Tweet
I have shot both belted and non-belted cartridges for decades with equal satisfaction and functionality. I was not aware that belted rounds don't headspace properly and feed less reliabily until people began saying it about a decade ago. I know the reasons for their statements, do you?
-
-
i've never heard that. why is that? -
ish,
I've heard the same as you but I forget the basis for those statements. Hear is what Lymans manual #47 says.
'The belted magnum case tries to incorporate the easy headspacing of a rimmed cartridge with the easy feeding from a box magazine of the rimless case. It first saw light when the abilities of firearm and ammunition manufacturers to hold tight tolerences were still being perfected'.
Comment
-
I have seen signs of case stretching (bright ring just ahead of the belt) in belted magnum cases. Especially one 7mm Rem I had that was the most accurate rifle I've ever owned. It would put 5 not 3 but 5 into one hole at 100 yds. Go figure. Never had problems with belted cases feeding. My 6mmX284 Win wouldn't feed until the 'smith did some work on it.Comment
-
As far as I know, the point of the belt is to ensure proper headspacing, and also to prevent similar rounds from chambering (see .450 Marlin and .45-70). So I don't see what these people's problems are. Bad reloads?
I can see them feeding a little less smoothly than similar non-belted cases, but the headspacing should never be a problem, if no one does anything stupid.Comment
-
Military sniper teams still like the .300 mag.Comment
-
I think all of you guys are right. I also believe that the real reason is that many people have read enough latest greatest ads and inaccurate articles supporting short fat mags, Ultras, Dakotas, etc with no belt and believe that they are substancially superior to the older belted mags than many of us already use. In fact I have an Ultra and it feeds no better or worse than my belted magnums. Jack Lott didn't worry about the belt when he improved the .458 Win Mag, he just made it longer. It worked then and it works now.Comment
-
Saying the .458 Lott works then and now is an understatement! The .458 Win worked, and the .458 Lott...that thing is brutal from both ends of the rifle. If you have something that can bangflop an elephant, you have a serious cartridge on your hands.Comment
-
People and their silly ideas. If there is a problem with belted rounds, explain why they are so popular and deadly. Some belted magnums have some of the best track records a cartridge can have. Can anyone say .338 Win Mag?Comment
-
There are a couple of differences with the belted cartriges. They DO head space on the belt rather than on the shoulder of the cartriges like beltless cartriges do. Theoretically, this allows a little wobble room for the cartrige up toward the business end. Some say like trying to hold your pencil from the eraser and write. Secondly, the belt creates a wide spot in the magazine where the belts stack up and this can jerk around a little as the cartrige advances during loading. Really not a serious problem with either... in my experience, NOTHING slides out of the magazine or extracts smoother than a .375 H&H. As far as accuracy, if the bullet is centered in the case neck, it holds the cartrige on center so we are really NOT writing with a pencil eraser. As long as they shoot sub-MOA, you can't argue they are not accurate. I shoot a .300 Dakota and a .375 H&H. The .300 Dakota accuracy is OUTSTANDING but that did not prevent me from buying the .375. Don't let that little belt bother you... if you like the cartrige, buy it... you will be happy.Comment
-
If you neck size your belted magnum, wouldn't you be head space off the belt and the shoulder? Wouldn't want to mix the rounds with another rifle of the same caliber, so for hunting probably not a good idea. I'm not a target shooter, just a hunter.Comment
-
Agreed with Del in KS answer above and A + 1 for you sir!!!Comment
Comment