Seating into the lands

[6.5 Bandit]

I am wondering if what I am doin to seat into the lands is accurate or not.. I take one case and split the neck once the neck is split you can push with your fingers the bullet into the case with just a little pressure.. I then chamber it into my gun and close the bolt since there is very little presure needed the bolt closes fairly easy. Now is my thinkin correct in the fact that this will allow me to seat as close to the lands as possible? Thanks for any insite you may provide..

6.5 Bandit

[michaelb]

Try permanent markers to give an etch mark on ogive...inletting black works best but difficult to find, black powder supply companies are best bet.

Inletting black will show land contact even when it is extremely shallow, or light...more so than a "Sharpie".

If you use the black, make sure to patch out barrel and chamber well! It has the consistency of bolt grease and sticks to everything.

[Brent]

6.5 Bandit,
I don't know if you've seen the pic before, but I do it the same way. You've described how and why it works more consistant than anything else already too. I've used the Stoney Point and the other methods too, this is by far the most accurate method. You can monitor throat errosion to the thou it's so accurate... given the fact you save and use the very same bullet to do it. It takes about 1-2 minutes to get 3 or 4 readings to make sure of the consistancy for each bullet you want to get a land contact distance for. Couldn't be any easier or faster too. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Like me, you can try all the other methods, even the Stoney Point OAL gauge and I'm positive you'll come back to this method for accuracy, speed and simplicity. I'd lay money on it. I size mine before I split the neck, and split them down to the bottom of the shoulder, easy to put more tension on it later if needed and easier to pull the bullet back out to try again.

[6.5 Bandit]

Brent!!
It was you I got the idea from!!! I remember reading that from somewhere but couldnt figure out where I read it.. So I figured I would ask here.. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] To me that method seemed to be the easiest/most accurate/fastest way to do it but wasnt 100% sure .. Also if you have to adjust the OAL then you are only seeting lower which eliminates alot of guess work.. Thanks for the idea!!

6.5 Bandit

[Mysticplayer]

6.5 Bandit, as you can see, "your" idea has merit. As long as you can get an accurate OAL to set up your seating die, really doesn't matter.

Good luck with your load work up.

Jerry

[Mysticplayer]

I do this a little differently. I size the neck as I normally would and short seat the bullet. I put some black permanent marker around the bearing surface of the bullet and chamber. The lands will leave marks on the ink. I keep seating the bullet deeper until the marks almost stop engraving - you will find that first you will have 6 lands and eventually go to 1 or 2. If a different land count, the effect will be similar.

This tells me that this is my max OAL for a light engraving. If this will fit in my mag or single feeding, I will work up a load at this length. Assume that there is enough bullet in the neck for a secure hold.

If this length is too long for your mag, get another case/bullet and seat the bullet so that it will fit in the mag. Compare the two.

Hopefully, you will contact the lands before the bullet leaves the neck of the case. This really helps with accuracy. If the throat is too long, accuracy will suffer and you should consider setting back the barrel and getting a shorter throat cut.

Jerry

[BountyHunter]

I do something similar. I seat a bullet real long and then remove the cartidge after chambering and measure. It normally leaves marks that are about .040-.060 on the bullet. You can normally find that you have about another .010-.20 engagement at the edge of the lands before you see measurable marks. I double check with stoney point tool, but have never been able to get consistent measurements with it.

Now I normally leave it with marks about .10-.020 and start load development for 1k or other single shot style guns. That way I am max pressure for load and only have to come down to find best seating depth versus starting in the middle.

I have found that Sierra type bullets like to be near or just off the lands while custom VLD bullets routinely like touching or in as deep as .030.

BH