Determining Seating Depths for VLD's

[22~308TargetShooter]

Ok so I just finished up trying to find some seating depth numbers for Berger 175 VLD's in my palma rifle. I started by attempting to use my Stoney Point gauge, but ended up dropping the gauge and damaging the case mouth to the point of "unusableness" (probably not a word). That was the only fired case I happened to have on hand that was drilled and tapped for the gauge. %#$@! Thought to myself what now, so I pulled out the unopened Frankfort Arsenal Overall Length Gauge. Now I know this gives the C.O.A.L. using the tip and I usually use the Ogive, but I think I can do the figuring. Here's my numbers; first two before Stoney Point went to the floor.
1. 2.300 (Ogive)
2. 2.219 (Ogive)
Dropped Stoney Point , son of a $%#@.
Frankfort Arsenal
1. 2.808
2. 2.765
3. 2.798
4. 2.811
5. 2.819
6. 2.808
7. 2.805
8. 2.806
9. 2.805
10. 2.798
11. 2.805
So After I started to get the feel for things and how the system was suppose to be used I think I started to get some consistancy, (Some). Now I'm just curious as to what some out there would do with the numbers, take an average now somewhere between the 2.805 and 2.808 and just pick a spot to start ? Those VLD's are a ^%$*! ???

C.D.

 

[CPorter]

Take a pair of needle nose pliers, a small phillips and open up the stoney point case. The pliers are usually tapered and when I've dinged a case mouth it opens and shapes it enough to get the sizing die expander ball through it. The screwdriver is for when the case mouth is closed too small to get the pliers in.

 

[243winxb]

2.819" - 2.765"= .054" difference when measuring off the tip. Something is very wrong?? I would guess your seating stem does not fit the bullet. The bullet nose should not contact the seating stem, only the ogive.

: “Many shooters have problems getting the VLD bullets to shoot because of the bullet seater die they are using. VLD bullet noses are so long and sharp that, in many dies, the bullet tip bottoms out in the bullet seater stem instead of touching on the side of the ogive like it should. Seating depth inconsistencies up to .025″ can occur if the seater stem bottoms out on the bullet tip. The worst part is that many shooters have no idea that this is the root cause of their poor performance.

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/tag/vld/ On the Berger website, there is a article about seating depth for VLD bullets. They can be very accurate with a jump to the rifling. http://02b0516.netsolhost.com/blog1/2009/04/08/getting-the-best-precision-and-accuracy-from-vld-bullets-in-your-rifle/

 

[jo191145]

If you want to measure distance to lands using the tip of the bullet you can use one bullet only. Is that what you did with the Frankfort?
In such a case one bullet is used to determine DTL's. Using that same bullet the seater die is set to that one bullet and your desired seating depth.
You get the idea i'm sure. Not optimable. Lots of other tips to that scenario but,,,,,,,,

On the bright side you have the Hornady case/comparator set up.
Its quite easy to fix that case. It does'nt have to be a thing of beauty to work correctly.
Whenever using that setup with a tight necked chamber the case must be modified to work. Happens all the time.
You should be able to bring it back from just about any conceivable damage.