Load development/bullet seating depth???

[Willem .243 musgrave]

When trying to find the "sweet spot" for your rifle, what is the procedure?

Do you load charges from minimum to maximum in 0.3 grain increments, go to the range and test which load shot the best group at a fixed OAL(over all length), OR

Do you load a fixed charge somewhere between min and max but with a variance in bullet seating depth at distances from jammed into the lands and with increasing jump?

What comes first and why?

 

[mikecr]

I do choice #2, mid load, seating first.
Why?
-Because gross seating settings are independent of load.
-Because seating has a far larger affect on grouping than powder adjustments(which are invalid until final seating is set).
-Because cases need to be fireformed to stable capacity before powder adjustments anyway, so might as well work on seating while doing so(given that it's independent of load).
-Because ladders look a lot different with near best seating, than with near worst seating, and until seating is tested there is no basis in guessing about any of it.

Beware any load development method that scarcely considers, or worse, assumes seating.

 

[johnmyers]

I do choice #2, mid load, seating first.
Why?
-Because gross seating settings are independent of load.
-Because seating has a far larger affect on grouping than powder adjustments(which are invalid until final seating is set).
-Because cases need to be fireformed to stable capacity before powder adjustments anyway, so might as well work on seating while doing so(given that it's independent of load).
-Because ladders look a lot different with near best seating, than with near worst seating, and until seating is tested there is no basis in guessing about any of it.

Beware any load development method that scarcely considers, or worse, assumes seating.

This way that Mike described is exactly the way I do it and he is 100% right. Good answer

 

[Willem .243 musgrave]

Tnx for the good answer mike, usually I'd just seat the bullet at about .02" off the lands and start doing load development. Have been able to get rather good groups this way, but have never adjusted my OAL after finding a good load. Wil definiteley look into that!

 

[mikecr]

Seating, then powder, then fine-seating (to shape the groups)

 

[savageshooter86]

anyone have any links/references that supports this?

 

[jsthntn247]

I usually seat bullets during testing to touch the lands. Find nodes, then OCW the nodes and adjust seating. I do it this way so if my gun shoots best at a high node, I can only move away from the lands which shoudn't dramatically increase pressure.