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There is no question that tweaking seating depth can affect group size, I get that....but in a non-benchrest rifle, I have often wondered why factory rounds such as the Federal Gold Medal Match .308 shoots so darn good in so many different rifles just using a standard c.o.a.l. The average Joe reloader guy is very hard pressed to beat these premium factory offerings, it seems to me. Now sure, a bunch of fellows will pile on me here with endless pictures of tiny 3 shot groups, but I am talking real statistical aggregates of 20 shots or better yet the aggregate of an 80 or 100 shot NRA Hi-power match. As another example, factory rifle and cartridge, .257 Weatherby Mag. arguably one of the most store boughten accuracy champs on the market, I don't own one but folks say all Weatherby's have long throats to reduce pressures. So where does seating depth come into play there? More questions than answers.


Well this is a fine pickle we're in, should'a listened to Joe McCarthy and George Orwell I guess.
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Even with many experienced shooters, some here too. The opinions vary about seating a particular bullet, a particular way but nothing I have ever seen is absolute.
Long throats and excessive runnout can't be good together, if the round is straight and symmetrical a long throat is ok. I am stating this and asking at the same time.
My personal bias is a bullet should seat to the bottem of the neck and the neck should be symmetrical.
The cartridge case's DNA duplicated exactly.
If the case is true it is a fine starting point to start with
A CNC machined bullet should have an advantage too.
This is my theory, but how then does a 200.00 Savage rifle with cheap 20.00, factory stuff sometimes make all the this moot?
Clear as mud and Happy Father's Day, folks.
I enjoy the chatter.

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I have found that seating depth can very much affect accuracy. I start at the same place every time, no matter the rifle or cartrdge.......seat bullet .002 off or max mag length and go from there. When you start long there's only one way to go from there to find a good, accurate depth.


It is irrelevant what you think. What matters is the TRUTH.
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Originally Posted by comerade
Even with many experienced shooters, some here too. The opinions vary about seating a particular bullet, a particular way but nothing I have ever seen is absolute.
Long throats and excessive runnout can't be good together, if the round is straight and symmetrical a long throat is ok. I am stating this and asking at the same time.
My personal bias is a bullet should seat to the bottem of the neck and the neck should be symmetrical.
The cartridge case's DNA duplicated exactly.
If the case is true it is a fine starting point to start with
A CNC machined bullet should have an advantage too.
This is my theory, but how then does a 200.00 Savage rifle with cheap 20.00, factory stuff sometimes make all the this moot?
Clear as mud and Happy Father's Day, folks.
I enjoy the chatter.


The diameter of the throat has an influence. A close fit to the bullet, say a half thou over bullet diameter, will help prevent alignment related problems.

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I will just leave this here - some might find this interesting.

Secrets of the Houston Warehouse Precision Shooter 1993


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Originally Posted by bsa1917hunter


You set your dies up right and the need to check every round is pointless.... no longer needed. Especially with those fancy type dies you have. I get .003" and less TIR with my regular ol RCBS dies. The proof is always on the target too.. wink . Some guys put far too much time and effort and money into this chit and then still end up sub par..
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Nice shoulders on those. I think your concentricity gauge might be missing a bearing.

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Originally Posted by comerade
We seem to have this obsession to get an exacting seating depth, jump to the lands etc for perfection.
.001 off the lands or .050 can make be all I need and it must be precise. ( or devastating)
Oh yes, and the powder charge measured on a high quality digital scale.
Could these accuracy issues simply be a case of the case being out of alignment. Runnout?
I fussed like seating depths myself late into the night, using micrometer seating dies. I thought rocket science was like that until I stumbled onto the GS Custom site and its owner. They make CNC , land riding bullets that are seated to the drive band and load development was quick and easy.
Maybe this super uniform bullets should be started in a super uniform case?
Most handloader's speed case prep, it can be a blurr and slow down to seat the bullet perfectly.
I use a case gauge these days during the process now during case prep.
Any thought about bullet runnout as the primary culprit?


Unless you are a benchrest shooter.....not just a hunter.....I consider most of this to be analysis paralaysis. One would be better served by spending more time at a good shooting range getting acclimated to his rifle.

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Originally Posted by Ready
I will just leave this here - some might find this interesting.

Secrets of the Houston Warehouse Precision Shooter 1993


WOW ..


PRESIDENT TRUMP 2024/2028 !!!!!!!!!!


Posted by Bristoe
The people wringing their hands over Trump's rhetoric don't know what time it is in America.
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Fascinating article.


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Originally Posted by vapodog
Originally Posted by comerade
We seem to have this obsession to get an exacting seating depth, jump to the lands etc for perfection.
.001 off the lands or .050 can make be all I need and it must be precise. ( or devastating)
Oh yes, and the powder charge measured on a high quality digital scale.
Could these accuracy issues simply be a case of the case being out of alignment. Runnout?
I fussed like seating depths myself late into the night, using micrometer seating dies. I thought rocket science was like that until I stumbled onto the GS Custom site and its owner. They make CNC , land riding bullets that are seated to the drive band and load development was quick and easy.
Maybe this super uniform bullets should be started in a super uniform case?
Most handloader's speed case prep, it can be a blurr and slow down to seat the bullet perfectly.
I use a case gauge these days during the process now during case prep.
Any thought about bullet runnout as the primary culprit?


Unless you are a benchrest shooter.....not just a hunter.....I consider most of this to be analysis paralaysis. One would be better served by spending more time at a good shooting range getting acclimated to his rifle.

Good advice. I learned reloading and shooting with a 38 Special and a 32 Winchester Special. Seating depth was not much of an option, just seat to the crimping groove and crimp. It wasn't until decades later I heard how much I was giving up not tailoring my bullet seating depth.


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I use to jump thru all kinds of hoops to get my groups to fit under a dime in my hunting rifles. I pretty much stopped that since it's not even relevant to my big game hunting. Being able to shoot and hit things from off hand to field rests and do it quickly because big game then not to hang around forever. Once I stopped with the endless load development, I started to enjoy shooting a lot more. I hand load my ammo in small batches, It has to feed and extract without issue. And I choose bullets that are suitable for the game I am hunting. We all go thru these phases. I was no different when I started. All rifles are individuals just like ourselves, no two will ever be exactly alike. That makes the whole thing fun, but endless load development is just another Black Hole in my opinion. I have load combinations that I have hunted with going on for more than 40 years now. Yes, there are variations in power from lot to lot and bullets have gotten better over that period of time. And yeah the load in question does shoot a bit better accuracy wise, I chalk that up to bullets being more concentric, better optics, and my own eyesight, I can see way better now at when I was 19. These days it's not all that hard or time consuming to come up with a good accurate reliable hunting load these days. The marksmanship skills where it will pay off well that takes a lot more time, effort and money than most will ever do. Those sorts try to make up for it with the latest and greatest gadget, rifle-sights, cartridge and bullet as a sub for spending the time shooting in a constructive way.


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