Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game How far do you seat off the rifling?

I was wondering what the rest of you do?<BR>I usually seat the bullets .020 off the rifling for 30'06 and 270 type stuff.

Well that is certainly a place to start, but the rifle will make it preferences known if you experiment in .005" increments. [img]images/icons/wink.gif" border="0[/img]

I usually start at .01-.005. Just far enough to insure reliable feeding. Be warned that if you get into compressed powder charges, you will have to adjust your dies to maintain your OAL. I don't know why, but I noticed that my bullets won't seat as deeply as they did with charges that don't compress. Just adjust the die, and they will seat to the proper depth. E

I have a VZ24 Mauser in 6.5X55mm which is deep throated to accept 175 grain bullets. It shoots into 1" in 100 yards with the 160 grain bullets. I also use 100 and 120 grain bullets in the same chamber. It also shoots within 1" in 100 yards using these short bullets. From this I have decided that bullet jump doesn't make that much difference unless you are trying to milk the last .001" out of a rifle which is used only for paper punching.

Bullet seating depth will make a huge difference in accuracy in most rifles. I always start at .05" from the lands and work toward .01" from the lands in .01" increments to find the sweet spot. I never go closer than that .01" from the lands (in a hunting rifle)in order to insure that a new lot of bullets does not touch the lands and spike pressure, and so smooth and easy feeding is maintained.<BR>Why labor over the correct powder charge for accuracy and neglect this operation which is just as important?