I recently bought a Ruger No 1 in 223 and am in the process of developing loads for it. This is a stainless rifle with the heavy varmint barrel with a 1/9 twist. I want to get as much accuracy as possible from this gun and am looking for advice. All I plan to do with this rifle do is punch paper... I had a box of 55 grain Hornady SP and have them working fairly well at 100 meters using 4064 powder. In my quest to get this rifle shooting the best, I bought a box of 69 grain SMK's and Vihtavuori N135 powder. The 69 grain bullets touch the lands at 2.265". My question is, where do you start bullet seating? .010" off the lands? .020" off? I have been seating the 55 grain bullets at .020" off the lands, but have not had a chance to play with that yet. I have watched many videos on bullet seating depth and read as many writeups. But I have yet to see a consensus on where to start. What do you say? Thanks for any info! Danny
Load Development: Where to Start?
- Thread starter McGrew
- Start date
kyotekiller25
Silver $$ Contributor
Start at 5 off, in 5 increments, to 40 off is what I usually do.
It is best to test your rifle at different seating depths to see where it wants to shoot. No two rifles are the same and what works in one simply may not work in another. It is common practice by many to start at a given spot and work in .003 increments in or out to avoid jumping a sweet spot.
Fast14riot
Gold $$ Contributor
SMK are pretty forgiving, if you are able to adjust seating depth at the range, like with an arbor press, I'd load everything .005 off and seat shorter as I went.
Thanks guys! @Bill Norris, that is what Eric Cortina says in one of his videos. He says the node for seating depth is commonly only .006” wide. Who am I to argue with him? @Fast14riot, I don’t currently have a way to adjust seating depth at the range, but it sure would be handy. I need to find a way to do that. @kyotekiller25, I like your plan as that that may be my best option until I find a way to change seating depth at the range. I’m guessing a RockChucker bolted to the tailgate on my truck would be pretty ugly? Thanks guys! Danny
Yep, Lee makes a decent hand press you could carry to the range.
I have a #1 in 243 and love it beautiful guns.
They have a reputation of not being that accurate off the shelf, has to do with the way the fore end is attached to the hanger. If your not shooting less than 1moa look up accurizing the #1
The heavy barrel may not be as affected
Just my 2c but it may be a better place to start than worrying about how far off the lands you are.
Dennis
They have a reputation of not being that accurate off the shelf, has to do with the way the fore end is attached to the hanger. If your not shooting less than 1moa look up accurizing the #1
The heavy barrel may not be as affected
Just my 2c but it may be a better place to start than worrying about how far off the lands you are.
Dennis
The tailgate doesn't sound like much of a solution, but if you have a receiver hitch and a buddy with a stick welder, you could piece together something that'll work.
Thanks @JLT. I was only kidding about bolting my press to the tailgate, but i have been known to do some crazy (unorthodox?) things. The receiver hitch isn’t a bad idea, but I don’t want to unbolt my press every time I do seating tests. I am looking at hand presses now. I might even try to develop my own just to seat bullets. I spent 40+ years in engineering, design and machine shops. Danny
This but I move in .003 increments
Couple pistol grip clamps will hold your press to the bench top.
Your just seating bullets, not sizing brass
I've gone down the same rabbit hole as you with shooting 223 and my advice is simple.
The biggest variable in accurate shooting is YOU. Make sure you have damn good shooting bags because they are your best friend. I can't emphasize this enough. The best load in the world isn't worth a damn if your gun is stable. Factory ammo shoots amazingly well at this distance.
I have my doubts about the degree of effectiveness playing with bullet seating off the lands is going to be when shooting only 100 yards. I guess it all depends on how much money and time you want to spend.
Shoot one hell of a lot of rounds, that'll do more for you than anything else. I've done the 69SMKs with Varget then switched to RMRs which have been very good as well.
Now I'm playing with the Hornady SP 55gr and different powders to develop a killer load for my 223 bolt gun that I can also feed into my ARs.
The biggest variable in accurate shooting is YOU. Make sure you have damn good shooting bags because they are your best friend. I can't emphasize this enough. The best load in the world isn't worth a damn if your gun is stable. Factory ammo shoots amazingly well at this distance.
I have my doubts about the degree of effectiveness playing with bullet seating off the lands is going to be when shooting only 100 yards. I guess it all depends on how much money and time you want to spend.
Shoot one hell of a lot of rounds, that'll do more for you than anything else. I've done the 69SMKs with Varget then switched to RMRs which have been very good as well.
Now I'm playing with the Hornady SP 55gr and different powders to develop a killer load for my 223 bolt gun that I can also feed into my ARs.
This 
Kidding. Lee Hand Press and seating die.
Kidding. Lee Hand Press and seating die.
100%
The 223 taught me how to shoot accurately again as it shot so well any errors were only mine !
Then came the challenge of learning how to shoot as well with larger calibers in sporter weight rifles !
When/if reloading and proving loads, it all comes down to the biggest variable .....you !
If I learnt nothing else, if I was to shoot good groups @100, good glass and good triggers were needed first.
Back on topic. I always start at .015 into the rifling, and many times that is the sweet spot. If not, you only have one way to go. Never pulled a bullet out of the case at .015 in, just an FYI. Good shooting too you.
Paul
Paul
One of my standard service rifle loads is 23.5 N135 SMK 69 at 2.250 oal. You have a rifle that looks great but has a reputation of poor accuracy and is difficult to shoot. Load developement will be a very frustrating experience as one good group will give you hope, but then shoot like crap on your next trip to the range.
@Bc'z, I was thinking the same thing. Lot less force needed to seat bullets vs resizing. Thanks! Danny
@Mcrider55, I have two bags I have used since the 1980’s. Are they the best? I doubt it, but they are pretty nice. They are leather bags (real leather!) of unknown make I bought at the local gun shop. I filled them with sand. Yes they are heavy, but that is only a problem when packing them up. Here is a pic from the range with my Remington 513T. Danny
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