Bullet seating

[Gaoler]

The OAL is an industry standard but some rifles can take longer rounds......

Remington's are known for having extreamly long throats...
My 700P in 308 had such a long throat that if I loaded rounds to a few thou off the lands... They would be waaaayyy too long to even fit into the magazine... These would have been Hornady 168gr. AMax's.
The excessive throat didn't seem to matter as far as accuracy was concerned.
I have boxes of plaques I won with it shooting many LE/Police matches.

[Maximus44]

I'm getting a measurement of 0.093" between the listed overall length and when it is touching the lands.

I've been reading that magnums, because of their slower burning powders, require more of a gap to get the bullet up to speed before hitting the resistance of the lands. Otherwise, if it's too close, it would cause too much pressure.

I think I will start off with the listed length until I get my powder charges sorted out.

Thanks for the wealth of information given!

[skypilot]

I'm getting a measurement of 0.093" between the listed overall length and when it is touching the lands.

I've been reading that magnums, because of their slower burning powders, require more of a gap to get the bullet up to speed before hitting the resistance of the lands. Otherwise, if it's too close, it would cause too much pressure.

I think I will start off with the listed length until I get my powder charges sorted out.

Thanks for the wealth of information given!

Not a bad idea at all to do it that way and probably the safest.

I always test different powder weights until I find the best accuracy node with zero vertical dispersion then I start on the seating depth to get it dialed in the rest of the way, watching for pressure signs as I move towards the lands.

Just an FYI to help keep in perspective all the fanatical/particular ways we are with regards to details when reloading......I have taken spent cases from a DM rifle, re-primed, re-loaded and seated bullets without any re-sizing at all, and shot those at long distances into water filled milk jugs with amazing success.....go figure.

[jaycee]

I have taken spent cases from a DM rifle, re-primed, re-loaded and seated bullets without any re-sizing at all, and shot those at long distances into water filled milk jugs with amazing success.....go figure.

/// You must have at least resized the neck, or the case would not have held the bullet at all, it would just have fallen out or into the case till it touched the powder.

[skypilot]

I have taken spent cases from a DM rifle, re-primed, re-loaded and seated bullets without any re-sizing at all, and shot those at long distances into water filled milk jugs with amazing success.....go figure.

/// You must have at least resized the neck, or the case would not have held the bullet at all, it would just have fallen out or into the case till it touched the powder.

I would expect the possibility that you mention on factory rifles more so than on custom and have even checked my factory rifle spent shells that way sometimes in order to set the neck tension I desire and get an idea of chamber tightness, and you are correct, some will fall through but many won't. Less so on precision built rifles.

It was similar discussions during range work instruction that brought about this "experiment." Many attending the classes felt that even the least variation would make an disproportionate difference down range on target.

Try it sometimes, I found it enlightening considering how particular/precise many of us re-loaders are when doing every single step.

I no longer am as quick to first suspect the primer, dies, neck tension, etc. as I once was. I have found most of the issues with the holes in the target are me.

[Pat32rf]

My Ruger #1 is like that. Being single shot I don't have recoil or trying to work it thru the action to move the bullet around. There is just enough spring in the casings to hold the bullet, but it isn't a practice that I recommend for hunting.

[skypilot]

My Ruger #1 is like that. Being single shot I don't have recoil or trying to work it thru the action to move the bullet around. There is just enough spring in the casings to hold the bullet, but it isn't a practice that I recommend for hunting.

You and Jaycee bring out a good point regarding neck tension, especially in "practical use".
The only real purpose of having us go thru a non die reload was to demonstrate / show the actual possibility and the surprising low affect on accuracy at long distance in purpose built firearms.

I agree it's not a good wild game hunting practice.
Personally, I am partial to the Lee neck size die and have found it consistent on neck tension.

Anyway, Maximus44, hope it works out well. Remember, regardless of the powder burn rate selected, any "jump" to the lands is safer relative to that bullet/powder combo touching or jammed into the lands.

Let us know how you and the Win Mag do.

[Gunner 38]

Just an FYI to help keep in perspective all the fanatical/particular ways we are with regards to details when reloading......I have taken spent cases from a DM rifle, re-primed, re-loaded and seated bullets without any re-sizing at all, and shot those at long distances into water filled milk jugs with amazing success.....go figure.

Unfortunately you didn't chronograph the loads (or did you ?) . It would be interesting to see how much of a difference there is (velocity-wise) between a tightly held bullet and a loose-one . --- There definitely would be LESS initial pressure (until the bullet does contact the rifling) .

[skypilot]

Unfortunately you didn't chronograph the loads (or did you ?) . It would be interesting to see how much of a difference there is (velocity-wise) between a tightly held bullet and a loose-one . --- There definitely would be LESS initial pressure (until the bullet does contact the rifling) .

No chronograph but I would guess neck tension consistency(either way, resized or not) is the ticket all else being equal.

I agree there would likely be difference in MV on a FL resized/neck tension reload vs a non resized previously fired and reloaded case.

[terrym]

I also feel that hunting loads need to cycle smoothly in a rifle. Make shure they all feed properly and chamber well. What works single loaded off a bench rest is not always the best setup in a stressful hunting scenario. I have seen people seat bullets at extremes and use loads that push the envelope to the point of sticking. If it doesn't cycle like a factory load before firing and after it's not for me. Within truthful hunting ranges no animal will feel the difference of a few fps but you will be pizzed if it doesn't cycle smoothly.