Darnation

T

Twud

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Got a new custom 6 BR, BAT action, Krieger 12T bbl. I'm trying to load the best ammo I can but am thwarted by seating depth.
Using Lapua brass, custom bullets and a Redding Comp Micrometer seating die the best I can do is .006" on either side of my target depth. I bought a Forster Comp die and got the same results. I've measured all my bullets to the ogive and came up with an extreme spread of .004". I've disasembled the seating die and cleaned the packing grease out and replaced it with a light coat of gun grease. The tip of the bullets seat very nicely into the seater stem and the meplat dosen't bottom out. I'm using a Redding press that's nice and tight. I just bought a new set of calipers and gaging blocks, both sets were right there.
I seat them slowly and turn as I go. The man that built the rifle uses the same die and bullets and says he gets 0 variance.
Not that it matters, I've also checked them on my runout gauge. They all measure under .0005".
The gun shoots OK with these rounds but not nearly as well as it should.
BTW- On the builders advice I'm trying to get to .005" off the lands.
I'm stumped and frustrated. HELP
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I've had irregular seating depths with loads that were just the tiniest bit comppressed. In my case, it was compounded because I didn't have a lot of neck tension & projectile engagement in the neck.
 
Brass

Using new brass that has just been turned to fit a .265 tight neck, .002" grip.
I'm using a Redding Competition Micrometer Die with the sliding sleeve.
Runout is less than .0005".
 
Bullets?

A friend is having the same problem and we are still unsure what is causing it, although I suspect the neck tension. He is using Berger bullets.

You description of case work seems like this may not be the source of your variance.

What bullet are you using? The reason I ask is that Sierra mizes bulelts from different bullet making dies within the same box of bullets - this will drive you crazy if you are asa anal retensive as I am.

Just curious - have you checked length from the back of the bullets to the ogive with a micrometer yet?
 
Bullets

Travelor said:
A friend is having the same problem and we are still unsure what is causing it, although I suspect the neck tension. He is using Berger bullets.

You description of case work seems like this may not be the source of your variance.

What bullet are you using? The reason I ask is that Sierra mizes bulelts from different bullet making dies within the same box of bullets - this will drive you crazy if you are asa anal retensive as I am.

Just curious - have you checked length from the back of the bullets to the ogive with a micrometer yet?
Click to expand...

Out of 86 bullets I found an ES if .002" from the ogive to the base. They are hand made by the man who built the gun. I've also tried Bergers and the seating variance didn't go away.
 
Press Set-up

Are you making sure that the shell holder seats firmly against the bottom of the die body?? I use Redding Seaters and if you do not seat the shell holder firmly against the bottom of the die body, you will get variations.

Use common sense here. By firmly I mean assuring that all of the slack is out of the press linkage........jackie
 
I have a technique I call 'double bumping'. When seating the bullets I run the cartridge up into the seater die twice. Run the case with the bullet sitting on top up into the seater die then lift the press handle just enough to pull the bullet out of the seater stem and then back down with the handle for the second bump.
 
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