Started loading up some .243 hunting rounds for my dad last night. We experimented with some different loads this summer and found one that his rifle really likes. He shot two does with it this fall, both dropped dead on the spot.
The bullet is the 100gr Hornady soft point.
So I went to load him a box of 50 rounds and I’m having a heck of a time getting the bullets to seat to a consistent depth. I’d get a couple right on the cannelure with the proper OAL and then I get one that’s buried down in the case . Frustrating.
Pulled the bad ones today and realized that I had maybe 20 bullets left from an old box and I had tossed those into the bin with some from a new box to get to 50.
Turns out while the bullet weights are the “same” they are visibly not consistent- enough so I can see it with my eye (only barely but I can see it enough to be able to sort them). The front part of some of the bullets is skinnier than some others, which are a bit fatter. I expect it’s the old vs new box.
Causes the seating die to contact the bullet differently and the fatter ones seat deeper.
Lesson learned is to pay attention to seating depth when going from one batch of bullets to the next.
The bullet is the 100gr Hornady soft point.
So I went to load him a box of 50 rounds and I’m having a heck of a time getting the bullets to seat to a consistent depth. I’d get a couple right on the cannelure with the proper OAL and then I get one that’s buried down in the case . Frustrating.
Pulled the bad ones today and realized that I had maybe 20 bullets left from an old box and I had tossed those into the bin with some from a new box to get to 50.
Turns out while the bullet weights are the “same” they are visibly not consistent- enough so I can see it with my eye (only barely but I can see it enough to be able to sort them). The front part of some of the bullets is skinnier than some others, which are a bit fatter. I expect it’s the old vs new box.
Causes the seating die to contact the bullet differently and the fatter ones seat deeper.
Lesson learned is to pay attention to seating depth when going from one batch of bullets to the next.
