Seated too deep

DBotkin · May 16, 2007, 02:36 PM

Well, it looks like I may have shot myself in the foot (so to speak) when I got a little too enthusiastic.

I have a hundred rounds of .22-250 I loaded with H380 & 55 gr. Hornady V-Max bullets. I used the OAL given in my recent Lyman reloading manual when I set up the dies. Yeah, I should have checked the OAL using a split case & the rifle in question, but I didn't know about that then. Now I do. I also found the notebook my father used when he & I were developing loads for this rifle (a 60s or early 70s vintage Remington 700 ADL), listing the OAL he was using with the 52 gr. match hollow points back then. As it turns out, these are seated quite a bit deeper than I'd like - about .125 or so, eyeballing it since I don't remember the exact measurements. I have some .222 ammo loaded for a Sako Vixen that are a little deep too, but not nearly as far as these.

I have a kinetic puller, but the little 55 grain slug won't budge after half a dozen pretty good whacks. I've got an RCBS collet puller that will pull them out, but I have to screw it down tight enough the collet leaves a 3-section crimp ring around the bullet. So, it appears I have three choices: Shoot them as is, and do better next time; pull the bullets with the collet puller and buy new; pull them with the collet puller and hope the change in shape doesn't affect accuracy too much. My planned use for these is to get the rifle zeroed in, then blow up some prairie dogs at whatever maximum range I can hit 'em at for fun. What says the collective wisdom here?

mrawesome22 · May 16, 2007, 02:50 PM

I'd shoot some groups with them first. Hopefully they will give you "acceptable" accuracy. Then you won't have to do anything to them.

If they won't shoot worth a darn, sounds like your just gonna have to use that collet puller and get some new bullets.

**Mal H** · May 16, 2007, 03:53 PM

DBotkin - you go into some detail about the loading, but you failed to mention two very important ones. What is the OAL you used and what is the weight of H380 you used. It's hard to judge whether your OAL is indeed too short without those little details.

kingudaroad · May 16, 2007, 05:14 PM

Quote:

I used the OAL given in my recent Lyman reloading manual when I set up the dies.

Which is probably 2.350" as it is in my Hornady manual. They should still shoot great with that c.o.l as long as your gun likes the powder and charge weight combo.

DBotkin · May 16, 2007, 05:59 PM

Sigh... now ya made me actually drag out the book and calipers, instead of just sittin' here on my lazy butt trying to remember the details.

Lyman 48th edition gives the max OAL with a 55 gr. V-Max at 2.345", which is exactly where I'm at now. The load is 38 grains of H380. I am 100% sure the loads are SAFE as-is, just maybe not quite as accurate as they could be.

My check of the rifle using a split case & the same bullet indicates I'm bumping the lands at 2.506". The old loads were 2.439" OAL, but then we were using a different powder & bullet then - 30.5 grains of 3031 with 52 gr. match BTHP. Earlier loads were done with 38.5 gr. of IMR-4350.

I think I'm just going to leave well enough alone for now. They'll shoot within 1" at 100 yards they way they are; I don't know if that rifle CAN do worse than that. Good enough for now; if & when I get some serious range time, I'll do some comparisons to see how much difference it actually makes whether they're seated in or out.

mrawesome22 · May 16, 2007, 06:51 PM

You've basically just made up 100 factory rounds

May 16, 2007, 02:36 PM	#1
DBotkin Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2006 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 302	Seated too deep Well, it looks like I may have shot myself in the foot (so to speak) when I got a little too enthusiastic. I have a hundred rounds of .22-250 I loaded with H380 & 55 gr. Hornady V-Max bullets. I used the OAL given in my recent Lyman reloading manual when I set up the dies. Yeah, I should have checked the OAL using a split case & the rifle in question, but I didn't know about that then. Now I do. I also found the notebook my father used when he & I were developing loads for this rifle (a 60s or early 70s vintage Remington 700 ADL), listing the OAL he was using with the 52 gr. match hollow points back then. As it turns out, these are seated quite a bit deeper than I'd like - about .125 or so, eyeballing it since I don't remember the exact measurements. I have some .222 ammo loaded for a Sako Vixen that are a little deep too, but not nearly as far as these. I have a kinetic puller, but the little 55 grain slug won't budge after half a dozen pretty good whacks. I've got an RCBS collet puller that will pull them out, but I have to screw it down tight enough the collet leaves a 3-section crimp ring around the bullet. So, it appears I have three choices: Shoot them as is, and do better next time; pull the bullets with the collet puller and buy new; pull them with the collet puller and hope the change in shape doesn't affect accuracy too much. My planned use for these is to get the rifle zeroed in, then blow up some prairie dogs at whatever maximum range I can hit 'em at for fun. What says the collective wisdom here?

May 16, 2007, 02:50 PM	#2
mrawesome22 Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 2005 Location: Ohio, Appalachia's foothills. Posts: 3,779	I'd shoot some groups with them first. Hopefully they will give you "acceptable" accuracy. Then you won't have to do anything to them. If they won't shoot worth a darn, sounds like your just gonna have to use that collet puller and get some new bullets.

May 16, 2007, 03:53 PM	#3
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,947	DBotkin - you go into some detail about the loading, but you failed to mention two very important ones. What is the OAL you used and what is the weight of H380 you used. It's hard to judge whether your OAL is indeed too short without those little details.

May 16, 2007, 05:59 PM	#5
DBotkin Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2006 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 302	Sigh... now ya made me actually drag out the book and calipers, instead of just sittin' here on my lazy butt trying to remember the details. Lyman 48th edition gives the max OAL with a 55 gr. V-Max at 2.345", which is exactly where I'm at now. The load is 38 grains of H380. I am 100% sure the loads are SAFE as-is, just maybe not quite as accurate as they could be. My check of the rifle using a split case & the same bullet indicates I'm bumping the lands at 2.506". The old loads were 2.439" OAL, but then we were using a different powder & bullet then - 30.5 grains of 3031 with 52 gr. match BTHP. Earlier loads were done with 38.5 gr. of IMR-4350. I think I'm just going to leave well enough alone for now. They'll shoot within 1" at 100 yards they way they are; I don't know if that rifle CAN do worse than that. Good enough for now; if & when I get some serious range time, I'll do some comparisons to see how much difference it actually makes whether they're seated in or out.

May 16, 2007, 06:51 PM	#6
mrawesome22 Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 2005 Location: Ohio, Appalachia's foothills. Posts: 3,779	You've basically just made up 100 factory rounds