I'm reloading for my 243. In my hornady manual it says 2.630 col for the particular bullet. I've been reading and watching to get more indepth in my reloading. I found the jam point of my rifle is 2.80. It says start out at 2.78 col for reloading. Would you guys start with a seating depth that far away from what the manual states

With cup and core bullets I find out where the bullet touch the lands.

Back off a wee bit and start there. Only measure after a find a load that shoots so I can place that measurement in my reference book.

ob, how are you measuring your OAL?

bb

Im measuring oal with micrometers.from base of brass to tip of bullet. Loading 100gn hornady btsp

The video I watched said to find the jam point of the rifle then back off 20thousandths. In my case the jam point is 2.80 2.78 seems like a long ways from the books stated oal 2.630

I never listen to manuals.

I follow a simple rule.

Maximum COL.

If it fits in the magazine, great.

If it does not, seat deeper to fit the magazine.

If the bullet is light, and too short for this, I seat it one caliber in.

Been doing that all my reloading years.

Never paid attention to different seating depths for different bullets.

I check the length of the chamber from the beginning of the rifling to the bolt face. I then use the test case as a transfer and then adjust the seating die to .000" After that I can set the bullet off the lands as far from the lands I choose.

I want my bullets to have that jump.

F. Guffey

Yes, ignore most book lengths; as stated, most jacketed bullets like little or no jump. Most solid copper ones like .050 or more more jump. Only your rifle will know for sure; no book, and no other person, can tell you.

I was feeling over-cautious about my 16th-inch clearances until reading that, dpcd, but now am glad I used it with the Barnes TTSX.

In todays rifle its common to have a long throat and a short magazine..I like to seat my bullets one caliber deep in the neck on a custom rifle and have the magazine and chamber cut to match each other..ON the factory guns I seat to fit and clear the magazine and feed and function is of prime inportance first and foremost for a hunter.

The final test is does the rifle perform group wise and does it feed..