Seating bullet to case question? 6.5x55

Rusty Gate

Well-Known Member
Given the variations of OAL from manual to manual and some having preference to seating within a given measure of the lands. Do you guys ensure (if so how much) a measured ammount of the bullet is within the neck in relation to its diameter. Eg no less than 6mm for 6.5 or similar?
Excluding the boat tail a 123 sst seems to have 4+mm seated to some suggested Oal's.
 
Given the variations of OAL from manual to manual and some having preference to seating within a given measure of the lands. Do you guys ensure (if so how much) a measured ammount of the bullet is within the neck in relation to its diameter. Eg no less than 6mm for 6.5 or similar?
Excluding the boat tail a 123 sst seems to have 4+mm seated to some suggested Oal's.

I start working with each new bullet by seating the parallel sides of the bullet to the base of the neck. I hardly ever pay attention to the factory COL or the distance to the lands. This method maximizes neck tension, alignment, and saves a lot of fuss. It usually produces excellent accuracy provided all other details are attended to.~Muir
 
I start working with each new bullet by seating the parallel sides of the bullet to the base of the neck. I hardly ever pay attention to the factory COL or the distance to the lands. This method maximizes neck tension, alignment, and saves a lot of fuss. It usually produces excellent accuracy provided all other details are attended to.~Muir


+1 on this ... good place to start & get the propellant charge sorted..then you can tweak OAL should you need to.
 
I start working with each new bullet by seating the parallel sides of the bullet to the base of the neck. I hardly ever pay attention to the factory COL or the distance to the lands. This method maximizes neck tension, alignment, and saves a lot of fuss. It usually produces excellent accuracy provided all other details are attended to.~Muir

Agree. If you have a starting point, that is good, short or long. My reloading always starts with the bullet at or in the lands, if possible? Please be careful, I work my loads up very steadily from this point - I use Quickload to 'model' what may be produced. You will increase pressures with the bullet in the lands for a given charge, remember you will also then increase pressures as seat the bullet in and reduce case volume.

Everyone has their method, one thing that is definitely essential is good accurate record keeping, the last customer's rifle I developed a load for had a bullet jump of over 0.240" - I had started at the lands - nothing seemed to standout so I backed the bullet off even further in 0.040" increments. Loaded batches of 3 for each length and shot for group at 200yds - Voila the groups started to shrink on the two shortest lengths so I work around till happy then - confirmed with a duplicate batch. Bit of a Black Art sometimes!

In answer to your original question Tikka 223, I do a lot with 6mm and 6.5mm, I sometimes have 3-4mm of the parallel section of a 6mm bullet in the case neck, custom chamber with the brass hardly moving and staying very concentric, I hunt with this rifle as well so it gets some stick.
 
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