Seating depth, same reamer and bullets 6ppc

[Schippergreg]

With the same reamer and bullets, how much variance in preferred seating depth have you experienced with different barrels? Is it pretty close or does it vary quite a bit?
Reason for asking is my lv and hv ppc’s were chambered with the same reamer and I shoot the same bullet in both. Lv prefers .012 in from touch and the hv likes .015 in from touching. With my new lv barrel I tried + and - .002 from the existing barrels seating depth and it looked best with the same depth as my old barrel. Unfortunately the best it wants to group is around .200 in mild conditions. Worked up from 28.4 all the way to 29.6 of lt32 and just couldn’t keep 5 shots together. All shooting was done over wind flags. Is it worth completely reworking up the seating depth or is it a waste of components?

 

[Sleepyhollow]

Man Greg I'd probably work it back up and see if it'll tighten up. My barrels Dustin has chamber all run plus or minus a Tho on seat depths. But every barrel alittle different too. I know what bullet your shooting and mine shoot about that same depth also. Could be all that barrel gonna shoot is .2's. I've got a self full of those barrels

 

[Bronsin]

This barrel might want them into the lands.

 

[Schippergreg]

Man Greg I'd probably work it back up and see if it'll tighten up. My barrels Dustin has chamber all run plus or minus a Tho on seat depths. But every barrel alittle different too. I know what bullet your shooting and mine shoot about that same depth also. Could be all that barrel gonna shoot is .2's. I've got a self full of those barrels

I had multiple charges put 3 or 4 in a nice small group but always had 1 or 2 that opened the group up into the 2’s. The last group had 4 in the .050’s and the last one blew out enough to put it in the mid 2’s.

 

[Schippergreg]

This barrel might want them into the lands.

Im currently.012 in the lands

 

[Bronsin]

Im currently.012 in the lands

Somehow I misread it as you were .012 and .015 off.

 

[Ccrider]

I had multiple charges put 3 or 4 in a nice small group but always had 1 or 2 that opened the group up into the 2’s. The last group had 4 in the .050’s and the last one blew out enough to put it in the mid 2’s.

This could be caused by things other than the barrel not wanting to shoot.

 

[Schippergreg]

This could be caused by things other than the barrel not wanting to shoot.

I probably should have screwed my old barrel on for a couple groups to eliminate some of the variables. My old barrel shoots very well so I’m trying to save it for larger matches.

 

[INShooter]

Not trying to be wise a*#, but even all of the premium barrel makers send out barrels that just don’t shoot consistently below .200. I have a pile of them. You might try a different bullet. Some are a bit finicky about bullets.

 

[Schippergreg]

Not trying to be wise a*#, but even all of the premium barrel makers send out barrels that just don’t shoot consistently below .200. I have a pile of them. You might try a different bullet. Some are a bit finicky about bullets.

No worries, I fully understand that not every barrel can be competitive. The reason I asked if seating depth was typically close between barrels chambered with the same reamer I wouldn’t waste components trying to rework up a seating depth test. The conditions the past 2 days have been pretty calm here, varying from tails hanging to maybe 5mph. I may try once we get some wind to see how it shoots in some tougher conditions.

 

[Schippergreg]

No clue what happened at 28.8

 

[Ccrider]

Could be go handling. Could be neck tension. 29.6 could be wind.

 

[Schippergreg]

Gun handling is a possibility for sure, neck tension is the same I have been running in my other lv barrel and my hv. They have been both shooting great but it’s also a possibility. When I shot the 29.4 and 29.6 the tails were just hanging, without a touch or movement. Could’ve been one of those gremlins that appear just when things are going your way.

 

[Tim Singleton]

Been shooting same bullets and reamer for 5 or 6 years. 20 plus barrels
short answer is no. At least not within the close range of a few thou. you reference
long answer is usually within .010 but a lot of times it is more.
Don’t give it up until you do a full Boyer seating depth test from touch to plus.020 at .003 a time

 

[Tim Singleton]

Every new barrel does need a full seating depth work up
only takes 24 rounds

 

[Schippergreg]

Been shooting same bullets and reamer for 5 or 6 years. 20 plus barrels
short answer is no. At least not within the close range of a few thou. you reference
long answer is usually within .010 but a lot of times it is more.
Don’t give it up until you do a full Boyer seating depth test from touch to plus.020 at .003 a time

Thank you. That’s what I was looking for.

 

[Tim Singleton]

I’ve been shooting a barrel last few weeks that seemed to be working close to where they usually hit but it just kept doing stupid stuff
did seating depth work up again at 200yds and found a place .010 deeper in the lands that really came to life
sometimes they fool you in one place but it’s really not the right spot