I talked to a Nosler rep about about lot inconsistencies. When I told him I was seating my bullets .005" into the lands, he immediately said, "We don't recommend seating our bullets into the lands". It sounded like a canned statement the way he said it, but I was wondering why he said it.

Does seating bullets like Ballistic Tips into the lands a bit significantly increase pressures? I haven't noticed any visible pressure signs when loading this way, but then again, it was cold outside when I fired the loads.
Is there some reason they say this, or is it just a lawyer answer?

If your not REALLY up on what you're doing, you're pushing the envolope as far as a safety margine/pressure spike is concerned

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NRA Life member

[This message has been edited by Bear Claw (edited 01-26-2002).]

Wolverine Most rifles will probably give the best groups with the bullets seated a few thou short of the rifling.Pressure will be up slightly with the bullet seated "into " the rifling. The Hornady Vol 2 loading manual has an excellent explanation of this. The only time I seat a bullet into the rifling is when I am fireforming cases.I would like you to think about what is going to happen if you continue to seat your bullets into the rifling. I think it is only a matter of time until you have a bullet that jams in the rifling when you try to open your bolt.You will have a bullet stuck in your barrel,powder falling out of the case and into your magazine. About that time you will likely see the biggest buck you have ever seen. He will stand broadside watching you fight with your jammed rifle.

snowman:

Good point!

After looking at my notes, I can see that there wasn't a significant difference in accuracy for this load between .005 in and .005 off anyway. I just had heard that some accuracy gurus recommended putting the bullet into the lands a bit, so I gave it a try.

The Team up North (Wolverines)

Your speculation is actually answered yes and no. I shoot competitive Benchrest and for the most part(up until a couple of years ago) would seat the bullet so that the rifling made a mark 1/2 as tall as it is wide. This set up worked well. However, I have found that jumping the bullet my groups have gotten better.

In all actuality, a bullet can only be forced into the lands so far before it is pushed back into the neck of the case. There isn't a neck tension that will prevent this.

For the most part, your best accuracy is going to be found just touching or somewhere 0-0.030" off the jam. If this rifle is a hunting rig I would definitely jump. Lastly, after doing both methods, letting the bullet get a run at the lands seems to keep the pressure curve from spiking , thus leading to more consistant shots.

Ciao

Mike

Thanks Mike. It's great to hear experiences from someone who has experimented extensively. I'll start backing the bullet off a bit.
BTW, this is my poor man's target rifle that I also use for deer hunting (Savage 12BVSS in .308 Winchester). As far as hunting goes, I'm not concerned about using the magazine because I only fire one shot, but having a bullet stick in the rifling is a good deterrant.

For those who do not fully understand what happens when you seat bullets into the lands, a little caution is necessary...

Seating the bullet beyond the SAAMI specification for OAL in a factory rifle can cause the bullet to come into contact or actually be pushed into the lands of the bore. Upon powder ignition, the bullet does not have any free travel resulting in a higher pressure spike than normal. This situation can cause considerable over-pressure within the chamber.

Over pressure is an accumulative stress on a chamber. It may not be a problem for the first 10, 100, or 1,000 rounds, however, it can eventually cause chamber failure. For benchrest guys, most use a very heavy action and a very heavy couture barrel. Most are not pushing bullet to extreme velocities or chamber pressures allowing them a little more leeway if they seat into the lands.

This is not something a reloader should attempt with full house loads in a factory rifle. In any event, seating into the lands will NOT improve groups in 99% of factory guns. In addition, if you exceed OAL you may not be able to utilize the magazine. This is not something that the average guy should get creative with.

Remember, creativity is only rewarded in art class, however, it can get you killed when it comes to reloading and guns.

Another thing that can cause problems is that a load with the bullet INTO the lands may be grabbed by the rifling and pulled out of the case if you unload rather than fire. Of course, this spills a lot of powder in the action, and leaves a bullet in the throat (which is usually easily removed by a cleaning rod -- IF you have one with you!).

Don't ask me how I know this... :-(

jpb

The other posters make some good points. Early in my reloading days I had a 270 Win that would drill 130 Gr Sierras into very tight groups when I stuck them in the lands. The first day of the doe season I was anxious to get a good "eating deer". I loaded up the rifle to still hunt to my stand. Once at my stand, I pulled the bolt back to unload before climbing up the tree.

You guessed it. Bullet stuck in the lands. IMR 4831 all over the place. I couldn't even close the bolt because of all the powder in the lug recesses. It took me 30 minutes to get it shootable using a stout reed (luck) and my handerchief.

Not worth it.