seating depth question

[cstud]

hello all i have a bullet seating question.
resently i have started reloading my own 220 swift shells partly for cost reasons and partly for a hobby, anyways i had recently worked up a load using nosler ballistic tip spitzer 50 gr bullets and they are working great, but the only weight bullets i could get at the store were nossler 40 gr bullets. the seating depth that my speer manual gives for the 40 gr bullets is 2.625" which it tells me that the COAL is under the minimum for that weight. my question is can i seat it the same depth as the 50 gr bullets (2.650") or do i have to change the depth on my dye. i can't wait for your replys

 

[Mikecr]

Take this as a rule in reloading(just tryin to help here):
Pay no mind to any dimensions from any manual.
YOUR chamber provides YOUR dimensions, which YOU measure in reloading.
This consideration of what's going on is just what a reloader does.

You can of course seat 40gr bullets to the same OgvOAL that worked well from 50gr bullets. You may have to tweak the die a small bit to make up for any difference in ogive radius, and in results of seating with less force(for 40gr bullets).

I'm sure you realize that load changes are in order for a lighter bullet. And optimum seating in your gun can be different between these different bullets.

 

[cstud]

ok that answers the question, thank you

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Hello from another North Dakotan.
You picked a poor time to begin reloading as far as getting components. Mike has very valid points on measuring YOUR rifle for dimensions but I'll add this; bullet nose shapes will change between brands (you said you were using Nos. bullets but had a speer manual) so you are looking at your rifling origin and can't use their depth other than as a rough point of reference.
On a 22 cal you often can't get the bullet as close to the lands as you want as you should really have a caliber(as much contacting the neck as your bullet is wide) or so of bullet in the neck to square it up.