Caliber and Actual Measurements

[Gaffer]

I measured a 556 round today. It does indeeded measure about .223 or .224.
7.62 mm equals .300". So are the NATO rounds the actual barrel inside diameter?

It's been a few years since I was reloading, but I bought .224. I don't recall why that is, but they worked perfectly with the .223 brass.

 

[verbotenwhisky]

Cast lead (including moly coat and plated) bullets are often 0.001" larger than their jacketed counterparts. Are you, perhaps, looking at a lead (unjacketed) projectile?

GsT

I have a lubrisizer Which takes the projectile to exact size, I thought everyone did this???

 

[GeneT45]

It's been a few years since I was reloading, but I bought .224. I don't recall why that is, but they worked perfectly with the .223 brass.

A .224 diameter bullet is the standard for a .223. To reiterate, the "named caliber" is convention, and shouldn't be taken to heart. Most .300xxx are really .308, but as noted earlier .303 is really .311 as is 7.62 Russian (7.62mm = .300). All convention.

GsT

 

[verbotenwhisky]

When I was reloading, the Hornady Handbook of Reloading was my bible. It has case dimensions and bullet dimensions as well as loads vs. muzzle velocities for various powders and exterior ballistics.

I have a bookshelf full of reloading manuals, which I use really depends upon what I am doing...

 

[GeneT45]

I have a lubrisizer Which takes the projectile to exact size, I thought everyone did this???

Your lubrisizer for .30 cal (".308") should be sizing your .30 projectiles to 0.309" diameter, which is 0.001" larger than what you'd use in a jacketed bullet. That's by design, lead is softer than gilding metal (jacket metal) and needs more 'bite' into the rifling. If you were to start swaging jacketed bullets, they would (rightfully) be smaller than your sized lead projectiles.

GsT

 

[verbotenwhisky]

Your lubrisizer for .30 cal (".308") should be sizing your .30 projectiles to 0.309" diameter, which is 0.001" larger than what you'd use in a jacketed bullet. That's by design, lead is softer than gilding metal (jacket metal) and needs more 'bite' into the rifling. If you were to start swaging jacketed bullets, they would (rightfully) be smaller than your sized lead projectiles.

GsT

I size them to .308 with a gas check on the tail and load at an intermediate powder volume listed for jacketed projectiles... For rifle rounds I decrease the lead percentage and up the antimony by about 5% to increase the hardness for the higher pressures and velocities...

 

[Winegrower]

Thanks to all you guys for clarifying our original question.

 

[David2011]

There are only two cartridges that I know of that use .223” jacketed bullets. There may be more that I don’t know about. One is the .22 Winchester Rimfire Magnum and the other is the .22 Hornet in its original iteration. Revolvers that come with standard and magnum .22 rimfire cylinders usually have a bore .001” bigger than those intended to shoot only short/long/long rifle ammunition. Early .22 Hornet specs were for .223 bullets but later versions like the Thompson Center barrels are bored for .224 bullets.

 

[verbotenwhisky]

There are only two cartridges that I know of that use .223” jacketed bullets. There may be more that I don’t know about. One is the .22 Winchester Rimfire Magnum and the other is the .22 Hornet in its original iteration. Revolvers that come with standard and magnum .22 rimfire cylinders usually have a bore .001” bigger than those intended to shoot only short/long/long rifle ammunition. Early .22 Hornet specs were for .223 bullets but later versions like the Thompson Center barrels are bored for .224 bullets.

as far as diameter of projectiles the 218 BEE, 22 HORNET, 221 FIREBALL, 22 PPC, 22 BR REMINGTON, 222 REMINGTON, 223 REMINGTON, 222 REMINGTON MAGNUM, 22-250 REMINGTON, 223 WIN SUPER SHORT MAG, 224 WEATHERBY MAGNUM, 225 WINCHESTER, and 220 SWIFT all use a .224 diameter projectile which can be jacketed, this is just rifle rounds.

 

[pdentrem]

As noted, always refer to reloading manuals for proper bullet sizes. The cartridge name is advertising marketing speak. The list Verbotenwhisky put up, reflects this.
Lyman has produced a reloading manual for cast bullets for many decades.
Pierre