re-seating affects accuracy?

[TackDriv3r]

I last loaded up 50 rounds of 6.5 Creedmoor and 140 Hybrids about 3 weeks ago, and I made another batch just tonight and I normally check ogive after seating the first bullet, but I knew I only seated Hybrids and did not bother to check ogive length knowingly did not change the seating depths since last batch. So I seated 50 rounds and was about to put everything away but had the itch to measure the ogive to double check before I closed that ammo box. Yikes, the caliper read .020" deeper. :hammer: I just remembered loading 20 rounds for my buddy's Creedmoor and realized my mistake. So I got the kinetic hammer and lightly tapped all of the rounds until it was a tad longer than my desired ogive length of 2.260" and re-seated to my proper length.

I was curious if it will have any change of accuracy compared to seating it once. That question came to my mind.

 

[JFrank]

Maybe

 

[Bc'z]

Maybe

Maybe not.
Come on it's a creedmoor it will surely knock the center out of whatever you point it at.
I've read where fellas load thier round long ahead of time then seat them fully before going to range

 

[watercam]

I do that all the time with no ill effects at long range. If I am loading hundreds of rounds that I will be using weeks or months later I seat them a bit long then seat to proper length the day before a match. Still has good neck tension, shoot great.

 

[M-61]

I now use a collet type puller (bought for another reason) but it sounds like it would make this a lot easier to do than the kinetic type.

 

[rardoin]

I do that all the time with no ill effects at long range. If I am loading hundreds of rounds that I will be using weeks or months later I seat them a bit long then seat to proper length the day before a match. Still has good neck tension, shoot great.

Same here. I have also had loads that were accidentally seated 0.020" too deep. I gently pulled them out with a collet puller (they had 0.001" 'neck tension') and reseated them to the proper depth and they grouped just as well as ones that were seated once to the desired depth.

 

[dgeesaman]

Same here. I have also had loads that were accidentally seated 0.020" too deep. I gently pulled them out with a collet puller (they had 0.001" 'neck tension') and reseated them to the proper depth and they grouped just as well as ones that were seated once to the desired depth.

In theory, pulling the bullets a little bit and reseating to depth should behave the same as seating long and reseating to final length later, which many shooters have been successful with.

In any case I’d treat all of the the same. If you pull a few, pull them all.

David

 

[TackDriv3r]

Thanks for your feedback, I also checked bullet runout out of curiosity, its between half a thousand to .001 and a half. Looks like its good to go

 

[Texas10]

I have had to reseat bullets and found that they actually shot better, much better in fact. Someday I'm going to take a good shooting load recipe, seat bullets in empty cases, pull'em, charge and seat again just to try it out. That particular load seems to like very light neck tension.

 

[long40shot]

I've done exactly what you are talking about. I couldn't tell a bit of difference.

 

[mikecr]

Time is the offending factor, not the re-seating.

 

[K22]

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.

 

[mikecr]

Leave carbon layer in necks and mind ammo storage conditions, no cold welding.
And if ammo shoots well after a few weeks of loading, it'll likely shoot well further on.
That's if..

 

[BenPerfected]

A benefit for me for totally pulling out the bullet is you can quickly recheck the powder load. For me, it is a good reminder to see how consistent I am with my powder charge. Sometimes I just need to slow down.
Ben

 

[oley55]

I now use a collet type puller (bought for another reason) but it sounds like it would make this a lot easier to do than the kinetic type.

For myself, I worry that my RCBS collet puller is compressing the leading bearing surface of the bullets. I had to pull a bunch last week and I put them with my other fouler shot components. I do try to use a light touch, but I just can't be certain if I am deforming some of them up or not.

On the other hand even with a single whack and the dislodging of the bullet with an inertia puller, the bullet still seems to bounce back into the case mouth and deform the bullet's boat tail. (even with that soft wad of whatever it is in the puller.)

probably just me worrying over stuff for the sake of worry..........

 

[Bc'z]

I've seated more'n my share too deep.
Pulled with rcbs collet and re seated.
Set aside as sighters as I to was worried about deformation. No worries.
The last time I had to to this I had to use 6.5 collett to pull a 6mm bullet.
Yes it can be done

 

[savagedasher]

A collet puller can deform bullets a hammer won’t
And anything you expand the inside diameter of the neck you shouldn’t resize it
I just pulled 300
7 -55 bullets trashed all 300

 

[Bc'z]

I'da shot em

 

[hambone1971]

I'd shot em too. No biggie with .020 deeper.HB

 

[M-61]

For myself, I worry that my RCBS collet puller is compressing the leading bearing surface of the bullets. I had to pull a bunch last week and I put them with my other fouler shot components. I do try to use a light touch, but I just can't be certain if I am deforming some of them up or not.

I have found that a really light squeeze on the bullet grabs and pulls it. I have no visible marks on the bullet and in the one large amount of bullets I had to pull there was no effect on their accuracy compared to 'un-pulled' bullets. A lot, I assume, would have to do with type and shape of bullet, neck tension, and maybe the length of time the bullets had been initially seated (if known).