quote:

Originally posted by JGRaider:
Well as I said, bullet length has zero to do with ogive to lands measurements. I don't know about the variances you state in lengths from ogive to tip, tom. Where do you get that info? I dont like Berger's anyway. I started fooling around with some a couple of years ago and they're too finicky for me to waste much time on, especially since I much prefer accubonds. I did wind up with a .75 load though and probably put some 400 rounds down the tube. Depending on the bullet, most all my loads are from .005-.025 off. I'm a hunter, not a paper puncher, but I do like to get the very best (safely) out of each load and rifle.

Not to be argumentative, please. But if there's that much variance between individual Berger bullets (tip to ogive), why don't the Berger ballisticians themselves mention it in that article (link) I posted for Dan?

Your only as accurate as your seater is. It's not Berger job to see which one your using. If you don't have too many changes forward of the ogives your ok if not that's what you have to find out.

I use a Forster micrometer seater die. You seat it down to the natsazzz. Your the one that said there were variances between the ogive and the bullet tip. Can you provide details of why you're saying that, or is it a big "if" ? The ogive is where the bullet contacts the lands, obviously, and I'm sure you know that already. So, how can there be a point between the ogive and bullet tip that's going to contact the lands? It makes no sense. Have you ever used a bullet comparator gauge? You do realize that you use the comparator to measure every single loaded round, right?

The only place where I've seen or heard the definition of the ogive as being the place where the bullet contacts the lands is on U-Tube. The correct definition of the ogive is the tapered section of the bullet between the shank and the tip. The entire tapered portion of the bullet is the ogive. This distance will vary from one bullet to the next. Albeit not much, but then .005 is not much either.
Loading bullets at .005" from the lands is fine for a target shooter but very foolish for a hunter. Only someone with very little experience would consider doing this. If some on here, like they say, measure every single round that they load on a bullet comparator they would be well aware of the variation of bullets from the tip to the beginning of the ogive.

The bullet seating stem basically contacts the tip of the bullet. Any difference in measurement between the tip and the beginning of the ogive will result in a difference in the amount of your bullet freebore. .005" is danger close for maximum pressure hunting loads.

You can define it however you wish swampshooter, fine by me. Put it this way....a Hornady bullet comparator will give you the exact point on the bullet that contacts the lands of the rifle, for each individual bullet because you measure each individual round. It's caliber specific. That point where the bullet contacts the lands is exactly the point/measurement the comparator gives you, period. A bullet seated .005 off is just as safe from a "jam" as is one seated .010 off if you use the comparator as intended. I can't make it any simpler for you, as it ain't that hard. If you understood how a comparator works you would easily get it, but obviously you don't. 30 years of safe, accurate, reloads don't lie.

BTW swamp, I'd be interested in seeing some of the big muleys you've killed in all your travels.