I just bought a Stoney Point OAL gage & Bullet Comparator from Dillon to help me set the bullet the proper distance off the lands.

I have a Savage Model 12 in 22-250 that I want to use for varmints. I am using Hornady 55 grain Vmax bullets, and Varget powder. I have heard that .010 of the lands works best with this powder and bullet.

Please give me any advice regarding distance off the lands.

Thanks

In most instances you have to see what YOUR rifle likes. Use the ladder method starting where the bullets just touch the lands and work back in 0.005" increments. Use 4 shot groups. Within 20 rounds (5 different lengths) you will have your info.

Hello mspingy,
30378 gives very good advise here, difficult to tell just where bullet seating will work with your particular rifle. Will tell you that the apparatus you are using to determine depth is somewhat a challenge to get repeatable results. It works, but you have to work with it so to speak. I assume you have a dummy round which screws on the rod to place in chamber and then place the comparator on the bullet, ogive measurement, using calipers??? Perhaps I am being a bit finicky, but found that I at best can take an average of the bullet placement and load off of that. Good Luck

For developing your load, first try to find the optimum charge. Look at topic started by 'Trumpet', february 16, 2006, 05:07, scroll to 6th item - Hot Core.
Once found your best charge (takes some 25 rounds), you can proceed by finetuning the seating depth. Take increments of .005, from .005 to .040". For hunting loads: don't start by touching the lands, but take first gap at .005 off. You can use this laddertest for finetuning also, about another 10 rounds. Stoney Point and comparator work great for me, no probs.
J.

Jan,Thanks for the great post from Trumpet. This is the best info on loading that I have ever read. I am going to use this method to find the perfect load.