Seating to the lands and accuracy

[shooter1054]

I'm not a very adventurous reloader, meaning I pretty much stay with what "the book" says as far as powder charges, COL, etc. The thing that I'm wondering about is setting the COL so that the bullet is "at the lands" or close to it. But the COL from "the book" keeps it well away from the lands. I guess a little pertinent backstory.

I'm shooting a 243 T/C Venture. I'm well aware this is no high tech rifle. It's a hunting rifle, that's it. I'm loading Hornady 95 gn SST over 40.7 Win 760 at ~2900fps.

The Hornady book calls for a COL of 2.630. Hodgdon website calls for 2.650. Tried some 105 Amax calling for a COL of 2.760 and this didn't touch the lands in my rifle. I'm just wondering if setting the bullet out a little farther would improve my accuracy. I've always heard this is true. If it is, will it help enough that I would notice? The rifle is currently capable of sub MOA accuracy. Am I thinking of more things than I need to with this rifle? Should I be happy with what I have an STFU?

 

[ChrisGarrett]

It depends on the bullet design and unfortunately, there's only one way to know for sure and that way is to get out there and fiddle with things.

Secant ogived/VLD bullets generally like to be seated closer to the lands. Tangentially shaped bullets, like SMKs can stand a jump.

There is no playbook on this stuff, sorry to say.

Chris

 

[shooter1054]

I have been happy with it. I found a load that I can more often than not shoot well. What has got me thinking, is my buddy just got a Savage 11 243 and we were trying to work up a load for his gun. It didn't really like what I had that much and we started going in different directions. It got me to looking at some different powders, bullets, charges, everything. And then I started thinking and that's never a good thing. And here I am looking at different ways to go.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

I have been happy with it. I found a load that I can more often than not shoot well. What has got me thinking, is my buddy just got a Savage 11 243 and we were trying to work up a load for his gun. It didn't really like what I had that much and we started going in different directions. It got me to looking at some different powders, bullets, charges, everything. And then I started thinking and that's never a good thing. And here I am looking at different ways to go.

Some people like the thrill of the hunt and some people like plunging that spear into the prey and that's that.

Get your powder and powder charge (high/low nodes) down first and then start playing with bullet seating depth.

I'm a fiddler and I have lots of different powders, bullets, primers and whatnot, but sometimes I just want to load some shooting ammo up without tinkering to the Nth degree and that's where I'm at right now, this past month. Just going back through my journal and seeing what shot well back in '08-'10 and going with those recipes.

Chris

 

[Fuzzball]

"The Hornady book calls for a COL of 2.630. Hodgdon website calls for 2.650. "

Yeah, it's enough to make a man think maybe book OAL isn't all that critical, aint it?

No book "calls" for anything, the book makers give the OAL they used to develop the listed charge/velocity data. Your rig isn't the same as theirs, develop your own OAL for YOUR best accuracy.