Help!! Berger seating depth, distance to lands??

[misterc01]

I use the Hornady Comparator. I then cross check with a Sinclair comparator. When I have at least 10 readings, all with .001 of each other, then that is what I use for the seating depth. As for Bergers, there are, according to Berger, two seating depths that work. One is about 10 thousandths into the lands, and the other way out around 80 thousandths or so. The wheeler is too mcuh of pain (for and to me) having to remove the ejector and extractor for every bullet I shoot to get the depth. Then I reload at least five rounds each, in and out in 3 thousndths of an inch, and do a shooting seating depth test on paper. It works for me.

 

[L.Sherm]

The biggest reason I wanna know the measurement to the lands is so I can keep track of throat wear and not wait untill it falls out of the node then realize I have to seat out farther to get back in the node.
If you wear .008 per hundred rounds which some cartridges do then at 50 you can move .004 out and still stay in that node.

 

[MagnumManiac]

I start at .010 off and go deeper .010 at a time, fine tune .005 at a time

This is how it's done.

Cheers.

 

[MagnumManiac]

I have never chased the lands.
When the load falls off, get your chrono out and check 10 loads, if the COL city has fallen off, adjust powder charge until it is at the previous known loads velocity.
I do not change anything else.
Once throat erosion surpasses .080", I set back and re-chamber.

Cheers.

 

[cajun]

The biggest reason I wanna know the measurement to the lands is so I can keep track of throat wear and not wait untill it falls out of the node then realize I have to seat out farther to get back in the node.
If you wear .008 per hundred rounds which some cartridges do then at 50 you can move .004 out and still stay in that node.

Watch the Erik Cortina chasing the lands videos in this thread esp part 2. He explains it very well. Chase the node not the lands.

 

[wnc-coyote]

I am the same. I did try it when I first started loading years ago. Like I said earlier it has never worked out for me as a 1:1 relationship. just because my lands erode .01 if I seat my bullet out .01 longer the load will go to crap. I have had barrels that lost .05 of lands and still shot the initial load very well. all I did was chrono ever so often to make sure the barrel isn't speeding up or slowing down.

 

[L.Sherm]

Watch the Erik Cortina chasing the lands videos in this thread esp part 2. He explains it very well. Chase the node not the lands.

I've watched it, there's plenty of very successful BR shooters who don't do it his way. You think just because Erik Cortina does it one way all BR shooters do it? Its obviously not a one size fits all, doesn't matter to you then dont do it.

 

[jasonco]

Once the seating depth is established, for that developed load, the load doesn't change much if ever, for a hunting rifle. I had a 7STW for twenty year and the three loads (140BT, 160SGK & 175SGK) I developed never changed. The barrel throat was toast, but the accuracy still remained.

 

[L.Sherm]

Was your load developed for 100, 500 or 1000 yards
Theres 1,000 BR shooters who shoot seating depth ladders the day before there match for a reason.
If you think a seating depth does what your describing shoot it at 500 yards then seat the bullet. 020 deeper and see what happens same thing as the throat wears after 200 rounds

 

[cajun]

8

I've watched it, there's plenty of very successful BR shooters who don't do it his way. You think just because Erik Cortina does it one way all BR shooters do it? Its obviously not a one size fits all, doesn't matter to you then dont do it.

There's always more than one way to skin a cat. Different techniques can also work better for different disciplines. For example prs guys might shoot 200 rds a match. If you need to move your seating depth .004 every 50 rounds thats not going to work very well. I think also there is a resistance among some people to open their minds to a different way of doing things. In your example of moving the bullet .004 every 50 rounds if this wear was linear for the life of the barrel you would be moving the bullet almost a quarter inch. I found this article to be very interesting.

https://precisionrifleblog.com/2020/03/24/how-fast-does-a-barrel-wear/

In measuring throat erosion over several calibers they found .004-.006 fairly common in 6mm variants. So over 1000 rounds you are seeing .040 -.060 wear. If your chasing this number your moving your seating depth a bunch. In Eriks video he mentions only moving .006 over 3000 rds in a 6 BR. Big difference. The one thing I do like about Eriks approach is he tends to test conventional wisdom and see for himself what works best by results on the target.

 

[L.Sherm]

I said in a previous post exactly what you just said, " its not a one size fits all" but to say it doesn't matter is an opinion and it depends on who you ask.
I have my reasons and it works for me.
Like I also said test for yourself if you dont you will never know.
Theres plenty of just as successful BR shooters that chase the lands.
I know 1- 5 time Br Champion and multi SWN champion who " soft seats" all his rounds and is always touching the lands.

 

[KsKevin]

Appreciate the help/perspective as it has saved my sanity. Results of recent load developments and I did my seating depths starting at -0.015" off hard jam (Eric Cortina's method). Elk load ready to go

1. 168g Berger VLD Hunting (-0.015" off hard jam), RL23 58.7g, 2969fps. 5 shot group @100yd measured 0.435"
2. 180g Berger VLD Hunting (-0.025" off hard jam), RL23 56.8g, 2842fps, 5 shot group @ 100yd measured 0.598"