Minimum overall cartridge length 308 win

[uncommonsense]

Finished a LR308 build. I think I have a overall length issue as I get light primer strikes, the trigger doesn't reset, or at times when i release the trigger to hear it reset I hear two clicks (seems the hammer is coming off it's sear on the front of the trigger).

Does anyone know if there's a minimum overall cartridge length on 308 Win? If not how do I safely find out what length to seat my handloads (they work fine in my M1A)? Im thinking to seat them further in by increments of 0.02" until I get reliable cycling. Right now they're all at +/- 0.01" of an overall length of 2.78."

Faxon 308 fluted match barrel
Elf drop in trigger group
Lantac E-BCG

[9mmrevolver]

What primers are u using? If using military primers I can see the drop in not wanting to fire them. I had issues with a chip drop in on my cmmg 308 with light primer strikes. Changed to standard trigger and fixed the problem

[uncommonsense]

What primers are u using? If using military primers I can see the drop in not wanting to fire them. I had issues with a chip drop in on my cmmg 308 with light primer strikes. Changed to standard trigger and fixed the problem

Using CCI large rifle primers. What's a chip drop btw?

[9mmrevolver]

https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/cmc-ar-15-ar-10-drop-in-trigger?a=1128173&pm2d=CSE-SPG-15-PLA&utm_medium=PLA&utm_source=Google&utm_campaign=CI&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9afOBRDWARIsAJW4nvyXxc_geFFnEWfuoR0TWHKrbs8a5lC7nb0F2fgHxonrl21bl369wvoaAqPIEALw_wcB

[9mmrevolver]

My Hornady book only has max COL at 2.810

[uncommonsense]

https://www.sportsmansguide.com/prod...oaAqPIEALw_wcB

Oh, lol

[uncommonsense]

I put a lot of time and $$$ into this thing so I just wanted to see if the overall cartridge length was the issue. I just don't want to seat it too far in and have a catastrophic failure.

Like I said, they work fine in the M1A. I do notice expansion rings on the ejected brass (when it does pop off a round from the LR308) that look like stretch marks. If it's not fully seated I would presume the round isn't seated 100% but just enough to fire.

I'm also taking the M1A to the range this Sat to see if the same marks appear on the ejected brass from that rifle too or not.

[uncommonsense]

My Hornady book only has max COL at 2.810

Yeah same with the Lyman 50th..

[Bigedski]

Check your headspacing

[CSACANNONEER]

OAL should not be an issue as long as it is not too long. Your problem could be headspacing. Do you reload? Have you checked to see if you're bumping the shoulder back too much? If you don't reload (or, even if you do), you should check to see if you're chamber is too deep. If your bolt closes on a no go gauge, that's probably your problem.

[baih777]

I would change the trigger first. For my lr308 i coal at 2.80
Whos lower are you using.

[uncommonsense]

Check your headspacing

The first thing I did after building it was take it to my local gun smith. He said the head spacing was fine. That's why I'm scratching my head trying to figure out how to find the right bullet seating depth without playing Christopher Columbus. Lol

I've dry fired, racked it, hit the trigger reset, dry fired again, racked it, hit the trigger reset, about 6x. It resets fine. I'll try using factory ammo and see if that cycles first.

[uncommonsense]

I would change the trigger first. For my lr308 i coal at 2.80
Whos lower are you using.

80percent Arms

[Paseclipse]

OAL should not be an issue as long as it is not too long. Your problem could be headspacing. Do you reload? Have you checked to see if you're bumping the shoulder back too much? If you don't reload (or, even if you do), you should check to see if you're chamber is too deep. If your bolt closes on a no go gauge, that's probably your problem.

^^^ This! If you can fit you're rounds in a magazine it's most likely not an OAL issue. You need to make sure your bumping the shoulders back far enough when you resize your brass.

Or this could be an issue with whatever trigger setup you're using in your rifle.

[uncommonsense]

OAL should not be an issue as long as it is not too long. Your problem could be headspacing. Do you reload? Have you checked to see if you're bumping the shoulder back too much? If you don't reload (or, even if you do), you should check to see if you're chamber is too deep. If your bolt closes on a no go gauge, that's probably your problem.

Yeah I do reload. Used the Lee full length sizing die. I've since gotten a Dillon but haven't loaded 308 with it yet.