bullet seated and touches the lands is this dangerous

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On my 204 i seat my bullets so thay just touch the lands seems to shoot best like this what i wondering is this dangerous or will it have any ill effects on anything?
 
It is quite common for target shooters to actually seat bullets into the lands. You do have to watch for pressure signs, as this can result in higher chamber pressures.
 
if there is no sign of over pressure in the case and primer your good to go, I assume you worked up your load with this seating depth to ensure there is no over pressure signs. If you did not work up the load and just one day lessened your seating depth then you are playing "Russian roulette".
 
Resistance on bolt lift is something to watch out for, and loose primer pockets after only a few firings are a sign of too much pressure for the brass.
 
firsttimer said:
On my 204 i seat my bullets so thay just touch the lands seems to shoot best like this what i wondering is this dangerous or will it have any ill effects on anything?
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You don't have a problem. Want one? Just wait until you get a rifle with a long loose throat and a short magazine. That will possibly/probably be a big problem.;)
 
my rifle is a nef single shot thats why it can be so long, also the gun shoots a .6 group at 100 if i use my other load 30.7 of blc-2 with 39 sierra touching lands it will shoot .4 groups but that load is over the max reccomended is it dangerous to shoot that load if no pressure signs?
 
my rifle is a nef single shot thats why it can be so long, also the gun shoots a .6 group at 100 if i use my other load 30.7 of blc-2 with 39 sierra touching lands it will shoot .4 groups but that load is over the max reccomended is it dangerous to shoot that load if no pressure signs?
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Considering that you are not at all familiar with how to recognize pressure signs, I would avoid loads that approach the maximums, especially if you intend to seat the bullets on the lands.
 
Well - You've already shot the rifle over max load, without knowing what pressure signs to look for! You're lucky, things could have gone badly...
None of the pressure indicators stated above are definitive. (As the NEF is a break action, there is no sticky bolt indicator....)
If you want to play over max, i suggest you get a chrony and learn to interpret the results.
 
If you want to play over max, i suggest you get a chrony and learn to interpret the results.
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And given the fact that a chronograph does not measure pressure, and there is no equation to convert velocity to pressure, that isn't foolproof either. Two different guns can produce the same pressure, using the same components, yet due to differences in barrel dimensions/finish, the velocity can vary.

Most importantly, whose velocities do you compare to? If you take several manuals, and look at the maximum velocities attained using the same components, the velocity will vary from manual to manual, likely by over 100fps from highest to lowest, and in some case exceeding 200fps.
I do use a chronograph myself, but I don't pick a velocity out of a manual then simply increase the charge using the same components until I reach that velocity. I watch every charge, and sometimes other pressure signs will become quite evident well before reaching the velocity listed in the manual. I back off the powder charge if any pressure sign becomes evident, even if the velocity is 100fps or more below that listed in the manual.
 
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How to get even more accuracy (and a safe load)

Congradulations on your loads accuracy and on still being in one piece ;)
Seriously, loading bullets in the land and using maximum load is the no-brainer way to get accuracy but you can get even better accuracy if you find optimal bullet seating depth and you should use safe load not overpressure ones!

Your current load works because
  • Seating the bullet in the lands guarantees an uniform bullet jump (none) and aligns the bullet in the bore.
  • Using a maximum load is often great for accuracy since most powders burn most uniformly at pressure around 58,000 to 63,000 PSI which unfortunately is over the safe limit of most cartridges.

You're getting great accuracy at the cost of taking a serious risk.
What you should do is read these to articles and think about what you're doing right now (please stop shooting your reloads in the meantime).
  1. Read this to learn about "pressure signs" http://www.longrangehunting.com/articles/rifle-reloading-pressure-1.php
  2. Read this to learn everything about best bullet seating depthhttp://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2009/03/berger-tips-for-loading-vld-bullets/

You'll probably find a safer and more accurate load this way

Alex
 
i know it wasent a safe load thats why i only load 28.6 grains of blc-2 with 39 sierra bullets touching lands was just wondering if it was safe to load touching lands as when you see other people load the always load back off the lands
 
i know it wasent a safe load thats why i only load 28.6 grains of blc-2 with 39 sierra bullets touching lands was just wondering if it was safe to load touching lands as when you see other people load the always load back off the lands
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For hunting loads, most people usually seat their bullets clear of the lands, but for target shooting, many people load into the lands.
 
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