Time to start reloading!

[User00056]

Don't overthink it, is my advice. Pick a bullet and a powder, start off a grain over minimum, and load five each at half a grain increments until you're just below maximum. Then shoot 'em and see which one suits you best.

Chances are you'll ignore the above though, and spend ages down the reloading rabbithole anyway. We all have!

Enjoy the process, however you decide to approach it

 

[mike243]

I have one of these but not the tool and modified case to find out where the bullet touches the lands which is seems is unnecessary anyway? Will the ogive distance be different for bullets with a different taper? Or is it a constant across all bullet designs? The SST factory loads were good so trying to copy them seem like a good place to start so I'll measure one tomorrow and set the die to suit. I could have some loaded and ready for testing this weekend!

be very careful, you are now at the entrance to a very deep rabbit hole, once you go down it there is no coming back

 

[Smellydog]

This sounds like witchcraft! How did you determine the length of the first version? Was that using the manual I'm hearing a lot about today?

I referred to a manual somewhere and tested for magazine fit and chamber fit and so far the seating die has not been adjusted across about four bullets now.
The point being, don't get to worked up about it.
Personally I'd be making sure that the 1200 has plenty of clearance around the barrel and forend unless it's not free floating that is.

 

[HandB]

Hornady 95gr SSTs are an excellent choice to get going. They are quality bullets and produce small groups in my Tikka .243. As previous posters have said, you may as well copy the overall length of the factory Hornady 95gr SST cartridges that you are already using successfully. With regard to a suitable powder charge, I get good results for Hornady 95gr SSTs with 43gr of N160 and have no pressure signs but as per usual, make sure to work up your powder charge gradually from the minimum official loading and stop when you get pressure signs such as sticky bolt lift and flattened primers. Then reduce the powder charge slightly until the pressure signs vanish.

 

[Jimboblincs2]

The time has come for me to finally begin reloading! Over the last couple months I've obtained all the ingredients I need. I currently have 50 primed cases (new Winchester brass I have full length sized, if that matters) waiting to be finished but I've read many things about bullet seating depth that have left me wondering where to start. Would it be sensible to start in the middle of the COAL dimensions and work things out from there? I've read about figuring out where the bullet touches the lands and seating the bullet a bit further back for the best accuracy but I do understand this isn't a "one size fits all" type thing and will require some testing to determine how much "a bit" is. Am I overthinking this? Where did you all begin when it came to figuring out a datum to work from?

I'm reloading for a .243 using Viht N160. The bullets I have to try are Hornady SST 95gr, Hornady Interlock 100gr and Sierra Pro Hunter 100gr. With this being my first centrefire I've not used a very wide range of bullets in factory load form so any recommendations will be most welcome. The rifle is a Parker Hale 1200 and will be used mostly for roe/fallow and possibly the odd fox.

Vhit load data is available online.

 

[JTO]

Get a comparator, measure the base-to-ogive of a factory round that chambers in your rifle, and seat your bullets to the same to start with. Messing about with seating depth comes after load development is my take on it.

 

[Bo Diddley]

Method #1... spend months watching Eric Cortina videos on YouTube and devouring every piece of info you can on this and other forums and disappearing up your own bottom a few times until you see some light at the end of the tunnel...

Method #2.. do as already mentioned and measure the base to ogive on the most accurate factory round you currently shoot in your rifle and use that as a starting point... that's what I did for my .223 and the first four rounds I loaded shot a cloverleaf group... I left the dies set where they were... and went and shot plenty of Munties and foxes...

 

[Foxyboy43]

Method #1... spend months watching Eric Cortina videos on YouTube and devouring every piece of info you can on this and other forums and disappearing up your own bottom a few times until you see some light at the end of the tunnel...

Method #2.. do as already mentioned and measure the base to ogive on the most accurate factory round you currently shoot in your rifle and use that as a starting point... that's what I did for my .223 and the first four rounds I loaded shot a cloverleaf group... I left the dies set where they were... and went and shot plenty of Munties and foxes...

Agree for Method #2 but ONLY if it is the same bullet otherwise you may cause a problem!

 

[plumber01]

If you haven't reloaded before, the chances are you might be full of apprehension of wanting to get it right first time, ( almost nobody does)
There are plenty of people who will help you, possibly see if there is an experienced reloader in your area, or through a shooting club, and simple ask them could they give you quick demonstration. If you are going to be reloading with Viht powder, they have their tables free to view on their website
For overall length of a bullet, ( should you feel the need ) start about 20,000 off the lands ( half a mm roughly if you are metric) possibly drop this to 10,000 .
However for general shooting the Viht site or the manuals with give you the length to begin with SAMI which will almost certainly be fine.
Good luck

 

[Foxyboy43]

Agree for Method #2 but ONLY if it is the same bullet otherwise you may cause a problem!

Just do the old skool hacksaw trick - cut down a resized case neck to the shoulder, squeeze the neck enough to grab and hold your choice of bullet. Seat the bullet as shallow as you can make it in the case then chamber the dummy round gently and close the bolt. Gently lift and pull back the bolt and ease the now seated round out; measure COAL and repeat until you get a consistent uniform length which becomes your point of reference for that bullet only in that rifle. Now you can experiment with seating depths - NB ask ten reloaders and you will get 10 differing answers on this so I suggest reduce your newly discovered COAL by 50 thou and then experiment with COALs and powder charges (start at min then small increments) in groups of 5 until you are content with your personalised ammo’s performance.

PS
do check that your newly made round fits in the mag!!

 

[Twodogs]

When starting out follow the published advice

Alternative method for determining the CBTO or COAL, take a fired case, from that rifle, blob of Loctite inside the neck, seat bullet long, chamber, leave for 10 minutes then as above. I always do two as a check and balance.
I however measure CBTO as this is more consistent. COAL relevant to whether it fits in your particular magazine, though this is the measurement used by SAAMI.
You will discover that some bullets perform better seated into the lands whilst others perform better seated to anything out to 0.120”, your rifle will tell you what it prefers.
As others have said I would not recommend seating into the lands if using for stalking and certainly not if you don’t know what you’re doing, you can get some lovely pressure spikes.
Importantly you need consistency in whatever conclusion you arrive at.
My approach, gained through visiting many rabbit holes, when starting with lead bullets I tend to start 0.020 off the lands, copper 0.050 off the lands and ELD/VLD (usually target bullets) touching the lands.

 

[Gorgon]

Don't overthink it, is my advice. Pick a bullet and a powder, start off a grain over minimum, and load five each at half a grain increments until you're just below maximum. Then shoot 'em and see which one suits you best.

Chances are you'll ignore the above though, and spend ages down the reloading rabbithole anyway. We all have!

Enjoy the process, however you decide to approach it

This sounds like a good idea. However, knowing what I'm like this is how things will begin, followed by me sticking my head down said rabbithole to have a look then falling in. I'll try and resist but I can make no promises!

 

[Gorgon]

be very careful, you are now at the entrance to a very deep rabbit hole, once you go down it there is no coming back

Well that's two of you saying that now so I think resistance is futile?

 

[Gorgon]

I referred to a manual somewhere and tested for magazine fit and chamber fit and so far the seating die has not been adjusted across about four bullets now.
The point being, don't get to worked up about it.
Personally I'd be making sure that the 1200 has plenty of clearance around the barrel and forend unless it's not free floating that is.

This seems to be the opposite to everything I've read but quite clearly it works! I'll try this approach and see how it goes with each of the different bullets I have. Not aure in the clearance front around the barrel and forend. I took the stock off when I got it to give it a clean then put it back on. I'll revisit!

 

[Gorgon]

Hornady 95gr SSTs are an excellent choice to get going. They are quality bullets and produce small groups in my Tikka .243. As previous posters have said, you may as well copy the overall length of the factory Hornady 95gr SST cartridges that you are already using successfully. With regard to a suitable powder charge, I get good results for Hornady 95gr SSTs with 43gr of N160 and have no pressure signs but as per usual, make sure to work up your powder charge gradually from the minimum official loading and stop when you get pressure signs such as sticky bolt lift and flattened primers. Then reduce the powder charge slightly until the pressure signs vanish.

I think for ease this will be the best approach for me starting out. It would seem I am doomed to end up spending many late nights in the garage tweaking things but I'll deal with that when the time comes! Start at the lower end seems like the safest way to do it. I'm rather attached to my fingers and head after all!

 

[Gorgon]

Method #1... spend months watching Eric Cortina videos on YouTube and devouring every piece of info you can on this and other forums and disappearing up your own bottom a few times until you see some light at the end of the tunnel...

Method #2.. do as already mentioned and measure the base to ogive on the most accurate factory round you currently shoot in your rifle and use that as a starting point... that's what I did for my .223 and the first four rounds I loaded shot a cloverleaf group... I left the dies set where they were... and went and shot plenty of Munties and foxes...

Method #2 is the better method I think but I now need to see what this Eric Cortina fellow is all about now. What's the worst that can happen after watching some of his videos?

 

[Gorgon]

If you haven't reloaded before, the chances are you might be full of apprehension of wanting to get it right first time, ( almost nobody does)
There are plenty of people who will help you, possibly see if there is an experienced reloader in your area, or through a shooting club, and simple ask them could they give you quick demonstration. If you are going to be reloading with Viht powder, they have their tables free to view on their website
For overall length of a bullet, ( should you feel the need ) start about 20,000 off the lands ( half a mm roughly if you are metric) possibly drop this to 10,000 .
However for general shooting the Viht site or the manuals with give you the length to begin with SAMI which will almost certainly be fine.
Good luck

All good advice. I'm sure someone must reload that I know/know of. I think trying to replicate an existing round is where I'll start before changing seating depths, if I ever do that. By if I mean when. It is inevitable. When that time comes I'll do five of each and see what works best before adjusting things and further, which will also happen!

 

[Gorgon]

Just do the old skool hacksaw trick - cut down a resized case neck to the shoulder, squeeze the neck enough to grab and hold your choice of bullet. Seat the bullet as shallow as you can make it in the case then chamber the dummy round gently and close the bolt. Gently lift and pull back the bolt and ease the now seated round out; measure COAL and repeat until you get a consistent uniform length which becomes your point of reference for that bullet only in that rifle. Now you can experiment with seating depths - NB ask ten reloaders and you will get 10 differing answers on this so I suggest reduce your newly discovered COAL by 50 thou and then experiment with COALs and powder charges (start at min then small increments) in groups of 5 until you are content with your personalised ammo’s performance.

PS
do check that your newly made round fits in the mag!!

This sounds interesting and cheaper than getting the Hornady device to do this very thing. I have some empties so this sounds like a tomorrow job for me. For information purposes only, obviously. You won't hear about me messing about with seating depths!*

*You will.

 

[RJ156]

Some YouTubers are well worth a watch if you do t have someone to show you.

Eric cortina, bolt action reloading are both very useful channels

 

[Bo Diddley]

What's the worst that can happen after watching some of his videos?

Nothing bad.. but my brain got a little fried tbf... I only load for a couple of calibers, and it didn't take long to get my head around it all really and produce good accurate hunting ammo.
Enjoy the journey