bullet seating frustration

[Rustywreck]

Now that I'm starting to understand this reloading stuff a little better, I decided to buy a Redding Competition seating die.

My problems are several. I set the die up following the limited insturctions included. By trial and error I was able to get a bullet seated at the depth I desired.

After loading several rounds, I measured the bullet tip to case base length. A few were the same, but others were off by .006". Even when I used a bullet compartor to take out any inconsistancies in the bullet tip they measured differently and I don't understand why?

Also, I'm guessing the numbered markings along the barrel aren't relative to anything. That is, it can't be set to read the actual length of the cartridge. I messed around with the thing so that I could get it to read the length of the cartridge, but when I tried to make it .030" shorter, it was about .012" shorter.

[Dom]

Welcome to the wonderful world of reloading Feathermax. Using the Stoney Point comparator, measuring off the ogive, is the only way to get a consistent point of reference for measurement. I dunno, but that's just the way it is. And I also can't set my die, forget it, and get all the same exact measurements. I use the Forster Comp die, and turn the dial off a couple clicks and seat the bullet there first, then fine tune it down. I can generally leave it set and get a few where I want them seated, but invariably one will come up long or short and I gotta tune it again. Aggravating, but I can only say that's my experience. The markings on the die may be that each mark is .001 or ..002 or .003, I think it depends on manufacturer. Hang in there. I don't sweat the small stuff like .001 or .002, but do get concerned when they're showing more than that, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

[Catfish]

With most bullets their is a small difference in the ojive of different bullets from the same box. Even though the aol of the bullet may very a small amount the distance from the lands will be the same, or at least close enough that it will not effect accuracy, even from a bench gun. If you are happy with your accuracy, don`t worry about it.

[Rocky Raab]

I agree with the above. I'd also suggest that you may be jumping into the minutiae of reloading a bit too early.

You really don't need to use benchrest competition methods to load 99% of all the ammo you'll ever need. And unless you have guns as precisely machined as the benchrest guys do, you won't see any benefits of all the reloading pizzazz anyway. Really.

[Jack]

Feathermax, I agree with Rocky.
I've been reloading since the '60's, and my view of seating depth is this:
1)Seat the bullets so they fit through the rifle's magazine.
2) Check to make sure the bullets aren't touching the lands.
3) worry about something else, like the worldwide gnat shortage, or Alaskan putty tariff policy- something relevent like that.
IMO, seating depth can help you tune an already good load, but fiddling with seating depth is vastly overblown.

[Rustywreck]

Perhaps I didn't make my problem clear. If there is an expected variance from one cartridge to another that's fine and I can live with it.

My real question/problem is if these variances are the result of my doing something wrong without knowing it.

I've read a lot about the precision with all this equipment. When I don't achieve the precision I understand I should be my first thought goes to "am I doing something wrong?"

I did open the jaws of my caliper .006". It is an amazingly small amount.

Maybe it's just me, but when I only focus on the numbers on the caliper I do lose perception of what that number really represents.

Thanks for the information - there'll be more questions to come I'm sure.

[Dom]

Feathermax, is your load compressed? If so, bullet seating will drive you nuts. You're not doing anything wrong, like you said, .006 is, well, pretty small. There are a variety of things to worry about in reloading, I guess you have to pick your fight on what you personally want to worry about. There's entirely too many variables to worry about them all!! Unless, well, you gotta ton a time on your hands. I worry about them all to a point, but my perfect measured finished product is probably only 50% of the rounds, the rest slightly off under or high anywhere from powder to length to bullet to case to you name it. You'll get a feel for it as you go along, especially on the range when you knock down groups that you're proud of!! I just loaded 150 rounds of hornet, all compressed loads, and kept the measurement off the ogive +/- .003 on the vast majority, keep at it.

[Rocky Raab]

They used to say "Ignorance is Bliss."

I wouldn't go quite so far as that with reloading, but I would say that "A LITTLE ignorance is helpful."

I don't imply stupidity here. Ignorance is a different thing - or we wouldn't need a separate word for it. It comes from "ignore" and that's how I'm using it here: "ignore-ance" is the ability to ignore selected things. Be unaware of them, in other words.

Variation of seating depth that you cannot detect without the aid of a delicate measuring device is one thing that deserves ignore-ance.

Put you comparator in a drawer. Load up a box of ammo. Stand them all up in a good light and admire them. If you cannot help but say to yourself, "Man, those are good-looking reloads!" then you have achieved the highly desirable state of reasonable ignorance.

But start fiddling with that comparator on those rounds, and you fall right out of the state of bliss and ignorance.

BTW, the same thing happens when you buy a chronograph. All your blissful ignorance collapses into a morass of doubt and confusion. About the time you think you have that under control, you'll buy a pressure-measuring system and plunge right back into the morass of infinite perplexity.

Eventually, you will learn the Golden Snowflake of Truth: no two loaded rounds are ever the same. Ever.

At that moment, you will realize that what you had fussed over for all those years could've been ignored. And then, ignorance IS bliss.

[muledeer]

You're killing me "morass of infinite perplexity" is the password for the Mustang Ranch
muledeer

[Rocky Raab]

Dang. I WONDERED where I remembe...Uh, I mean read that!