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Seating Depths/Accuracy

7K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  goose19726 
#1 ·
Anyone tinker around with various seating depths in regards to accuracy results? In working up optimum accurate loads it is imperitive to understand how far off the lands your bullet sits. Every rifle has different freebore so finding the right OAL is fun stuff. I have yet to do this with my 25-06 but look forward to creating this marriage between bullet/rifle.

The correct seating depth is the single fastest way to getting better groups followed by good brass prep and accurate/safe powder charges. I have lots more to learn about reloading and doing alot of research right now. I am currently working with a bench shooter who gets .25" groups from a starting point of 1.25" @ 100 yards with a 7mm mag. It's amazing at all the attention to detail needed to yield results.

I plan on reloading more for recreational and economic reasons than competition shooting. I will do all the fun work to find the right loads using various powders, bullets, OAL, etc. If I can consistently shoot under MOA then I am satisfied. You hit a point where you find the right load and now it's your shooting skills that make the diff. All guns are capable of shooting more accuratly than the shooter assuming the rifling is not shot out or the bore is neglected.

I welcome any reloading advise that anyone has to offer.
 
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#3 ·
I plan on starting .050 off the lands and creep in .010 increments using 5 shot sets through a chrony. My best groups may very well be sitting on the lands if my magazine allows it. With a breakopen action you don't have this restriction and can really find the sweet spot.
 
#5 ·
go spend 35 bucks on a hornady case/cartridge over all length guage and a peice of brass to go with it. Also if you are measuring cartridge oal with exposed lead tip bullets there is varations in thebullet, so you may want to get hornadys bullet comparitor also, just a word of advise i have found theses two tools to be almost as valuable as a good set of dies!
 
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#6 ·
go spend 35 bucks on a hornady case/cartridge over all length guage and a peice of brass to go with it. Also if you are measuring cartridge oal with exposed lead tip bullets there is varations in thebullet, so you may want to get hornadys bullet comparitor also, just a word of advise i have found theses two tools to be almost as valuable as a good set of dies!
right its not necessarily to the tip but the start of the touching of the lands. bullet shapes are different so that length changes with different bullet manufactures.
 
#8 ·
Measuring by oal can be inconsistent due to various bullet shapes and tips. The most consistent method is understanding where the ogive meets the lands and backoff from there.

I take a dremel and cut the case 2/3 down the shoulder and slip in a bullet and take repeated measurements. Then I seat the bullet .030 deeper for starters. If the accuracy is not there I will try .020 & .010 longer. I rarely shoot of the lands and find I get acceptable accuracy in these ranges.

I just bought a TC Prohunter-7mm-08 so my reloading will be based off the headspacing of .001 from the wall with my bullet ogive sitting on the lands.
 
#11 ·
when working up new loads, I usually just slightly over size a brass, making sure the brass length is at a standard and loosely seat a bullet, with no powder or primer, then I put this in the gun and close the action, the bullet hits the lands and is pushed backinto the brass, once removed from the gun I measure it and that gives me overall chamber length, and I work up a few loads with the only difference being the distance the bullet ogive has from the lands on the rifling. most of my loads in various gun usually wind up being about 30 thousanths off the lands, no overpressue issues and better accuracy. but every gun is different and so is every reloader

most of my work goes into brass prep and powder charge. I weigh each piece of brass and each bullet, looking for consistency, which I believe is the key to creating good groups
 
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