Berger seating depth test at 100yds or 200yds?

[barefooter56]

I'm not sure what range is best to test seating depth at, but I did eventually arrive at a good seating depth by testing at 100yds. Changing seating depth by .040" either way causes substantially larger groups. However, .030" more jump still shoots pretty good and .030" less jump shoots like totally crap. I still question the original scope, and will verify later. I think I was fighting problems on multiple fronts. Whatever the case, after grinding a front scope base screw, switching to properly neck-turned, uniformed, and weight sorted brass, and changing scopes, I'm consistently shooting .5-.7 MOA groups from the gun. It has put up a few in the .3 range. Most of the groups were shot in a fair bit of wind with no flags and show mostly horizontal dispersion, so it's closen enough to being a .5 MOA gun to make me happy with it. I got to shoot over a chrono this morning(I still haven't ordered one as I'm trying to decide which one to get) and it showed an extreme spread of 8fps for the first four shots! The fifth was 16fps under the highest and left me with an SD of 7.28. Good enough for a hunting gun I'd say. I probably won't test the original scope till I finish my hunt. I'm not sure what fixed the problem, but something did. My worst groups now are about where my average groups were before. The best groups are about the same, but the average groups and worst groups have definitely improved. Still not the accuracy that I was hoping for, but I guess it's good enough.

Here is the BERGER VLD BULLET seating depth testing information off or website. Please use the COAL should be CBTO.
http://www.bergerbullets.com/vld-making-shoot/

Now you have seating depth testing information for both the HYBRID and VLD bullets!
Take care,

 

[ImBIllT]

Here is the BERGER VLD BULLET seating depth testing information off or website. Please use the COAL should be CBTO.
http://www.bergerbullets.com/vld-making-shoot/

Now you have seating depth testing information for both the HYBRID and VLD bullets!
Take care,

If you'll notice, I asked about the best range at which to perform that test, and Berger does not mention a range. It's not like the results would be invalidated if I didn't do it at the optimum range. I just wanted to get some opinions on the best range to perform that test at.

 

[fredo]

If you'll notice, I asked about the best range at which to perform that test, and Berger does not mention a range. It's not like the results would be invalidated if I didn't do it at the optimum range. I just wanted to get some opinions on the best range to perform that test at.

If ya got 500, shoot @500. Besides, you said this was a 500+ yd deer rifle, so get all the trigger time ya can at the range(s) you'll be taking game at...

Put a 'waterline' on your target to help ya hold consistent height on your target. Laying the scope's cross hair on a horizontal line is a big help to achieving that end...

Ignore any horizontal dispersion, Concentrate on the vertical!

P.S. These seating depth dilemmas are precisely why I start new load development with the bullet 'jammed'. Once pressure threshold/charge range has been established @ 'jam', ya only got one direction to go to "tune" your OAL. From there, it shouldn't take long to find happiness...

Have fun!

 

[barefooter56]

If you'll notice, I asked about the best range at which to perform that test, and Berger does not mention a range. It's not like the results would be invalidated if I didn't do it at the optimum range. I just wanted to get some opinions on the best range to perform that test at.

I do my load testing at 100 yards then test the best accuracy load out at 300 . Its been my experience that if it works at 100 it will most probably work at 1000. I shot PALMA for 12 years and that's how I did all my load testing. I believe that Bryan Litz does it like this in some style also. At extended ranges you have to account for more affect due to shooter condition reading skills, trigger control , position behind the rifle, cheek pressure on the stock ETC.

 

[ImBIllT]

I do my load testing at 100 yards then test the best accuracy load out at 300 . Its been my experience that if it works at 100 it will most probably work at 1000. I shot PALMA for 12 years and that's how I did all my load testing. I believe that Bryan Litz does it like this in some style also. At extended ranges you have to account for more affect due to shooter condition reading skills, trigger control , position behind the rifle, cheek pressure on the stock ETC.

Makes sense. If it's good enough for Bryan, then it's good enough for me.

 

[Steve Ladino]

If you are fine tuning seating depth, then you are trying to tune out any vertical in your groups....that is what seating depth changes. Don't worry about the wind so much when testing seating depth OR neck tension. The wind won't affect the vertical. You need distance to give you a definitive answer.

Wind does affect vertical where I shoot

 

[Fotheringill]

Before adjusting the charge. .120 might be good, but .130 or .110 might be better. Zero in on the best depth and THEN play with the charge, IMHO.