bullet vs bore size

[Greener Jim]

Does 0.001" matter? Obviously pressure will be higher all other things equal but surely you could work up a load with a 0.001" oversize bullet.

The reason i ask is because there is some variance in bullet sizes for certain calibres. For example:

- 44 cal can be either .430" or .429" depending on bullet maker (.4295" from sierra!)
- 45 cal (handgun) can be .451" and .452"

Another example, and the real reason i'm asking, is that Hornady make bullets for the 450/400 and their bullets are 400gr .410". They also make 300gr .411" bullets for the 405 Winchester. Woodleigh make 400gr .411".
Can the .411" bullets be used in a .410" barrel? Would i need a different expander ball/neck sizer for each bullet diameter?

I was just thinking that a 400, using the 300gr .411" for deer (up to the big ones on foreign shores) and either of the 400gr for the bigger things out there, would be one hell of a rifle to hunt the world with.

Beware the man with one gun....

 

[Southern]

No, 0.001 inch does not make that much difference that you need a different expander ball or bullets, for .400, .444 (.429 and .430 ) nor for 7mm ( .284 in the USA, .285 in Europe ). There is a difference in pressure and loads between some American and some European rifles. The biggest difference is in cast bullets, where sizing is necessary to find the just right diameter for your rifle, like a .444 Marlin, which may have Micro-groove or Ballard rifling.

I once handled a matched pair of Griffin & Howe custom rifles built on 1903 actions, one in .35 Whelen and the other in .400 Whelen. Yum. I don't really think the .400 brought anything to the table that the .35 could not do, but it was a sweet feeling rifle.

 

[Greener Jim]

400 whelen is a nice round purely as a curiosity and to show what the 30-06 case can be pushed to. I think if i was going down that route a 41-284 would be the way to go for more positive headspace.

thanks for the response by the way.

 

[Conure]

Remember reading a Ken Waters article where he was suprised to discover that in the 270 Winchester that most bullets were undersized instead of his expected the "Accepted" 0.001" over bore diameter. In this case the bullets were 0.001" under groove diameter.