Reloading .303 British : Optimal Charge Weight Test

That is certainly another variable you can play with in a ladder test. But, most LE’s will have a long throat, and the tangent ogive of the 174 SMK is quite jump tolerant.  Seating this bullet longer than magazine length also reduces neck tension forces gripping the bullet, so diminishing returns if you seat much past 3.075. 

I ran this test at 3.07 inch OAL, because the vintage sniper matches are single shot only, I don’t have to worry about rapid fire stages loading from the magazine. For magazine rapid fire feeding in the vintage service rifle type matches, I seat to 3.05 inch OAL.