Sounds like you're on the right path. If you've found a seating depth that's giving you good results that you like, stay there and don't change any of that as the throat erodes, not until the results actually turn bad. That's when you'll need to make some seating adjustments to get back into the accuracy node.Well, thanks again.
My accuracy was better with the Bergers than it is with the Lapuas. And I had no problems seating the Berger bullets, with the same die I'm using now with the Lapuas and and getting very consistent CBTO measurements.
If they ever become available again in my lifetime I'll get some more.
But now I'm kinda stuck with what I have.
Now I'm not the best shooter around either, wont see me winning any competitions, I can usually keep the groups an inch or smaller at 100 yards but It's closer to 1/2 with the Bergers. But as I'm not that accurate/good a shooter I want all the advantages I can get with a load that is consistent shot to shot. I need all the help I can get.
Tip is not bottoming out in the seating die, didn't with the Bergers either which have a sharper point than the Lapuas.
Yes I think it is the bullet too, but I've got a few hundred of them and want to load them to get the best cartridge I can with what I've got to work with.
I'm not shooting touching the lands and have no desire to chase them either. As with the Bergers I got the powder charge that gave me the best consistent velocities and groups, then I adjusted the seating depth away from the lands until I got a depth that gave me the best groups that had very similar groups at longer jump. That way as the throat erodes the seating depth will still be in a good group length. Don't know if I explained what I meant there. Right now I'm at 24 thou off the lands, The groups and velocities were similar up to 30 off.
Until I get an insert the diameter of the seating stem, I will load a few rounds with bullets out of the four base to ogive groups and see how they compare when seated within the groups.
Thanks again
I'd recommend keep you thinking away from how far you are off the lands and more about your seating depth. When you state .024 off the lands, that really doesn't mean anything to us as our rifle chambers will have very different free bores that will have different seating depths when .024 of the lands. Better to state the COAL, which gives us a better idea of your actual seating depth.