K31 Reloading help again! Bullets are too big?

[Uncle Ray]

OK; This is a fool-proof method to obtain an appropriate seating depth in ANY rifle.

First; you need two things. A 36" length of 1/4" diameter dowel from the hardware store.Next, a new lead pencil.

With the bolt out of the rifle, drop a bullet that you want to use into the barrel from the chamber end, and with the pencil, push the bullet up the barrel until it stops on the lands. Hold it there with your pencil.

With your other hand, lower the 1/4" dia. dowel slowly down the barrel from the muzzle end until it stops on the bullet tip. Slowly remove the pencil, without disturbing the bullet, and then with the pencil, mark a line on the dowel level with the end of the muzzle.

Remove the bullet, and replace the bolt in the fired position. Now let the dowel slide down the bore until the end rests on the bolt face. With your pencil, make another mark on the dowel at the muzzle. Remove the dowel, and measure the distance between the two pencil marks.

This distance will represent the O/A length of your loaded round BUT ONLY FOR THAT PARTICULAR BULLET WEIGHT, AND BULLET NOSE PROFILE. Change your bullet make, and you will have to repeat the above process all over again. Now this method of measurement gives me the best accuracy out of my K.31 and other rifles. If you run your loads a tad on the hot side, reduce the O/A length by a couple of thou. Some rifles do have long throat leads, and the dowel & pencil will soon show this up.
If with a worn throat, or long lead you find the reverse that the bullet only just sits in the case when you set your seating die up, always ensure that what ever the bore diameter is of your rifle, seat that bullet no less than it's diameter, eg: bullet dia .308", seat the bullet to a depth of .308" in the case neck. This comment only relates to rifles with worn throats or leads.

Now I'm sure that there will be comments contrary to the above, but as a competitive target shooter and hand-loader of some 50-plus years, I'm still here. I've shot Olympic three-positional using some of the best rifles ever designed; Hammerli, Schultz & Larsen, Steyr, Tanner and prototypes, and I find that the above simple system of tailor-made O/A cartridge lengths works best for me when the bullet is JUST touching the lands with a turn-bolt, and one to two thou. back with the straight-pulls.

The above method is made as a suggestion in obtaining a cartridge overall length to suit your rifle. The powder load and bullet choice is at your own discretion.