Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Charge weight or seating depth…

[nksmfamjp]

Using your tried and true method, which do you work on first, seating depth or powder charge? I know you may come back to it, but which do you work on first?

Does it matter if it is your long range hunting rig vs short range benchres?

 

[Wyosam]

Powder charge first, seated as close as I am interested in being to the lands. address seating depth once I find a charge it likes. ES/SD is the target with the charge. Dial the group in with seating depth afterward.

 

[BoomFlop]

I am far from an expert and a pretty new reloader. However, I get seating depth first (as this dictates case capacity. I then load from minimum load to max load and shoot 3 shot groups to look at group size and shape. I then will confirm a couple groups will repeat and if they do I may tweak seating by much smaller amounts to fine tune group shape.

So I guess … seating first. LOL

Steve

 

[whirlwindjml]

I look for powder charge first. Looking for es and sd to be optimal. If the group can better then the depth gets adjusted.

I start out about 10 off the lands.

 

[StanleyActual]

Powder charge first then fine tune the seating depth from there

you ask Brian Litz his process and it involves loading up til he hits pressure signs then dials it back 1-1.5gns and it's all seating depth from there.

He's Won or placed very high in quite a few big matches with that exact process. There's an interview with him about it on YouTube . Really opens your eyes to whats essential in the reloading process and what's not.

 

[DJ Fergus]

I always find my charge weight first. I've heard of people doing seating depth first. I'm sure it can be done either way. I watch my velocity because accuracy nodes at certain velocities are often common from rifle to rifle.

 

[DJ Fergus]

I want to find what max charge is for a bullet, brass & primer combination. That's the very first thing I want to know. Although velocity will probably change with a given charge weight as the barrel gets more rounds, I do like to know what my velocity is at max charge.

 

[FEENIX]

I have had better success with powder charge first. For hunting, I like to seat the bullet at .015-.020" off the lands. Most of the time, I find powder charge accuracy without messing with seating depth.

 

[capnkrunchy]

I work up my charge weight first. Usually 5 shot groups to get a realistic idea of SD/ES, and I'm generally not looking at group size since I use a Magnetospeed and I can't imagine that doesn't affect my groups at all. Then I do 3 shot groups for seating depth with the charge weight I liked starting at .020" back from jam in increments of .003".

 

[MagnumManiac]

Over the years shooting F-class, I have found that seating depth tests take precedence over charge weight.
I can try a new bullet, do a seating depth test with a middle load of a suitable powder that will most likely be one I use for the final result and, that seating depth test result stays the same throughout testing and final result.
Seating depth rarely, if ever, changes throughout a barrels life. As the throat erodes, increasing the velocity back to the original velocity keeps the bullet in the node, minor seating changes may be necessary. I get 3 set-backs per barrel and they last in excess of 3000 rounds for me….this is not something you can do with a hunting rifle, but the throat erosion is real and powder adjustments will be necessary to compensate.

Cheers.

 

[Tac-O]

Over the years shooting F-class, I have found that seating depth tests take precedence over charge weight.
I can try a new bullet, do a seating depth test with a middle load of a suitable powder that will most likely be one I use for the final result and, that seating depth test result stays the same throughout testing and final result.
Seating depth rarely, if ever, changes throughout a barrels life. As the throat erodes, increasing the velocity back to the original velocity keeps the bullet in the node, minor seating changes may be necessary. I get 3 set-backs per barrel and they last in excess of 3000 rounds for me….this is not something you can do with a hunting rifle, but the throat erosion is real and powder adjustments will be necessary to compensate.

Cheers.

How "minor" are you talking for seating adjustments?

I've been wanting to find a very forgiving or low maintenance load, so I don't have to keep tweaking things to keep it shooting well. Seating depth being the biggest one... If I seat at 10 thou off, I might have to adjust my seating depth every 100 or maybe less shots.

So you for the most part keep seating depth the same and up the charge to keep velocity the same over the life of the barrel?

Also, what about virgin brass? Do you do seating depth tests on virgin brass and have it stay the same after it's been fireformed?

 

[MagnumManiac]

Ok, coarse seating depth is done @ .010" increments, fine seating depth is done @ .005" above and below the best .010" incrementals.
There is no sure way to tell you whether you need to adjust for minor changes in seating depth, if the node drops off and a powder increase doesn't bring it back, then maybe a seating depth change will be necessary, but not always.
I don't chase the lands, even in my competition rifles, once seating depth is found, it pretty much stays the same.
If you continue seating out further, there will be a point where the bullet is not held by enough neck, so this is a folly best not done.
Virgin brass makes no difference to seating depth when testing it…only time it does is after you have fired it and sized it, you need to know the CBTO length and keep it there.
I only bump .001-.0015" and know that the brass is stable.

Cheers.

 

[Tac-O]

I'll have to try that out. Thanks

 

[jebel]

Seating depth can be done independent of charge, in my experience. So if you already have fire formed brass, do whichever you want first (most do charge). If you're working with new brass, charges will be wonky so test depth.