re-seating affects accuracy?

[TackDriv3r]

After knocking the bullets further out of the cases, reseating and checking bullet runout, I showed up at the range with the 6.5 Creed and shot those 140 Hybrids / H4350 and its stupid accurate still. Three shots at 100 yards at 2780 fps average with ES of 4 at 62 degrees with 12 mph wind. Seems re-seating did not have any effect on accuracy. Ignore left bottom holes, it's a random target I picked a the range that someone else had used.

 

[stifffingers]

Shooters who believe in "bullet weld" seat bullets high then re-seat to desired length shortly before using. A fellow shooter I know does this all the time - he's a really great shot and shoots tiny groups with his precision reloads. So I don't believe re-seating will materially affect accuracy.

I'm a non-believer in "bullet weld" because I've never experienced any decline in accuracy from loaded rounds sitting for several months even a year or so. I like to load up my varmint rounds in the winter in preparation for the spring / summer varmint / shooting season. I shoot approx. 700 to 900 rounds of centerfire rifle in practice and hunting from March to October. I should clarify that my experience is based on shooting 300 yards or under and my accuracy requirements (1/2 to 5/8" moa) are not as stringent as a bench rest shooter.

If I am testing different seating depths, I'll load up 50 rounds all the same charge but all seated .004 from full jam. With arbor press and seating dye I start shooting two shot groups until I get two shots touching. Then I move to 3 then 5 shot groups while tweaking the depths. The point is sometimes I get a very distinct snap when reseating the bullet, sometimes not, that is bullet weld. You never know if your case prep is good enough, why not load long and reseat before a match. Kinda puts all your efforts on the same page.

 

[K22]

If I am testing different seating depths, I'll load up 50 rounds all the same charge but all seated .004 from full jam. With arbor press and seating dye I start shooting two shot groups until I get two shots touching. Then I move to 3 then 5 shot groups while tweaking the depths. The point is sometimes I get a very distinct snap when reseating the bullet, sometimes not, that is bullet weld. You never know if your case prep is good enough, why not load long and reseat before a match. Kinda puts all your efforts on the same page.

As I said, a fellow shooter I know reseats bullets before going to the range. I can't argue with his results although he can't say with certain that it makes a practical difference since he's never performed any statistically significant tests.

All I'm saying is that I never experienced any measurable performance difference with pre-loaded rounds that have set for months. I don't shoot pre-scheduled matches but precision is important to me since I hunt varmints and predators. I need ready to go precise, ammo when the opportunity presents itself i.e. weather and wifey wise.

Also, what do manufacturer's of factory ammo do to prevent "bullet weld"? If "bullet weld" affects precision then it stands to reason that most factory load won't group - right? I've seen some very tight groups shot with Federal Premium and Hornady factory loads at the range.

 

[JimSC]

check out what your bullets looks like when exiting a barrel, that barrel beats em up pretty good

http://emptormaven.com/2014/10/shooting-bullets-into-water-part-i/