So I'm fairly new to reloading, starting a development for a vanguard heavy barrel .308 and the champer seems very long, my coal to touch the rifling is 2.9885 so loading for coal of 2.800 is gonna give me a pretty long jump, ideally I'd like to start at .010 and ladder test I'm 4064 with 175gr tmk but don't know if it's safe to seat .308 out to 2.978? The mag also only allows for 2.89 coal before I have to single feed.
As long as you have at least .275 if the bullet in the case you will be fine. Try some bullets that like jump, Barnes TTSX and TSX, if you are making a hunting gun. If it is target only then single feeding won't be a problem and you can use the long and heavy VLD Bergers etc to get you close to the lands.
I sear my TTSX’s in my bolt guns at 0.050” jump and in my gas guns I seat at Mag length which in my BCL 102 gives me somewhere around 0.110” jump IIRC.
Bullets with a secant ogive are going to seat long, but if you choose one with a tangent ogive there is a much better chance of snugging it up to the lands. For light game like deer, I loaded Sierra BTHP GameKings which have a big, ugly, serrated hollow point but fly like a match bullet and kill like a Berger.
I think that is common for Weatherby rifles (both the Howa made Vanguard and the Mark V).
They seem to shoot really darn nice with a big jump - although we did find a few batches hand loads did well a little closer (longer COAL) but they still were a bit of a jump compared to other guns I had..
Mind you all of my bees have been chambered in Weatherby ... I have never owned a standard cartridge in these guns.
Weatherby .308 really long throat
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