Berger seating depth test results - what do you think?
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brentc
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The reason for the inconsistent OAL isn't in the ogive, it's in the tip of the bullet.
I'll be bet if that guy in the video measured his length with a comparator attached to his caliper to measure to ogive instead of the tip, he wouldn't be having the problems he is describing.
Not sure if it would make this fellows issues go away but I have recently used the Hornady comparator and did find differences with bergers so it is not just the tips in my experience thus far.
I broke mine into groups by .001 differences. initially 3 groups.
i then due to being over the top in everything further broke thos 3 into additional 3 groups fro total of 6 different groups to the .0005.
I will be headed to the range to continue working on a load with my 6.5-06AI and will know pretty quickly if this is wasted effort in the future. I hope to get out in next 2 weeks. weather and work schedule permitting.
I broke mine into groups by .001 differences. initially 3 groups.
i then due to being over the top in everything further broke thos 3 into additional 3 groups fro total of 6 different groups to the .0005.
I will be headed to the range to continue working on a load with my 6.5-06AI and will know pretty quickly if this is wasted effort in the future. I hope to get out in next 2 weeks. weather and work schedule permitting.
shootinfool
Well-Known Member
Thia is exactly right. When you reload you should be measuring from the base of the bullet to the ogive of the bullet to get a consistent seating depth from the lands and grooves on every bullet. You will have those differences on almost any bullet out there....some less than others....but if you measure to the ogive of the bullet for the seating depth you will get the same seating depth every time.
Guy in the video understands that....the seating die isn't seating off of the ogive which is causing the variation when you measure the ogive length of the seated bullets. I noticed this myself with my Forster ultra seater and Berger 300 OTM. Had ogive length variation of up to .006.
The seating die keeps ogive length of 300 SMKs within .001.
The seating die keeps ogive length of 300 SMKs within .001.
shootinfool
Well-Known Member
I guess I should have been more clear. What I meant when i said that I use it on every bullet to get the right seating depth on each bullet was that I back off the bullet seater and then walk in every bullet to the exact seating depth and measuring inbetween and then making small adjustments. I figure that this was the quickest way for me to get the exact same seating depth every time.
Mikecr
Well-Known Member
This is not true.
It is unlikly that ANY powder change will affect grouping as much as seating depth changes can.
OP your best to stick with Berger's plan using any mid power load, and then tweak it right into the best seated results(regardless of what they are). With this, you can move into load development, including primer testing, ladder testing or OCW.
Best seating with a particular bullet and chamber is just that.
It doesn't change with powder load, but best powder load does change a bit with seating. So get your seating right first and avoid the tail chasing.
It's the same with primers. Seat them the same in fireformed brass(FF'd with seating checks) & find the primer, or adjust striking for the primer that produces lowest ES with a mid power load(again regardless of the raw result). Then move on to powder, as it is actually a smaller adjustment(with a good scale).
Then if off the lands, move on to neck tension tweaking to shape the group(smallest adjustment).
From largest to smallest in logical order.
Be sure to get the barrel up to foul & stable temps before testing. Time your shot rate and avoid transitions/changes that invalidate your testing.
shootinfool
Well-Known Member
From largest to smallest in logical order.
Be sure to get the barrel up to foul & stable temps before testing. Time your shot rate and avoid transitions/changes that invalidate your testing.[/QUOTE]
+1 What Mikecr said. This is the best method that I have found as well. Have tried different ways with the bergers, as well as other bullets, and have found that this is the best and easiest plan to follow when load developing.
Be sure to get the barrel up to foul & stable temps before testing. Time your shot rate and avoid transitions/changes that invalidate your testing.[/QUOTE]
+1 What Mikecr said. This is the best method that I have found as well. Have tried different ways with the bergers, as well as other bullets, and have found that this is the best and easiest plan to follow when load developing.
i am sure this has been covered but I do not feel like reading all the posts.. as per the add it tells you you need atleast 200 yrds to see big differences in the bergers seating chart.. I have 4 rifles I have all done the seating depth test advertised on this site. and at 200-300 yrds you can see a big difference.. I then took the same loads and wanted to see what it did at 100 yrds.. the results where way different. with all 4 shooting test loads within .25 of eachother.. making near impossible to see which one I wanted to use. with the same test at 200yrds.. I had one group that shot .39 average with 6 shot group.. and the others were 1 moa or worse.. so you need atleast 200 yrds to see the differnce. I have also used this test at 800 yrds with my lapua mag.. and seen drastic changes that way.. the test works great if done right. 100 yrds will not get you anything. a load that shot the worst at 100 could be your best load at 200-300.. just my 2 cents thanks
kasey
kasey
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mrbigtexan
Well-Known Member
i have done it at 100 and it was incredible. i have an interarms custom and i cant load to my lands (3.496) and still put it in my magazine (3.410). so, i loaded some .005 under my magazine length (3.405), some at 3.290 like the lyman manual suggested and some right in the middle at 3.350. i figured the longer ones would shoot best, and after shooting them first i felt a lil discouraged. they shot at 2". i then shot the middle length ones and they had all 3 touching, i then shot the shortest ones and they opened up to 2" again. i shot all these at the minimum powder charge. i will work up from there to the most accurate,fastest charge and maybe change from h4831sc to h1000 and retumbo. i am so far truly amazed at how much difference seating depth has changed accuracy and i think it will save time and bullets in finding a highly accurate load.
yes but that same load at 100 could be a horrible shooter at even 300 yrds.. thats the reason for shooting longer at first.. I have had a load shoot awesome at 100 yrds... at 300.. 5 inch group.. yes good loads can be produced at 100.. but 200 and 300 will work better .. but like I said just my 2 cents
mrbigtexan
Well-Known Member
i can see that, but for a beginning load work up, i could'nt have been more pleased. it clearly gave me a good starting point because they were drasticly different. i could see moving it out to 200-300 if you have similar results at different lengths though. if i have similar results when working up powder charges then i will move them out to further distances.
