Is there a way to manually figure how deep to seat the bullet in a cartridge. If you lightly push a bullet into an unprimed case and then chamber it - will it seat itself against the rifling. At that point could you just add .010 to it and you would be set. Just wondering. I have been using the spec's in my book and thought it time I learned how to set it just off the rifling. I am reloading .308 with 168 gr sierra match kings. My book says 2.775 coal. It is shooting really good so just wondering if it really makes it shoot anymore accurate with it just off the rifling.
Setting bullet depth
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dodgestdshift
Member
You have to be careful when doing this that the bullet doesn't stick in the rifling when extracting giving you a false reading.
rbernie
Contributing Member
I have found that crimping the bullets in place and seating them out to reduce the jump is LESS accurate than seating the bullets mo' deeply and using neck tension to keep the bullet in place. For this reason, I generally worry less about bullet jump than I do about getting as getting the bullet seated to the depth of the neck (to maximize the neck's holding ability on the bullet).
45 ACP
Member
Ping...you said...
"At that point could you just add .010 to it and you would be set. Just wondering."
I'm sure the word 'add' was just a slip of the toungue but it could get you in trouble. This would put you farther into the lands. You want to 'subtract' .010
Just my $.02
"At that point could you just add .010 to it and you would be set. Just wondering."
I'm sure the word 'add' was just a slip of the toungue but it could get you in trouble. This would put you farther into the lands. You want to 'subtract' .010
Just my $.02
ID_shooting
Member
Ping described the method I use, but after I do this, I then check for mag length. I had a sav that the mag box was too short to allow the bullet to be seated right off the lans.
I have found that all of the rounds I load in this manner have enough neck to berring surface interface to hold firmly, I am sure there are some that don't, I just havn't encountered it yet.
I have found that all of the rounds I load in this manner have enough neck to berring surface interface to hold firmly, I am sure there are some that don't, I just havn't encountered it yet.
Swamprabbit
Member
Stony Point makes an excellent gauge for this. You will need the gauge, one of their cartridge cases (threaded on the bottom and neck sized) and a set of calipers. With these tools, you can accurately measure the length to the lands and go from there. Especially with hotter loads, I would want to remove any "guess work" from the process.
longrifleman
Member
Another approach here.
I haven't tried it yet myself but I need to work up some new loads for a couple of rifles and planned to try this. If you beat me to it I would appreciate any feed back. This method doesn't account for deformed bullet tips but should work well for FMJ or plastic tips. I'd think soft points should be very well inspected to avoid an oopsie.
I haven't tried it yet myself but I need to work up some new loads for a couple of rifles and planned to try this. If you beat me to it I would appreciate any feed back. This method doesn't account for deformed bullet tips but should work well for FMJ or plastic tips. I'd think soft points should be very well inspected to avoid an oopsie.
Ogive
Yeh I plan to do this shortly and see what I come up with. Like another gentleman said - having it right off the rifling might not necesarily give you better accuracy. I have always heard that it would but it would be worth trying. Also I dont think the bullet tips will make a difference as the rifling will actually catch the bullets ogive. That tips never really contact the rifling. Correct me if I am wrong. Let me know.
Yeh I plan to do this shortly and see what I come up with. Like another gentleman said - having it right off the rifling might not necesarily give you better accuracy. I have always heard that it would but it would be worth trying. Also I dont think the bullet tips will make a difference as the rifling will actually catch the bullets ogive. That tips never really contact the rifling. Correct me if I am wrong. Let me know.
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