Proper Bullet Seating Questions

[Luke2K5]

I have a few questions on bullet seating relative to the proper distance off the lands and grooves.

The gun is a Savage 243. Loading 85 gr spitz. I did initial seating at Speer tested COL 2.625". I then started with an empty case and backed off on the seating die quite a ways. Minimally seated a bullet then gently attempted to chamber the round and incrementally seated the bullet further until it reached the point at which the round could be easily chambered. The length then was 2.73 (still able to fit in the magazine). The difference in depths was .11".

My questions are:

I don't have a specialized bullet seating depth tool/gauge. Is the method I used as described above accurate for finding the min depth/max COL?

Does .11" variation in depths sound accurate?

How far, at a minimum, should the bullet be off the lands and grooves? I know this varies but is their a general rule for small-medium caliber rifles?

Is splitting the difference between max and min depths (using Speer tested COLs) and just sticking with that okay if I don't want to do a lot of test firing on various bullet depths?

In one reloading manual it recommends rifle bullets be seated to between .030 and .070" for best accuracy. Is that universal?

Thanks.

L2K5

 

[Austin Charles]

I would take a marker and paint the end of the bullet, then chamber it in the gun to make damn sure that the bullet is not hitting the rifling.

I use a StoneyPoint http://www.stoneypoint.com/oal_index.html

 

[Luke2K5]

Austin, so what will the bullet look like if it is too far forward? Will there be land and groove marks on the marker coating? If so, will they be very noticeable? Barely noticeable? Will I need to look at it under maginfication? If the bullet is too far foreward and a round is chambered under tension, will there be marks in the copper jacket?

Thanks.

L2k5

 

[dakotasin]

seat the bullet really long - like barely held in the case. then chamber the dummy. what you get out will be your starting point.

the rifling marks will be quite noticeable. no magnification necessary.

now, adjust your seater down to this new level, and you'll have to go just a hair deeper. repeat the process. once you think you are deep enough, use some steel wool on the bullet, and try one more time. again, no magnification necessary, but good lighting helps. you'll see if there are new marks.

personally, i don't have a problem w/ light engagement. seems to be more accurate. heavy engagement is a no-no for 'everyday' guns because many times unchambering a round will leave the bullet stuck in the bore, and then you'll have a mess and be picking powder out of the action, chamber, mag, and trigger for weeks afterward. i've done it several times... not fun.

 

[dakotasin]

forgot to mention... these cartridges may or may not fit in your magazine, and if they do, they may or may not feed. keep adjusting the bullet deeper until you get rounds that will feed and chamber from your magazine. most times, i just run to the lands, and then check mag feeding, and it all works fine on the first try. once in awhile i'll have seat deeper to fit the mag, and on one gun, i have to seat deeper still to get reliable feeding.

 

[Luke2K5]

Thanks, dakotasin. Really appreciate your info. Very helpful. I feel more confident doing some more testing now--and will repeat the steps several times to make sure I'm getting accurate readings.

L2k5