Berger seating depth ladder opinions

[Mikecr]

Yeah, you should not do powder development first and then seating test at best powder load.
For seating, the backing off of powder is not for safety, but to ensure you're nowhere near a powder node you will end up running with. Ideally, the seating testing would be performed at the worst of powder loads.
This way you see what seating alone is doing. It's the ONLY way you'll see what seating alone is doing.

You need to understand that seating is a way bigger factor to accuracy than powder.
That if you don't do full seating testing right, you'll never learn this.

 

[codym]

To each there own but this is what works for me.

 

[ShtrRdy]

Yeah, you should not do powder development first and then seating test at best powder load.
For seating, the backing off of powder is not for safety, but to ensure you're nowhere near a powder node you will end up running with. Ideally, the seating testing would be performed at the worst of powder loads.
This way you see what seating alone is doing. It's the ONLY way you'll see what seating alone is doing.

You need to understand that seating is a way bigger factor to accuracy than powder.
That if you don't do full seating testing right, you'll never learn this.

I'm gonna try it this way. How do you determine where a powder node isn't?

 

[codym]

That's my question. So you do your max load testing then drop a grain. How would you know your not in a node? Not trying to argue but I've never had a problem seeing how seating depth effects bullets shooting 5 shot groups at 2-300 yards. If the bullet is jump sensitive it's pretty clear.

 

[Shane Lindsey]

Do you start at the min load to test for seating initially?

I always have worked powder up for max mag length. Usually start about midway according to book, looking for the higher velocity node. Once I find the most promise, I will seat deeper in the case to test for best seating depth.

 

[Kmccord]

Do you start at the min load to test for seating initially?

I always have worked powder up for max mag length. Usually start about midway according to book, looking for the higher velocity node. Once I find the most promise, I will seat deeper in the case to test for best seating depth.

I had a discussion with Berger bullets this week on load development with 168 VLD for 7mm Rem Mag, Phil recommended I start at the minimum powder recommendation and follow the VLD hunting seating depth. That is my goal is tow start at min and find the seating depth it likes in my rifle then work on the powder charge.

 

[Mikecr]

Kmccord, Phil is right, good approach to this whole thing (with ANY bullet, ANY manufacture).

There is no rule of thumb for load between nodes. But with a bit of searching, unless an odd cartridge, you can find what people are settling at. Like for a 6BR Imp (any improved) there will be nodes in low 1800fps & ~1950fps. Then load powder to ~1890fps and do FULL seating testing.
Then move into powder development, either OCW or Ladder with best coarse seating as testing showed.
Then with best coarse seating, and best powder node, move to seating tweaking (what everyone seems to think seating testing is). This is a logical progression that allows you to see one major variance at a time.

By the way, go ahead and do your primer swap testing at the same off-node powder load. It works best there also.