seating bullets to lands

midnightrider · July 7, 2010, 10:05 PM

ive heard that seating bullets out to the lands or .01 off makes handloads more accurate.

how do you guys do this? maybe somebody can explian how this is done please

I tried using a permanent marker and it didnt work out so well

thanks

.284 · July 7, 2010, 10:26 PM

There are two ways that I know of. One is the marker technique and the other is this:https://shop.rcbs.com/WebConnect/Mai...J149&route=C11. With the marker technique, it is important to be close to zero off the lands or just a bit long. Close the bolt on the dummy cartridge and carefully remove. Now, check for rifling marks. If I see marks, I clean the bullet, seat .005 deeper, re-mark the bullet, and check again. I repeat this process until I find zero. Once you find zero, you are unlimited to how far off the lands you want to be. Actually, I have the RCBS mic and use it to get close and then do the marker trick to get me home. I do this for every bullet I use regardless if it is a Sierra or a Barnes. The ogive of bullets of differing manufacturers can vary.

William T. Watts · July 7, 2010, 10:43 PM

Resize one of your cases, use a hack saw to split the neck to the near the shoulder, seat the bullet only as far as needed for the neck to hold the bullet securely. Insert the case into the chamber by hand until the lands won't let you insert further, use a wooden dowel or a cleaning rod (your choice) down the barrel and push (gently) until it touches the tip of the bullet, mark the wooden dowel or rod at the point it is flush with the muzzle. Remove the case and bullet and start to seat the bullet deeper into the case until it will just chamber and lock into battery (hopefully you will get a feel for when this occurs). This would be touching the lands, reinsert the wooden dowel or cleaning rod and see if the mark lines up flush with your muzzle, if it does consider that zero. As you seat the bullet deeper into the case you should be able to use a set of calipers to determine bullet jump by measuring the marks on your dowel/rod. There are gauges (hand tools that do the same thing) this method costs you a case only and it works! I hope this helps! William

Ares45 · July 8, 2010, 11:12 AM

Seating into the rifling can be extremly dangerous and should not be attempted by anyone without a lot of reloading experience. I only mention this because of your post count. I'm making an assumption, based on that, that you are new to reloading. Again I'm assuming and could be wrong but I'd err on the side of caution when attempting this. Seat the bullet incorrectly or too far into the rifling and the pressure will build dramatically. Instead of bullet leaving the barrel it becomes an obstruction, followed very shortly thereafter by a large explosion and bloodletting.

If you insist on proceeding I would highly recomend the proper gear...

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=479963

EDIT: or you can do it the old fashioned way and use a candle to smoke a DUMMY round. beats a magic marker.

.284 · July 8, 2010, 11:33 AM

Do you want to seat the bullet so that it contacts the rifling or are you trying to create .010 of free bore? I guess I was assuming free bore. I found a better description of the RCBS mic here:http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.co...sku=0004488304

I still think this would be a great tool for what you're asking to do.

midnightrider · July 8, 2010, 12:28 PM

I've done this before on 30-06 handlaods using the magic marker technique. with a finely aged(older) ruger M77 and got some good results. using nosler green tips with factory COA lenght it shoots 1.5 at fifty yards. when I seat them .01 off the lands I can get one holers at fifty and 1 inch at a hundred yards.

I am trying to get different techniques because its easy to see the marks on the bullet left from the lands with 30-06. I am trying this with 243 and I cant see the marks on the bullet from the lands.

wncchester · July 8, 2010, 03:01 PM

"Seating bullets to lands" is usually a mistake with sporter rifles and ammo. Most factory rifles shoot best from 20 thou off to as much as five times that. Sometimes more!

Using a "permanent" marker on the bullet is also a mistake, use a dark colored "dry erase" type instead.

midnightrider · July 8, 2010, 06:50 PM

thanks for the info guys, I split the neck on one of the cases with a dremel and a cut off wheel pushed a bullet into the case and loaded it into the rifle. it pushed the bullet back far enough to where I wasnt too far off from seating them .01, .02 off the lands. Then I used suit from a candle on the dummy round to get them right where I need them .02 off on my rem 700 .243 that was given to me from a family member. I just got back from the range and I got one hole 1 inch groups at a hundred yds. Not bad for a 30+ yr old rifle. I am going to glass bed the front recoil lug on the walnut stock. that should help alot too.

again thanks for the tips, I used them and it worked great!

July 7, 2010, 10:05 PM	#1
midnightrider Senior Member Join Date: July 4, 2010 Posts: 134	seating bullets to lands ive heard that seating bullets out to the lands or .01 off makes handloads more accurate. how do you guys do this? maybe somebody can explian how this is done please I tried using a permanent marker and it didnt work out so well thanks Last edited by midnightrider; July 8, 2010 at 12:03 AM.

July 7, 2010, 10:43 PM	#3
William T. Watts Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2010 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 1,074	seating bullet to lands Resize one of your cases, use a hack saw to split the neck to the near the shoulder, seat the bullet only as far as needed for the neck to hold the bullet securely. Insert the case into the chamber by hand until the lands won't let you insert further, use a wooden dowel or a cleaning rod (your choice) down the barrel and push (gently) until it touches the tip of the bullet, mark the wooden dowel or rod at the point it is flush with the muzzle. Remove the case and bullet and start to seat the bullet deeper into the case until it will just chamber and lock into battery (hopefully you will get a feel for when this occurs). This would be touching the lands, reinsert the wooden dowel or cleaning rod and see if the mark lines up flush with your muzzle, if it does consider that zero. As you seat the bullet deeper into the case you should be able to use a set of calipers to determine bullet jump by measuring the marks on your dowel/rod. There are gauges (hand tools that do the same thing) this method costs you a case only and it works! I hope this helps! William

July 8, 2010, 11:12 AM	#4
Ares45 Senior Member Join Date: May 2, 2005 Posts: 211	Seating into the rifling can be extremly dangerous and should not be attempted by anyone without a lot of reloading experience. I only mention this because of your post count. I'm making an assumption, based on that, that you are new to reloading. Again I'm assuming and could be wrong but I'd err on the side of caution when attempting this. Seat the bullet incorrectly or too far into the rifling and the pressure will build dramatically. Instead of bullet leaving the barrel it becomes an obstruction, followed very shortly thereafter by a large explosion and bloodletting. If you insist on proceeding I would highly recomend the proper gear... http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=479963 EDIT: or you can do it the old fashioned way and use a candle to smoke a DUMMY round. beats a magic marker. Last edited by Ares45; July 8, 2010 at 11:18 AM.

July 8, 2010, 11:33 AM	#5
.284 Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2009 Location: davison, michigan Posts: 665	Okay maybe I didn't read the post right? Do you want to seat the bullet so that it contacts the rifling or are you trying to create .010 of free bore? I guess I was assuming free bore. I found a better description of the RCBS mic here:http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.co...sku=0004488304 I still think this would be a great tool for what you're asking to do.

July 8, 2010, 12:28 PM	#6
midnightrider Senior Member Join Date: July 4, 2010 Posts: 134	thanks I've done this before on 30-06 handlaods using the magic marker technique. with a finely aged(older) ruger M77 and got some good results. using nosler green tips with factory COA lenght it shoots 1.5 at fifty yards. when I seat them .01 off the lands I can get one holers at fifty and 1 inch at a hundred yards. I am trying to get different techniques because its easy to see the marks on the bullet left from the lands with 30-06. I am trying this with 243 and I cant see the marks on the bullet from the lands. Last edited by midnightrider; July 8, 2010 at 12:46 PM.

July 7, 2010, 10:26 PM	#2
.284 Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2009 Location: davison, michigan Posts: 665	There are two ways that I know of. One is the marker technique and the other is this:https://shop.rcbs.com/WebConnect/Mai...J149&route=C11. With the marker technique, it is important to be close to zero off the lands or just a bit long. Close the bolt on the dummy cartridge and carefully remove. Now, check for rifling marks. If I see marks, I clean the bullet, seat .005 deeper, re-mark the bullet, and check again. I repeat this process until I find zero. Once you find zero, you are unlimited to how far off the lands you want to be. Actually, I have the RCBS mic and use it to get close and then do the marker trick to get me home. I do this for every bullet I use regardless if it is a Sierra or a Barnes. The ogive of bullets of differing manufacturers can vary.

July 8, 2010, 03:01 PM	#7
wncchester Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2002 Posts: 2,832	"Seating bullets to lands" is usually a mistake with sporter rifles and ammo. Most factory rifles shoot best from 20 thou off to as much as five times that. Sometimes more! Using a "permanent" marker on the bullet is also a mistake, use a dark colored "dry erase" type instead.

July 8, 2010, 06:50 PM	#8
midnightrider Senior Member Join Date: July 4, 2010 Posts: 134	thanks for the info guys, I split the neck on one of the cases with a dremel and a cut off wheel pushed a bullet into the case and loaded it into the rifle. it pushed the bullet back far enough to where I wasnt too far off from seating them .01, .02 off the lands. Then I used suit from a candle on the dummy round to get them right where I need them .02 off on my rem 700 .243 that was given to me from a family member. I just got back from the range and I got one hole 1 inch groups at a hundred yds. Not bad for a 30+ yr old rifle. I am going to glass bed the front recoil lug on the walnut stock. that should help alot too. again thanks for the tips, I used them and it worked great!