall bullet length tip to base.

.6395
.6395
.6405
.6395
.6390

As noted by others. Base to tip not of much consequence unless your figuring twist rates.
I'm actually pretty impressed they were that close.

[bow shot]

Well, the 32 gr SBKs keyholed @ 50yards, and some went into orbit at long range, missing the entire paper-covered 4' x4' pallet. Primers flattened at just above min. charge too. I'm not done with this yet, LOL!!

The 39 gr SBKs printed 0.37" @ 100y.

Funny thing,

1) Before I tested the any SBKs @ 100y, I popped 3 of my 32gr VMax loads down range:. 0.24".

2) When I did a 300y test (OTB style) with the SBKs, I also did a 3 shot group with the 32 gr VMax load: 0.82".

I'll post pics tomorrow, I'm on dial-up here at home. I'd like comments on the flattened primers once you folks get a chance to see the pics.