Seating bullets

700cdl · March 3, 2011, 02:49 PM

Been doing this for a long time, like maybe 25 or so years, but getting a lot of negative feed back. When I seat for my high powered rifle loads I use the lands as my guid to seating depth. I seat up to the lands and then back of to just the point I'm not touching the lands. My loads have always been accurate and pressures have never been effected. The only issue I can imagine is having problems with the COL being too long to fit in the magazine, but that hasn't been an issue either. I began using this method from day one, it is the method described in my Speer reloading manual. What are ya all's thoughts on this? Has something changed over the years?

k4swb · March 3, 2011, 03:05 PM

That is exactly how I start out developing a load.

firewrench044 · March 3, 2011, 03:15 PM

Some bullet barrel combinations are not sensetive to the amount of jump
to the lands but most are

Sierras and Hornadys in my 3006s and 308's work best with a jump between 10 to 15 thou.
My Bushmaster AR works best at 20 to 30 thou. jump no matter what brand
bullet I use

so I aquired the tools to make the ammo to those specs.
and it has made smaller and more consistant paterns

hogcowboy · March 3, 2011, 03:41 PM

I have always used the COL as a starting point and made adjustments from there. Probably 6 one half a dozen the other but I'd bet you get a good load faster your way. Just my opinion.

semi_problomatic · March 3, 2011, 03:53 PM

I started with COL in my .308. But then I read that weatherby's have deeper throats so I started slowly pushing the bullet further out. If I'd of known then what I know now I'd of done it the same way as you.

hornetguy · March 3, 2011, 05:06 PM

I have always gotten better results from doing it the way you described. I usually put a slight dent in the mouth of a fired case, and pushed a bullet into the case backwards. Then chamber it, and the lands will push the bullet back into the case against the slight friction of your dent. Pull out the case, and measure... set the ogive of your bullet back of that dimension by a thou or two.. magic.
I usually checked it more than once, just to make sure the bullet didn't slip any during removal.

wogpotter · March 3, 2011, 05:07 PM

What kind of negative feed back & from whom?
(There's a lot of Internet Experts out there, many of whom know nothing at all about their chosen field of expertise)

NESHOOTER · March 3, 2011, 07:35 PM

Its what I do as well, otherwise I just as well shoot factory ammo that is made to be shot in any firearm in that cal....

wncchester · March 3, 2011, 08:16 PM

Well, obviously if we pick an OAL and build our charge on that we aren't going to have high pressure problems even if we seat the bullets jammed into the rifling. But that's just part of proper load development, is it not??

The bigger question is, does seating at or near the lands produce better accuracy than a tested and selected jump. In my experience, the answer for factory sporter rifles is accuracy is usually much better with the proper jump, typically from .020" to as much as .125" off the lands, with .025" to .040" being the most productive range with the rigs I've worked with.

chiefr · March 3, 2011, 10:30 PM

In all my days of reloading; bullet seating next to, "Which powder is best", seems to bring out the most controversy and debates. You have your "Stick to the published COL crowd", The bullet "Jump" crowd, and "Seat into the lands crowd", and the "Seat into the land and back off x of a turn crowd" Have I missed any?

IMHO, I like your idea, however, I have experimented with seating depths and for the most part found varying results with different rifles when it comes to accuracy. If my rifle prints a hole the size of a dime at 100 yard when seated touching the lands w/o the usual pressure signs, I will do so.

amamnn · March 3, 2011, 11:24 PM

Like the man said- if it ain't broke don't fix it, and old sayings like that apply, I would think...........

Win_94 · March 4, 2011, 03:23 AM

Before I started reloadng, I gathered all the information I could on the subject. I too started by seating the bullets on or close to the lands, as I was lead to believe that is the only way to achieve acceptable accuracy.

I don't do that anymore.

I've achieved sub-moa accuracy with many different bullet types in all of my rifles by seating them to what my Hornady reloading manual suggests. Then I'll load develop using the Audette Ladder Test. With my Howa 1500 30-06, I expect .3moa with all bullet types; my Win_94, (scoped,) .5moa; my M1917, .75moa.

If my bullet has a cannelure I'll seat the bullet at the optimum point for a crimp. With the 150gr SST in my Win_94, I use the cannelure to crimp; so I'll need to use my knife to release the ejector claw when extracting without firing. I use the 168gr A-max in my Win_94 also, and seat it deeper into the case so I can eject an unfired cartridge without aid.

March 3, 2011, 02:49 PM	#1
700cdl Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2010 Posts: 216	Seating bullets Been doing this for a long time, like maybe 25 or so years, but getting a lot of negative feed back. When I seat for my high powered rifle loads I use the lands as my guid to seating depth. I seat up to the lands and then back of to just the point I'm not touching the lands. My loads have always been accurate and pressures have never been effected. The only issue I can imagine is having problems with the COL being too long to fit in the magazine, but that hasn't been an issue either. I began using this method from day one, it is the method described in my Speer reloading manual. What are ya all's thoughts on this? Has something changed over the years?

March 3, 2011, 03:05 PM	#2
k4swb Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2009 Posts: 389	That is exactly how I start out developing a load. __________________ My posts are things I have tried or experienced. You may or may not wish to emulate them so read them with this in mind. Compromise means that both sides give something, but they never give, they just take. I'm The NRA!

March 3, 2011, 03:53 PM	#5
semi_problomatic Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2009 Location: Ft. Polk Posts: 883	I started with COL in my .308. But then I read that weatherby's have deeper throats so I started slowly pushing the bullet further out. If I'd of known then what I know now I'd of done it the same way as you. __________________ Freedom's just a word. If I'm gonna die for a word, my word is jello...

March 3, 2011, 05:07 PM	#7
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	What kind of negative feed back & from whom? (There's a lot of Internet Experts out there, many of whom know nothing at all about their chosen field of expertise) __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

March 3, 2011, 08:16 PM	#9
wncchester Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2002 Posts: 2,832	Well, obviously if we pick an OAL and build our charge on that we aren't going to have high pressure problems even if we seat the bullets jammed into the rifling. But that's just part of proper load development, is it not?? The bigger question is, does seating at or near the lands produce better accuracy than a tested and selected jump. In my experience, the answer for factory sporter rifles is accuracy is usually much better with the proper jump, typically from .020" to as much as .125" off the lands, with .025" to .040" being the most productive range with the rigs I've worked with. Last edited by wncchester; March 3, 2011 at 08:22 PM.

March 3, 2011, 03:15 PM	#3
firewrench044 Senior Member Join Date: July 9, 2007 Location: Fort Pierce, Florida Posts: 381	Some bullet barrel combinations are not sensetive to the amount of jump to the lands but most are Sierras and Hornadys in my 3006s and 308's work best with a jump between 10 to 15 thou. My Bushmaster AR works best at 20 to 30 thou. jump no matter what brand bullet I use so I aquired the tools to make the ammo to those specs. and it has made smaller and more consistant paterns

March 3, 2011, 03:41 PM	#4
hogcowboy Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 2010 Location: N33 32.941 W 97 53.546 Texas Posts: 231	I have always used the COL as a starting point and made adjustments from there. Probably 6 one half a dozen the other but I'd bet you get a good load faster your way. Just my opinion.

March 3, 2011, 05:06 PM	#6
hornetguy Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 2011 Location: on the north side of DFW Posts: 970	I have always gotten better results from doing it the way you described. I usually put a slight dent in the mouth of a fired case, and pushed a bullet into the case backwards. Then chamber it, and the lands will push the bullet back into the case against the slight friction of your dent. Pull out the case, and measure... set the ogive of your bullet back of that dimension by a thou or two.. magic. I usually checked it more than once, just to make sure the bullet didn't slip any during removal.

March 3, 2011, 07:35 PM	#8
NESHOOTER Senior Member Join Date: October 16, 2009 Posts: 517	Its what I do as well, otherwise I just as well shoot factory ammo that is made to be shot in any firearm in that cal....

March 3, 2011, 10:30 PM	#10
chiefr Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2010 Location: AR Posts: 1,401	In all my days of reloading; bullet seating next to, "Which powder is best", seems to bring out the most controversy and debates. You have your "Stick to the published COL crowd", The bullet "Jump" crowd, and "Seat into the lands crowd", and the "Seat into the land and back off x of a turn crowd" Have I missed any? IMHO, I like your idea, however, I have experimented with seating depths and for the most part found varying results with different rifles when it comes to accuracy. If my rifle prints a hole the size of a dime at 100 yard when seated touching the lands w/o the usual pressure signs, I will do so.

March 3, 2011, 11:24 PM	#11
amamnn Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2006 Location: WA, the left armpit of the USA Posts: 1,323	Like the man said- if it ain't broke don't fix it, and old sayings like that apply, I would think........... __________________ "If the enemy is in range, so are you." - Infantry Journal

March 4, 2011, 03:23 AM	#12
Win_94 Junior member Join Date: August 21, 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 214	Before I started reloadng, I gathered all the information I could on the subject. I too started by seating the bullets on or close to the lands, as I was lead to believe that is the only way to achieve acceptable accuracy. I don't do that anymore. I've achieved sub-moa accuracy with many different bullet types in all of my rifles by seating them to what my Hornady reloading manual suggests. Then I'll load develop using the Audette Ladder Test. With my Howa 1500 30-06, I expect .3moa with all bullet types; my Win_94, (scoped,) .5moa; my M1917, .75moa. If my bullet has a cannelure I'll seat the bullet at the optimum point for a crimp. With the 150gr SST in my Win_94, I use the cannelure to crimp; so I'll need to use my knife to release the ejector claw when extracting without firing. I use the 168gr A-max in my Win_94 also, and seat it deeper into the case so I can eject an unfired cartridge without aid.