Seating against the lands

[cornstalker]

Please forgive me if I am reviving an already whipped topic, but I am new here and wanted to learn about this. So far, I have subscribed to the thinking that a minimal jump to the lands would achieve the best accuracy. Now I have been hearing that with my .22-250's I should be seating the bullet "into" the lands. Is it so?

Will I have problems chambering a round in the field?

Can someone do a little splainin' to me?



Thanks.

 

[billmo]

cornstalker, rifles are like people. They have likes and dislikes
when it comes to the bullet. I think the BR shooters have proved that in most cases a rifle will shoot more accurately with some amount of bullet to land "jam". There are exceptions to this of course. As far as chambering a round in the field or anywhere else for that matter I don't have any problems with .010, .015, and even .020 jam to lands. But, I try to keep neck tension down around .002 or a little less and I only neck size app. .150 of the necks of my brass for my bolt guns. For my ARs, I try for about .004 neck tension and size as much of the neck as my Redding F/L type "S" bushing die will allow. CAUTION !!!!! If you decide to seat your bullets into the lands, you will need to work up your load again to be safe. I'm sure others will beg to differ but this is the way I handload for accuracy. Bill

 

[tenring]

If you are shooting a repeater, the maximum OAL cannot exceed length of the magazine. You need to try different seating depths, i.e., three shots at a time, and choose the best. Make all measurements off the ogive.

 

[Preacher]

Seating depth has a lot to do with the bullets you plan to use. Some of them like to be jammed and some do not.
If your jammed in and you need to pull that case you may end up with a chamber full of powder.
Lots less stress if you just pull the trigger and get it over with......

 

[Elkbane]

1+ on what Billmo wrote re' starting lower with load testing if you try jamming the bullet. The 22-250 can be kind of sneaky about showing pressure signs anyway and you can go from no pressure indicators to stuck bolt/primer blown out the back in a nanosecond with small changes to the load. I've only loaded for one 22-250 and it shot best with a .025 jump, regardless of the bullet. When I loaded close to the lands, I had to reduce charge by 3 grains on a 34 grain load and the loss of velocity wasn't worth any gain I got in accuracy. YMMV.

Again, you'll have to see what works in you chamber, but don't just take a near-max load and push the bullet out to jam - that's asking for trouble.
ELkbane

 

[cornstalker]

That's a ton of info. Thanks guys. This will keep me busy for a while.

 

[expiper]

this is sorta like the blonde vs brunette contraversy!!! In my limited experience,,,I have best results with evry thing from a deer rifle to full blown target rig with lots-0-nek tension and lots-0-jam....these modern powders with all sorts of flame retardants and x-tra nitro like to smolder a lil' before the bullet moves down or into the bore,IMHO)--and--if you cant extract a live round,,then you are not using enuff nek tension,which is another reason for me to like the no turn--thiker necks) or are jamming them waaaayyy to far!!! Use a bushing that squeezes the neck down .003 and then springs bak to .002 less than the loaded round...,,,,not one that is stamped .003 smaller))) a lot of the Redding bushings are not what they are stamped....the wilson are usually "rite on" ....but chek em ...and the wilson brand,not type) are taperd a 1/2 a thou. and can be inverted for more or less tension....they wear a lil' more but shave less of the brass from the neck of the ctg... I can usually load 4000 rds before a wilson wears .001....as most folks say ....look for the lil square mark on the bullet...or slightly rectangular,longer than width)...and a cut bbl 4 groove will engrave different than a button bbl....and a .236 different than a .237....
If you have to force the bolt closed ...with the palm of your hand ...or the gun rocks,with a 3" or more forearm) enuf to disturb the bag set-up ...you are too long...the bolt shuld close almost like there is no bullet in the case....hope this un-muddies the water somewhat for uuu.....Roger
PS,,,they gotta be a lil long ...because during the day and thru a 100 round +++ course of fire the throat will move a coupla thou.....and the tune will go away....!!