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?
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I have shot both belted and non-belted cartridges for decades with equal satisfaction and functionality. I was not aware that b
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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'.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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