I'm trying to set up my Whelen reload to about 0.010 off the lands. Using my comparator I get an oal of 3.496 touching when using Speer 250 gr spitzers. This is verified chambering dummy rounds. When I set up my lyman seating die I can only get one turn of the bullet seating screw before I am way past 0.010 and almost 0.020. This is pretty frustrating, and I'm about to throw in the towel!

My question is has anyone with this rifle found a big accuracy difference between standard oal of 3.340 vs getting the bullet closer to the lands? Seems there isn't much of the bullet in the neck when I try to load it closer to the lands than factory specs.
Thanks for your responses.

try Redding dies

As I understand it, you can't seat the bullet shallow enough because of the seating stem etc? What about backing the die body away from the shell holder and creating the length you want. If you desire a crimp (not on the Speer 250 of course) remove the seating stem and then what happens. Most importantly, No I do not think this should have a major impact on accuracy with the rifle mentioned.

I think your trying to be a little to scientific. I get really good loads for all my rifles and never used a comparitor or an oal lenght gage.
Not saying you shouldent but it seems like a tool for bench rest guy,s to me.
Try a load, and if you get MOA that ought to be good enough, a few thosandths seating depth will not make a very big difference , It can make some but with a whelen you are not likly to be shooting prarie dog at 500 yards.
I just measure the length and test fire,if I get a good load thats enough. If it stinks I try another bullet or another powder,
I save the nit picking for my 25,06 or my .243...tj3006

My Rem 700 Classic 35 Whelen has a very long throat. Bullets of less than 250gr could not be seated out to within the .010" you are looking for.
That didn't seem to matter for this rifle though as it would put 200gr CoreLoct factory loads into 3/4"@ 100yds. These are probably .080" or more off the lands.

I wouldn't worry about it, unless you aren't getting acceptable accuracy.

Mark

quote:

try Redding dies

Ditto that!

Thanks for the input. I finally did back off the seating die and I'm making it work for me.
My classic, like most others, is long throated. I used my old method to double check OAL to lands by loading a dummy round, then carefully seating the bullet deeper until i went just past contact with the lands. Whew, pretty far past the cartridge specs, but the magazine will hold it.
Anyway, I'm starting at 0.015 off and will see what happens.
The Federal factory 225gr bearclaws I used last year on Elk did shoot around 1 moa and they had a pretty big jump to the lands!