22-250 REM Runout

[rangerdanger]

I am reloading 22-250 REM with the best press, dies, brass and bullets and I am still getting up to 6 thou runout. I normally do no more that 2-3 thou with my other calibers. On the 22250 REM im using a Redding ultramag press, master hunter die set, lapua FL sized and Sinclair mandrel expanded, chamfer/deburred brass and berger 55 VLD target bullets. I don't have any runout on the outside of my case necks prior to seating. Im seating to about half of the bullets diameter so about half way down the neck which gets them out to the lands. The bullet is not hitting the top of the redding comp dies factory stem. And the bullet does weeble wobble pretty bad when just holding the bullet in the stem to check the fitting but it connects just a little below the ogiv which seems fine. The bullet just doesn't seem to sit down in the stem as well as I am used to with my other calibers/bullets.

Do yal think its the stem? Should the VLD stem correct all of this?

 

[Dosh]

Disassemble the seater, check the fit of bullet tip in the in the seating stem. This should tell you if you need the VLD stem, or just get the stem anyway for future need. I've learned to check this fit before loading any caliber any more. Good luck

 

[Gord0]

I would guess that seating to only half the bullet diameter is part of your problem.

 

[Trickymissfit]

I get around .002" total runout with Forster dies. Often see .0015" TIR. With my Wilson inline dies and the K&M press I get six to eight tenths.
Gary

 

[Dosh]

I would guess that seating to only half the bullet diameter is part of your problem.

Yes! I misread the original post "half the bullet diameter.....halfway down the neck". This is NOT recommended and probable cause of runout issue. Full caliber diameter is a minimum.

 

[rangerdanger]

Yes! I misread the original post "half the bullet diameter.....halfway down the neck". This is NOT recommended and probable cause of runout issue. Full caliber diameter is a minimum.

Seating to a full caliber diameter would put me about .140 off the lands in this factory Remington 700 Varmint 22-250 with these berger 55 grain VLD's. Im about .010 off the lands when seating to a little less than half the caliber diameter. This morning I shot some loaded to .010 off the lands (shallow seat) and it shot several groups with an average of .47MOA at 200 yards with no pressure signs. Several of those rounds were .006 runout with the sinclair concentricity guage but they shot better than any other bullets that ive ran through this rifle. Ill try some seated all the way down to a full caliber diameter and see how they do.

Any idea of what kind of issues seating bullets shallow can cause or what I should look for? I figured this would be the same as only sizing the top half of the neck like some folks do. But it sounds like only sizing the top half of the case neck may be ill-advised as well.

 

[cape cove]

I use the 52 gr Berger in my 22/250. I use a redding body die to size the body and a Lee collet die to size the neck. I use a Forster bench rest seater die. My oal is 2.420 which isn't deep into the neck and my run out is always less then .002 with most between .001 and .0015. When I do my part the rifle ( REM VSF) it groups in the high 3's at 100 yds. This is with fully prepped brass ( turned etc)