Thread: Seating depth - who bothers?

Just out of interest, who actually bothers sorting out a seating depth when playing with loads?
I've usually set a round at x length (yip- looks ok) and test powder from there.
Once I find a powder load that works and is accurate, job done
I havnt had a rifle that wont shoot well that way, not to say I won't ever own one.
What's the thoughts?

As long as seating is consistent thru your loads and not requiring the projectile to be seated into the lands its all good I reckon. I like to try and get away with 5-10 thou jump.
My factory blaser barrels would shoot under an inch but after I was informed they liked a bit of jump they shot really tight with 50 thou jump. Tbf it is the only time I have seen it make heaps of difference.
My custom barrels like 5 thou jump.
I reckon a little or no runout is more important than x amount of seating. Although as a barrel wears it may require the seating to be lengthened slightly.

I like to use Berger bullets and i usually start by jumping them 40 thou, thats usually where they stay to.

I always just load to the SAAMI specs AOL... otherwise if I CAN make them a bit longer and still fit in the mag I will, but I don't play with it after that.

Mag length or "hmm that looks pretty good" and blaze away

I just set up a dummy bullet to adjust the seating die onto so rounds in the future are always the same length. I dont think I have actually ever measured anything except case lengths?

I think we went to the same reloading school lol

I always establish where a particular round touches the lands, back it off 40 thou, then play with powder types weights etc.

Have tried different seating depths once the best powder type/weight has been arrived but found 40 thou to be about right for my rifles.

"the Speights school of advanced ballistic research"

I always recon the whole "few thou" or "40 thou" thing is interesting, NZ went metric in 1976 as far as I know? Are people REALLY measuring everything in inches or just saying what they hear on US forums?

I seat mine into the lands, job done. People speak of pressure spikes etc but I never have any problems.

Originally Posted by Cyclist

"the Speights school of advanced ballistic research"

I always recon the whole "few thou" or "40 thou" thing is interesting, NZ went metric in 1976 as far as I know? Are people REALLY measuring everything in inches or just saying what they hear on US forums?

I just think most people know how to convert between the two, its common to use imperial in reloading so thats how people generally refer to measurements. Most verniers can display either metric or imperial. Working in thou's is very easy anyway its linear, not like working in fractions.

Originally Posted by L.R

I just think most people know how to convert between the two, its common to use imperial in reloading so thats how people generally refer to measurements. Most verniers can display either metric or imperial. Working in thou's is very easy anyway its linear, not like working in fractions.

+1 Always measured imp when reloading. Dont know why but its what I am used to. I rather use MOA over mils as well.

Whats the absolute minimum seating depth then?or if im reading write its not important at all?thinking in the 243 cal? i loaded my targex 80gr and set it at same depth as my 95gr targex less half a mil and it sits in my mag with a mill to spare so it had less seating depth than the 95gr.

Minimum or max from the lands you mean?
My 308 is OVER 260 thou from the lands. Shoots 1/4"

minimum i think but are you saying touchin just touchin or no touchin.....no bigge? either way?

I find group shape changes with length.

I usually go ladder then pick a charge then varie length for best groups

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