So I picked up a box of sierra 160gr boat tail spitzer, i usually load the hpbt, but my question for you guys is, when i seated my first round to the coal of 3.245, the next round seated at the same set up came out to 3.238, then after that 3.250, i noticed the lead tip on each was deformed causing the flunctuation, So what do i do? how do i properly seat it keeping the same distance off my landing? and is it safe to shoot those rounds? or should i pull them? thanks in advance.
how do you seat the sierra spitzer?
- Thread starter precisionshooter
- Start date
Safe to shoot. Accuracy will go down, if you're not shooting long range competition and just hunting you will likely not notice the difference unless shooting at 200+ yards, and even then unlikely. Really though your seating depth is off by such a minor amount that I doubt it will affect anything at all and it will strictly be bullet deformation that causes any ill effects and even that will depend on how bad the damage is.
The other way to look at this is set your caliper to 0.012" and see for yourself how minor this difference is between your extremities. If it was a 0.120" difference then its a problem.
*edit*
The only way bullet length is an issue is with respect to feeding into the gun or if the bullet is too deep in the case it can cause higher pressures which is where some load data gives a MINIMUM overall length. Maximum is whatever your gun will feed without jamming.
The other way to look at this is set your caliper to 0.012" and see for yourself how minor this difference is between your extremities. If it was a 0.120" difference then its a problem.
*edit*
The only way bullet length is an issue is with respect to feeding into the gun or if the bullet is too deep in the case it can cause higher pressures which is where some load data gives a MINIMUM overall length. Maximum is whatever your gun will feed without jamming.
Not sure what brand of dies you are using, but I'm pretty sure they won't push the bullet in by the tip... There is a bit of a hollow in the seating die and as a consequence, the bullet gets grabbed a bit below the tip so the distance from the wide part of the bullet to the lands should remain consistent no matter what shape the tip is in. Like the other poster remarked.... Not to worry...
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
It's proven that accuracy is far more affected by the base than the tip.
These deformed tips make no difference at all to safety, and will make minimal difference to accuracy.
I suggest you take your seating die apart, and check to see if the stem has become plugged with lead, or other debris.
Ideally, the bullet should be seated by pressure on the ogive, not the tip. But the Sierras slender profile may have defeated that. You may need to change dies, or replace/modify the seating stem.
These deformed tips make no difference at all to safety, and will make minimal difference to accuracy.
I suggest you take your seating die apart, and check to see if the stem has become plugged with lead, or other debris.
Ideally, the bullet should be seated by pressure on the ogive, not the tip. But the Sierras slender profile may have defeated that. You may need to change dies, or replace/modify the seating stem.
This COAL thing is probably the most overworked subject on CGN.
Every time it comes up, some knowledgeable reloaders will tell the facts of the situation, but nobody appears to listen to them.
Make up a dummy load with the bullet seated well out, but still working through the magazine. See if the bolt will close on it. If it won't close, keep pushing the bullet back a little at a time, until the bolt will close.
Compare a bullet in relation to the loaded cartridge. If the bullet is seated in the neck at least one calibre deep, you are good to go. Load up and shoot away.
Who gives a rats azz about a figure some loading book says should work in an average, mythical rifle? We're talking about your rifle. Use the procedure I just laid out and you will have a near perfect fit in your rifle.
Every time it comes up, some knowledgeable reloaders will tell the facts of the situation, but nobody appears to listen to them.
Make up a dummy load with the bullet seated well out, but still working through the magazine. See if the bolt will close on it. If it won't close, keep pushing the bullet back a little at a time, until the bolt will close.
Compare a bullet in relation to the loaded cartridge. If the bullet is seated in the neck at least one calibre deep, you are good to go. Load up and shoot away.
Who gives a rats azz about a figure some loading book says should work in an average, mythical rifle? We're talking about your rifle. Use the procedure I just laid out and you will have a near perfect fit in your rifle.
I'll second EVERYTHING there, and add one thing. Before you start seating and crimping like a mad man, do one, and make sure they'll still go in the magazine of whatever you're loading for. Where I like the bullets in one of my rifles won't allow them to be pushed into the internal magazine.
444shooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Calgary, AB
COAL was one thing I used to be hung up on.
Now that I've been loading for a while and seem to have things figured out a bit better, I dont really care about COAL (as long as the round still fits in the mag box, etc).
What I DO care about is how far the bullet is being seated off of the lands.
When I first started loading, I'd run a bullet and case through the press and then measure the OAL. Run another bullet and case through the press and measure the OAL again. Not very often would the two measurements be equal.
Then I figured I'd get smart and adjust the die a tad so they both were the same length.
Seemed logical to me.
*** WRONG ***
By doing this, I was changing the distance the bullet would sit from the lands.
The flattened bullet tips, or bullet inconsistencies were accounting for the difference in COAL.
As long as the die doesnt change positions when loading a newly seated bullet, the distance from the bullet to the lands will (should) be the same even though the COAL might not be.
Now that I've been loading for a while and seem to have things figured out a bit better, I dont really care about COAL (as long as the round still fits in the mag box, etc).
What I DO care about is how far the bullet is being seated off of the lands.
When I first started loading, I'd run a bullet and case through the press and then measure the OAL. Run another bullet and case through the press and measure the OAL again. Not very often would the two measurements be equal.
Then I figured I'd get smart and adjust the die a tad so they both were the same length.
Seemed logical to me.
*** WRONG ***
By doing this, I was changing the distance the bullet would sit from the lands.
The flattened bullet tips, or bullet inconsistencies were accounting for the difference in COAL.
As long as the die doesnt change positions when loading a newly seated bullet, the distance from the bullet to the lands will (should) be the same even though the COAL might not be.
