Bullet Seating Depth for Mag Length

[Rosebud]

Unless you're set on VLD ,do what JAYgs8163 says.

 

[bonie]

I have found Berger Classics to like a .006 jump or more. I'd load to mag length then adjust powder buy.003 increments to narrow down your best group, I then go to .001 increments to find the sweet spot. All my rifles shoot very well with this method. All sub MOA and most less the 1/2" these are five shot groups. I test first with 3 shot until I narrow ot down then shoot five shot groups. I load all tests in 5 shot when I find a sweet load even in the .003 ladder, I send 2 more to confirm. I know it may use some components but I feel accuracy is worth it. some times I find the load in the begining of the ladder. if so I pull the rest. I normallt start with 10 steps in my ladder at (.003) then 6 steps at (.001)

Correction; Bergers like .060 jump

 

[cajun]

There are probably more .1MOA guns out there that'll never get credit ... because people won't take the time to load for them properly.

Your talking about .62 at 600 yds and 1.04" at 1000 yds. For reference the 1000 yd record in heavy gun benchrest is 2.6".

 

[Rosebud]

Need a pants on fire emoji for this.

 

[ChrisInKY]

Your talking about .62 at 600 yds and 1.04" at 1000 yds. For reference the 1000 yd record in heavy gun benchrest is 2.6".

I was talking about non-animated things. You're talking about professional shooters. Now you want to address range and introduce another complex set of variables. You're here to start an argument ... and I am not. The topic of this thread was seating depth, which is a simple aspect of handloading ... not shooting. A rifle tuned to not throw flyers and ammunition tuned specifically for it should shoot 3-shot groups of less than .5moa. A competent shooter, familiar with a precision rifle/round combo (like the 6.5), should be able to get much tighter than that. End of story.

I don't want to talk about expensive bench rest guns capable of remaining stable through a ten-round string. I don't want to talk about a wind variance of a mile an hour which requires a nominal/felt POA adjustment. I don't want to talk about calculating and adjusting for a Coriolis effect. Have you ever seen what a professional BR shooter does to a target at 100yds? I have. You couldn't score a 10 hole group, because you won't find 10 holes in the target. If I get behind my rifle and shoot .1moa on day one. On day two it's .1moa, But, on day three I can do no better than .5moa ... What does that tell ya? Think about it.

 

[ARlife4me]

I've always just seated at manual length, but with some manuals being inaccurate (Sierra w/6.5prc for starters) leaves me nowhere. I'm going (when possible) to start at boat-tail in shoulder and work deeper or if necessary (down to boat-tail into body)? If that doesn't work I'll change powder or primers?

 

[cajun]

I was talking about non-animated things. You're talking about professional shooters. Now you want to address range and introduce another complex set of variables. You're here to start an argument ... and I am not. The topic of this thread was seating depth, which is a simple aspect of handloading ... not shooting. A rifle tuned to not throw flyers and ammunition tuned specifically for it should shoot 3-shot groups of less than .5moa. A competent shooter, familiar with a precision rifle/round combo (like the 6.5), should be able to get much tighter than that. End of story.

I don't want to talk about expensive bench rest guns capable of remaining stable through a ten-round string. I don't want to talk about a wind variance of a mile an hour which requires a nominal/felt POA adjustment. I don't want to talk about calculating and adjusting for a Coriolis effect. Have you ever seen what a professional BR shooter does to a target at 100yds? I have. You couldn't score a 10 hole group, because you won't find 10 holes in the target. If I get behind my rifle and shoot .1moa on day one. On day two it's .1moa, But, on day three I can do no better than .5moa ... What does that tell ya? Think about it.

I'm not arguing just stating a fact. No hunting rifle is going to be a consistent .10 moa shooter. I dont care what your seating depth is or whatever else you do in the reloading process. I made the bench rest reference to show how unrealistic that expectation is.

 

[QuietTexan]

Any insights are greatly appreciated.

Purpose of the rifle? If hunting or steel, IMO pick a length that fits, change powders until you get consistent groups of ~1", and run it. Heck, looks like you're already there and it's time to enjoy the rifle.

Yes I know, it's not the most perfected tuned load of ideal precision ever made, but you have an external constraint to deal with, so if what you get it good enough then run it. I'm 100% anal retentive on making the smallest possible groups with some rifles. With others (like my Altus 6.5CM M5 mag fed, so basically same boat as you) I'd rather shoot it a lot then test the life out of it.

I hit the jackpot with my rifle using Alpha brass, H4350, and Berger 140 Hybrids out of the gate - old rifle load shot under an inch, have never revisited the load since. I have a new 30BR that needs to shoot it's first 0.0x" group before I worry about trying to eke out another quarter inch at 100 yards from mag-limited Creedmoor that shoots better than it needs to. Just my wood nickel worth of thought process.

If you want to tinker do a whole bunch of 0.005" intervals inside your mag length, BUT do it where the thing shoots like crap. So find a BAD powder node and move the groups with seating depth. Might be kind of hard to do at 100, since you have access to 500 run a 3x powder ladder for the worst possible group, load up 50 cases seated long with that charge, and start fiddling. Arbor press and LE Wilson die are the easy button if you don't have them already.

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If that doesn't work I'll change powder or primers?

That's what I do Sometimes seating depth is a small range, so work the other variables. I've made several mag-length limited guns shoot better than they need to without changing COL.

 

[Tiny Tim]

Purpose of the rifle? If hunting or steel, IMO pick a length that fits, change powders until you get consistent groups of ~1", and run it. Heck, looks like you're already there and it's time to enjoy the rifle.

Yes I know, it's not the most perfected tuned load of ideal precision ever made, but you have an external constraint to deal with, so if what you get it good enough then run it. I'm 100% anal retentive on making the smallest possible groups with some rifles. With others (like my Altus 6.5CM M5 mag fed, so basically same boat as you) I'd rather shoot it a lot then test the life out of it.

I hit the jackpot with my rifle using Alpha brass, H4350, and Berger 140 Hybrids out of the gate - old rifle load shot under an inch, have never revisited the load since. I have a new 30BR that needs to shoot it's first 0.0x" group before I worry about trying to eke out another quarter inch at 100 yards from mag-limited Creedmoor that shoots better than it needs to. Just my wood nickel worth of thought process.

Mostly a range toy/practice rifle bought 200 rounds of factory ammo with good brass (Peterson). Was loaded with 130 grain Sierra HPBT. Now I'm reloading for it. Was going to do a rough seating test last weekend but range was closed.

Hoping to find something that shoots as well cuz it's a hoot at the range with people that have thousands invested. I have some of those too, but this is a fun little gun, heavy, but fun.

The look on their faces when they are spraying all over a 10-12" plate at 500 and you can consistently hit a 4" plate at the same range is priceless. Lol

 

[Tiny Tim]

Just a follow-up. Finally made it to the range yesterday. Raining and 6-10mph headwind, but got the info I needed. Shot at 300 yds.

Started at mag length, and went in .015 increments.

Mag length (.090 off), .75 moa clean barrel, .72 fouled.

.105 off, .52 moa

.120 off, .66 moa

.135 off, 1.06moa

Guess I got my answer

Thanks all for the suggestions!