Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Seating Depth

Hi All, I'm working up a load for a new bullet. I found a powder node that had SD 11, ES 21.

Ruger American 243
Sierra Gamechanger 90gr
H4350
Fed 210
Win brass (fired several times in the rifle, trimmed and annealed)

I shot the ladder at 2.26" which is mag length. I used Berger's suggested seating depth test and loaded at 2.22", 2.18" and 2.14". These are my results. Let me know your thoughts on whether or not I'm close or should seat deeper. Should I try another primer?

Also, any idea why my first two shots were nearly touching then 3rd shot is off? I shot three bullets with no break between shots then waited to cool to ambient temp before shooting the next group. It's a sporter barrel so barrel warming up?


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2 touching 1 out seat deeper.

2.26 mag length? Or CBTO

2.26” is CBTO at mag length.

+ 2.

Your "groups" SCREAM "mechanics",which has less than zero fhuqking bearing on seating depth,which is a fhuqking HILARIOUS notion in and of itself itself. Hint.

Simply kiss lands,find pressure and Rock on... KNOWING that vertical/horizontal is a function of things other than ammo. Your CBTO "measurements" are meaningless,as it quantifies NOTHING that fhuqking matters. Sloooowwwwwwwww the fhuqk down and look at what do what and more importantly WHY. Hint.

Start At The Fhuqking Start and scratch schit off The List,rather than adding to same,in order to concoct a never ending Goose Chase. What base/rings? Front base fastener touching barrel shank? What scope? What stock? Are you resting on sling studs? Can you shoot? I'm dubious on all,given your Reloading "abilities". Read that again. Now one more time. Hint.

SD/ES has ZERO bearing on what you are "getting". Your "node" is Delusional. Let the silly Wives Tale bullschit go and focus the mechanical crux. You aren't fighting ammo. Hint.

Thank me later.

Just saying.

Hint.................

Stick,

How do you determine OAL in autoloaders? Like your 6mm ARC?

David,

Krunchentickers are no different than a bolt gun,in that THE opening move in seating depth,is to locate lands. From there,simply extrapolate available COAL due mag confines(thus my affinity for ASC expressly in all of my PPC based Gassers) and act in accordance. It is prudent to weigh the mechanical merits of a platform and Primary Extraction ain't a Krunchenticker's long suit. So rather than on a 5-groove boltgun,I Smooch well shy of square,but am in contact. That will preclude "weirdness" as they recirculate dirty gas/crud,which will of course change both headspace and throat location(crap/crud,reducing the dimensions upon both). Hint.

I've a run of VERY uniform spouts,regarding their freenore/throat locations and am shooting 105 Hornie HPBT's at 2.260" COAL,in the aforementioned ASC's. That leaves .075" for crap/crud to accumulate,less compromise of feed/function/extraction. Hint.



MUCH to be said,for Starting At The Fhuqking Start. If/when COAL to a Smooch exceeds mag COAL latitude,one simply loads to same and I'd add a feed/function cushion...whether Krunchenticker,Lever or Turnbolt. Oft times and in the OP's instance,one can simply swap to a different feed mechanism(M5 AICS DBM),to bolster COAL latitude and vastly improve feed/function(especially on a RAR). Though RAR mag confines and throat geometry in 243Win will allow a 90gr Sugar Smooch,in OEM guise,it's still a bitter pill and a Fhuqking Dog Schit mag "system". Hint.



Nothing to it. Hint................

Thanks,

Three quick shots CAN warm up a sporter barrel. 243 is a 308 squeezed down, so it's warmish, will heat up quickly.
There's a lot of mechanics unknowns here, we don't know what your techniques are like, how you rest, etc. Sling studs are a big confounder. So is a sling, for that matter. You could also be choking on the third shot, many of us choke on good groups. Tack driving consistency requires practice, practice, practice.
Then, there's the matter of three versus five or even ten shots. THAT's where "nodes" start to show up.
Honestly, I'd be shooting fivers, and many more of them, trying to not get the barrel warmer than it is on the second shot. And try your hardest to be consistent, take yourself out of the equation as much as possible.
But right now, you might have the perfect load, or the best possible for that rifle already. There's too little hard data, too many variables now.