.223 Bullet Seating

[bkundingerii]

Ok all you experts out there. I've been reloading pistol for years and only rifle for about a year. The question I have is about the bullet seating. I am using Dillon dies and on the bullet seating I have replaced the standard dillon plug with a redding micrometer seating type (the standard one, not the VLD). The question I have is why it's seating the bullet at all different depths. I know that it seats at the ogive and not the tip, but even there it is giving me drastic inconsistency. I typically reload 55 grain hornady FMJBT with cannilure and measure each piece of brass to make sure it's at 1.75 after trimming. Looking at the cannilure after each seat and none of them are the same.

A question I have is if the bullet ogive or cannilure could be inconsistent or am I looking at this the wrong way. Any input you could give would be greatly appreciated.

 

[rcmodel]

Ogive variation.

If you want accurate measurement, you have to use a bullet comparator with your dial caliper and measure from the same place on the bullet your seating die is seating them from.

http://www.brownells.com/reloading/...87_a_7c3466_a_7c749002942_d_749002942_d_20531

rc

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

the cannelure location is probably not very consistent bullet-to-bullet

line a few un-seated bullets up and take a look

 

[bkundingerii]

I should have mentioned that I am using a comparator to make sure the length, relative to the ogive, is the same. They are all within a .001. Besides the cosmetic aspect relative to the cannilure, should I give this a second thought?

 

[bkundingerii]

Another question is if I should be measuring each bullet at the ogive and load them in groupings relative to that measurement? Or, would this just be a huge waste of time?

 

[rcmodel]

FMJ-BT are so Accuracy Challenged, it doesn't matter what you do.

They cannot be made to shoot as accurately as a bullet with the jacket hole in the nose, and a rolled in cannulure that makes each one a different length, and possibly crooked too.

If you want accuracy, you simple have to switch bullet types.

Try HP match, plastic-tip varmint, or SP last.

All will out-shoot FMJ-BT, every time.

Here is the difference between 55 grain Win FMJ-BT and Nosler Ballistic-Tip.

Same load, same rifle same shot strings off the same bench.


rc

 

[gamestalker]

The trim too length has no effect on seating depth (OAL). Everything that I relatove to OAL is off the olgive, and as for olgive consistency, they will vary quite a bit, and even more so depending on the manufacturer and bullet type, match grade, ect. And if you are getting .001" OAL consistency, you're doing better than most.

As for canelure location, it probably isn't going to make a noticable difference on paper. But if it does, switch to a SP or a HP to get maximum accuracy.

GS

 

[788Ham]

All I shoot in the .223 is Hornady 52 BTHP, and 53 MHP, never had any problem shooting groups like rc showed you, never! I've still got some factory ammo, 55 gr. FMJ, when I need once fired cases, I shoot these wantonly, then reload my good bullets.

 

[GLOOB]

the cannelure location is probably not very consistent bullet-to-bullet

+1 Definitely something to check. I've noticed a huge variation on some batches of bullets. Bad enough were crimping the bullets was out of the question.