Bullet seating depth

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Bob Mc Alice
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Re: Bullet seating depth

Post by Bob Mc Alice »

What I meant to say is that I do not polish my brass and make it pretty inside and out. I do wipe the loose carbon from the outside neck before running it up a die. Primers pockets are cleaned,too. I run a nylon neck brush with a trace amount of good old RCBS case lube 2 into the neck ID. The case neck or body get rolled on my RCBS pad. Times fired or bolt close resistance at loading determines whether I neck size of full length size next. Either way the case gets a .002-.003 shoulder bump. Next is wipe case of lubricant, prime with only CCI 200, charge en mass with my reliable Lyman 55. No weighing each charge, direct dump from the measure. Seat bullet with Redding comp die. All my dies are Redding. I use just standard dies not the bushing dies. I do not turn necks with my standard chambers. Trim length as needed when they approach maximum. That is it.

Minimum bullet run out measured at the tip, not the shank, is very important. I do not worry too much about neck wall thickness variation. My own tests have proven straight ammo shoots smaller groups. I built a sweet gage which has been featured many times here. I may try and sneak in another photobucket picture. I check every assembled cartridge for acceptable run out. The Redding die is fantastic at producing straight bullets. I prefer all to be .002 TIR or better but will let .003 go as OK. Any over .004 will be manually thumb pressed into tolerance. My gage makes quick work of checking ammo run out.

I use just about every brand of brass. I like WW the best and have an ample supply of new. RP seems to be the worst for big wall thickness variation, but it is fine for my practice guns. I have many brands of brass loaded in my ammo inventory. Later this year I will crack open some Lapua 7-08 I won at AZ and PA to replace some tired brass. Maybe I will get spoiled and love it.
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Re: Bullet seating depth

Post by jask »

Bob, I would love to see a photo of your gauge.
Bob Mc Alice
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Re: Bullet seating depth

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OK....here ya go. I made it in 2000 during my lunch and breaks, during work time and after work times. I got away with so much stuff........never mind. :wink: That is a NC turned brass 7-08 set up ZERO gage I cranked out in between jobs. It will handle .22 Hornet to .50 BMG. I just had to display some sponsor materials. :) The photo is low resolution so the photobucket police wouldn't bust me like they just did to Steiger. :lol:



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Re: Bullet seating depth

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Bob Mc Alice wrote: Tue Aug 15, 2017 7:00 am OK....here ya go. I made it in 2000 during my lunch and breaks, during work time and after work times. I got away with so much stuff........never mind. :wink: That is a NC turned brass 7-08 set up ZERO gage I cranked out in between jobs. It will handle .22 Hornet to .50 BMG. I just had to display some sponsor materials. :) The photo is low resolution so the photobucket police wouldn't bust me like they just did to Steiger. :lol:



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A work of art, like all the stuff you made Bob!! :ymapplause:
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Re: Bullet seating depth

Post by ShootingStar »

Ain't nobody gonna comment on his 8-12 barrels in the background!!!

Bob - can you adopt me?
Bob Mc Alice
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Re: Bullet seating depth

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Now don't get excited, eight of them are just new 24" Remington 7-08 take offs. Got them quite reasonable from a builder in CO. Six SS and two carbon, one is a .260 (NFS) However, the sleeved ones are special to replace the getting tired barrels someday. Pre fitted and ready to screw on. 8)
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Re: Bullet seating depth

Post by Bob Mc Alice »

Jask, I just remembered this and wanted to post it.

About six years ago some Georgia friends wanted to shoot the St.Louis Regional match. The problem was one needed a loaner rifle. No sweat, I have some I do occasionally lend out. I did not have enough ram loads for the entire match or the time to load some up.
The guy back there had some loading equipment and offered to supply his own ammo for rams. All he needed was my recipe.

I told him to just FL size and use this data exactly and he would be OK. The brass used was 14 times fired in another rifle. It was unaltered Remington brass. My rifle is a blued SA mid 80's production, HS hunter stock with a new Remington SS 7-08 take off installed a couple of years earlier. Round count was about 2400 shots. Scope is a Leupold 6.5 x 20 with fine duplex. It is a tack driver. He made up 100 rounds with components obtained at his local gun shop. I have no clue what his brands of dies, press and whatever else was used to assemble it. No checks were done for bullet run out. I assume just a standard seater die was used, I never asked.

I handed him the rifle Friday afternoon for some trigger time. I witnessed his first several shots with an unknown rifle print 2.5 inches at rams with his ammo. He was very happy to use a capable rifle for this match. The barrel marking was 90 degrees low and not visible. He asked who the barrel maker was. Me and DB smiled when he was told factory Remington.

He shot good scores with a factory rifle and basic reloading 101 procedure.
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Re: Bullet seating depth

Post by jask »

Bob, After I retired, I decided to become an amateur machinist. Your run out checker looks FANTASTIC.
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Re: Bullet seating depth

Post by jask »

Bob, You have one dial indicator on the tip, one just exiting the neck and a third one on the right. What does the one on the right measure? Thanks, Jim
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Re: Bullet seating depth

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That position is for measuring lengths of bullets and cases. The hard ground button is fixed in place. I have a longer .375 dia. mast that can be switched out for taller gage height for case measuring against a known length. I rarely use this position and rely on calipers. Just a bell and whistle feature.
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Re: Bullet seating depth

Post by jask »

Hi Bob, How long does the setup take to switch from the .308 type to say, a 30-30? Does the case rest on transfer bearings?
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Re: Bullet seating depth

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I used these hardened rounded locator pins. https://us.misumi-ec.com/vona2/detail/110300560910/

I polished them to eliminate galling the brass and smooth case rolling. They can be raised to level for most any cartridge shape. Adjusting all the parts and pieces is quick and easy when setting up for a different case. I thought of everything. :D Honestly, it pretty much stays set for the .308 family of cases. I have checked .222, .30-06 and .338 Win before.
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Re: Bullet seating depth

Post by Jim Beckley »

McAlice, I wonder if any of your old Supervisors have pieced together your retirement and the company's profitability going up at the same time was a coincidence?
Last edited by Jim Beckley on Wed Aug 16, 2017 4:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
U.S. Army-Donating blood since 1775.
Bob Mc Alice
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Re: Bullet seating depth

Post by Bob Mc Alice »

We just called it back door employee profit sharing. O:-)

Lets just call it what it really is. Fringe benefits. :wink:

Sorry you will not be at St.Louis this time, JB. We will try and get a report here each day.
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