Inconsistant loaded Ammo...please help

Hey folks

I dont know what I'm doing wrong, but I'm getting really fed up with my inconsistencies on my match ammo. So my match ammo is as follows: 243 Winchester Norma full length sized with Redding .269 bushing, trimmed to 2.040", neck turned to .015", primer pocket uniformed,annealed (after EVERY firing), vld chamfer and de burred. 107gr Sierra Match King. Base to ogive is 2.28" and I shit you not it shoots a .903" group at 300 yards. I use a RCBS comp seater that has been for what I think is hit or miss with accuracy of seating depths. Or perhaps I'm missing something here? Also this is NOT a compressed load; 39.2gr of H4350.

I'm getting a few thousandths difference from base to ogive. 2.280= perfect; but I'm getting those odd balls that are 2.282-2.285.

 

What scale are you using?
I have a .223 target rifle and also gave up on RCBS Comp seater for inconsistency and now use a Redding die.

 

And how have your inconsistencies changed? I'm almost ready to just buy a new die. RCBS sent me a new seater stem, but I still suffer from the same issue. I'm using a RCBS charge master.

 

I also have a Chargemaster. Have you checked 20-30 dumps on another "good" scale for weight consistency? Not what the CM reads, but what it actually is. You may be very surprised at the results.
100 yards, not so bad. 200 yards, worse. 300 worse worse and so on.

When I seat 25-50 cases, I have found the actual measurement gets longer without me touching the seater in any way other than to raise the ram to seat the round.

 

Never once had to check it on another scale, I'll recheck it on the CM. I've completely leveled out the area that the scale sits on and removed the fluorscent lights.

 

Michael-

I never once had to check it on another scale until I started shooting poorer than I usually did. Then, I learned to check it. Remember, it is supposed to be accurate to +/- .1 grain. That means there is a .3 grain spread right away. My pan, and yours, weighs 153.0 grains which is the tare to set for 0. Do you always get that same 153.0 gr reading after you take the loaded pan off the scale or does it sometimes go to 153.1 or 152.9 or 152.8. Mine started to do that which made the possible difference .6 gr on any given dump assuming the scale was within tolerances in the first place. I am only suggesting you try focusing on the scale before getting more frustrated. What I suggest above is a simple visual that will take but a minute.

 

You may want to measure your bullets base to ogive and sort them, there will be different lengths, and they will seat at different lengths. I would try that first and see if it helps, before spending money on a different seater. Barlow

 

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Yes, sort bullets BTO.

Also,

Get a better die just on principal, (Forster)....

I don't have a lick of trouble with a chargemaster and never have.
Dead nuts on an Ohaus 10-10...

What discipline do you shoot?

Have a good afternoon.

 

The other thing apart from sorting bullets is how sure are you that you annealed properly? Lots of people anneal and most thinks that they are doing it properly but the reality is most are either over or under or inconsistently annealing their necks.

 

I dont shoot any discipline yet, I've been reloading for about 4 years now and just getting into the competition scene

 

I'm wondering if because of the soft neck material from annealing that there are variables in length due to variables in neck tension, whereby the case nk shoulder area is actually springing upon bullet seating, of course the bullets themselves do vary in their base to ogive length typically.

 

Proper annealing fixes tension issues. It doesn't intensify them.

 

Let me rephrase, what discipline do you intend to shoot?

243 says PRS, neck turning not so much.

Just curious.

 

I've got some iPhone pics of a test I did after watching the Primal Rights video. It's highly conclusive.... pretty cool.

I didn't find a single output that wasn't overdone that looked like Lapua. That just takes time.

The best of them don't really even look any different.

Same with the stuff Darrell Jones used to do for me... had to look closely in low light to even see a difference- but you could sure feel it and shoot it.

 

Yeah I would definitely be open to doing the PRS series. The range I belong to has matches but not exactly what I intend to get into

 

Your results are good, at least for the intended purpose of PRS style competition. Why then worry about the nitpicks of BTO seating down to the last thou and bullet sorting?

If you're thinking about that style of competition, this is not the place to put time and effort. I'd mentally say "good enough", skip the OCD reloading, and start practicing your positional shooting and wind reading.

 

Typically I would say good enough, but as expensive as this hobby is, I wanna get my money's worth. Plus it gives me a break from my day to focus on something else other than work

 

The RCBS Comp seating die doesnt crimp.
Would it be possible to have the seat die contact the shell holder? Its one of Reddings tech tips for there seater.

Should act like a stop.

Have you heard of the Lee dead length bullet seating die? Its made to contact the shell holder.

Nothing wrong with that group.

Try some Berger Bullets.

 

Well I just measured all my BTO with a 6mm comparator and had .005 difference across the board. Then I took a 17 cal BTO, which is where the stem on the RCBS die pushes down on. So I'm going to take these numbers and adjust accordingly with my die and see where that puts me. Might also place a order for the Forster ultra seater if this doesn't work.