Bullet should be seated at least the to the depth of the bullets diameter?

[thefitter]

I pulled this quote from another thread because I wanted to get some specific responses to it.

The reamer project I'm working on is getting good. My neck length is in the .300 +/- ball park. If I subtract the .284 diameter that only leaves me .016 off the neck shoulder junction.

I was planing on having it .030 off the neck shoulder junction but that only leaves me .270 and less bullet in the case.

Thoughts?

Thanks

 

[SS427]

I used to follow this advice, but for the most part do not any more. Certainly not in my single shot rifles. Even in my light caliber repeater bolt action rifles I don't follow it to the letter. As long as the bullet doesn't move during recoil I'm okay with using less. My accuracy improved getting closer to the lands and even with less than one caliber in the neck I have minimal runout.

Interested to hear what other people say.

 

[K22]

That's a general "rule of thumb" for beginning reloaders that has been published is some older reloading manuals but usually does not produced the best accuracy.

Personally, I like to start at .020 off the lands, depending on the length of the throat and move backward to find my best seating depth. However my primary loading purpose is for varmint and big game hunting even though I punch a lot of paper in practice throughout the year. Correction - I use to punch a lot of paper but can't anymore due to the current component shortages.

 

[walley2960]

As long as the bullet doesn't move during recoil I'm okay with using less. My accuracy improved getting closer to the lands and even with less than one caliber in the neck I have minimal runout.
QUOTE


Works for me

 

[Taildrag15X]

With my single shot actions strickly for target use I run about 1/3 of the diameter in the neck.....set them up that way to stop the compression of powder.

 

[GSPV]

I think that rule of thumb is more coincidence than anything else.

There *are* reasons to
- Not get well down into the case, if it cuts into useful capacity
- Not get into the donut, if one exists
- To have enough bullet in the neck to hold it for the purpose at hand
- etc.

But, mostly, everything is fair game to meet your needs.