Here's an e-mail I just sent to Hornady. What are your thoughts?
I've been reloading 17 rifle and handgun calibers for 31 years, having great target and hunting success with Hornady roundnose in 175gr 7mm Rem Mag and 150gr .270 Win, and 150gr spire in .270.
At one point I wanted to enter Browning's BOSS contest because I got an 8-shot group that measured 0.562" at 100 yards with my 7-RM using a Hornady 175gr RN and H870 powder. For whatever reason I didn't make it, so I just kept reloading and shooting. I bought a new box of bullets at one point several years ago and it was very obvious that the cannelure (interlock) had been moved, probably a design change. But that totally changed my accuracy as well. When H870 dropped off the market I discarded my load as well.
I just finished a reloading session with .270. My old Remington 700 had the barrel burned out and it was replaced by Remington. The new barrel won't shoot anything but Hornady 150gr RN and spires, with H4831 and Fed 215 primers. Both bullets shoot under a MOA at 100 yards, with the Round nose giving a better group (go figure!).
But no one around here - including a local Cabela's - carries Hornady .270 RN. So I'm working on the spires. Based on my previous experience, I tend to examine new boxes of bullets for differences. There seems to be no outward difference in appearance between Lot # 93-322 and Lot #2060877 - both cannelures are in the same location. But I sensed a slight difference in the shape of the newer bullet. I seat with a comparator and my overall length of 2.821" to the ogive, which is 0.02" away from my leade, with Lot 93-322 fits my clip and gives me my impressive groups. Lot # 2060877 seats to 2.829" and won't fit the clip until I lower it to 2.819" so it seems there IS a style change here.
I haven't fired this load yet but my seating difference of 0.01" (2.829 - 2.819) makes me wonder if I'll lose my accuracy. I guess I can make it even more complicated. If the old bullet at 2.821" is 0.02" from the leade and fits the clip, how far away from the leade is the new style bullet when seated to fit the clip at 2.819"? What's your opinion?
Is this discrepancy just a manufacturing tolerance acceptability or a planned style change? If the latter, may I suggest some indication on the box -"new style" - or something similar, to alert us and allow us to make necessary changes. The positional change of the cannelure is probably most important as one of the neophytes on the internet (The Firing Line) was using that as a seating depth indicator!
Thanks for your anticipated reply.
I've been reloading 17 rifle and handgun calibers for 31 years, having great target and hunting success with Hornady roundnose in 175gr 7mm Rem Mag and 150gr .270 Win, and 150gr spire in .270.
At one point I wanted to enter Browning's BOSS contest because I got an 8-shot group that measured 0.562" at 100 yards with my 7-RM using a Hornady 175gr RN and H870 powder. For whatever reason I didn't make it, so I just kept reloading and shooting. I bought a new box of bullets at one point several years ago and it was very obvious that the cannelure (interlock) had been moved, probably a design change. But that totally changed my accuracy as well. When H870 dropped off the market I discarded my load as well.
I just finished a reloading session with .270. My old Remington 700 had the barrel burned out and it was replaced by Remington. The new barrel won't shoot anything but Hornady 150gr RN and spires, with H4831 and Fed 215 primers. Both bullets shoot under a MOA at 100 yards, with the Round nose giving a better group (go figure!).
But no one around here - including a local Cabela's - carries Hornady .270 RN. So I'm working on the spires. Based on my previous experience, I tend to examine new boxes of bullets for differences. There seems to be no outward difference in appearance between Lot # 93-322 and Lot #2060877 - both cannelures are in the same location. But I sensed a slight difference in the shape of the newer bullet. I seat with a comparator and my overall length of 2.821" to the ogive, which is 0.02" away from my leade, with Lot 93-322 fits my clip and gives me my impressive groups. Lot # 2060877 seats to 2.829" and won't fit the clip until I lower it to 2.819" so it seems there IS a style change here.
I haven't fired this load yet but my seating difference of 0.01" (2.829 - 2.819) makes me wonder if I'll lose my accuracy. I guess I can make it even more complicated. If the old bullet at 2.821" is 0.02" from the leade and fits the clip, how far away from the leade is the new style bullet when seated to fit the clip at 2.819"? What's your opinion?
Is this discrepancy just a manufacturing tolerance acceptability or a planned style change? If the latter, may I suggest some indication on the box -"new style" - or something similar, to alert us and allow us to make necessary changes. The positional change of the cannelure is probably most important as one of the neophytes on the internet (The Firing Line) was using that as a seating depth indicator!
Thanks for your anticipated reply.