I just got into reloading starting with my bolt action 30-06.

Started with fire formed cases to fit my chamber and wanted to get bullet seating depth so that it was 0.03inches of the start of the rifling. Using the hornady overall length gauge and bullet comparator tool is giving me finished rounds that are much longer than the typical factory round and the bullet seems barely seated in the case. Overall length to the ogive is 2.83inches. All the rounds chambered and at the range they fired fine, but worried I'm doing something wrong. I know this is the group that will quickly show me the error of my ways

Using Sierra Game King 165grn bullets with 48grains of IMR 4064

Why? If you don't know if it will even group setup the way you outlined. Why not start a dummy round with the projectile set a little long and touching and bring it in until its clear, then check to see if it fits in your mag. Load several cartridges in .05 gr increments (2 ea) and go to the range. You may find its easier than running all the Mic's and no.s and still not having a good load. Remember, if loading Barnes stay a little further off the lands

Try 56.0 gr of IMR 4350

Sounds like your chamber has a long lead or freebore.

Step one for a rifle w box magazine is to seat a bullet deep enough into an empty case that it will just reliably function thru the rifle. Measure the OAL.


Step 2 is to see if that setting leaves the bullet touching the rifling or not. Measure OAL after chamber ing the dummy round and compare to measurement above.

If it isn't touching that is the max practical OAL for that bullet in that rifle.

This usually isn't an issue if a long action is used w a short caliber such as .308 Win in a standard length action I have seen it in .270 and .30-06.