Question for the more experience loaders: reseating bullets

[BuildingConceptsllc]

So... I won't go into why I want to know but obviously there's a reason and I'm sure you can figure it out...... I got physically ill when I noticed what I did.

If you were to set a bunch of rounds too short, and you wanted to take them apart and fix them, you'd pull them apart and then charge the case and set the bullet at the correct height. What if you did that with some, without sizing brass again.... would that be a big issue in consistency?

Also, what if you were able to pull many of them out but not completely remove the bullet, just got it out a good ways then re-seated it at the correct height without ever taking it all the way apart.

Would that cause consistency issues between the ones you did pull apart all the way as well as consistency issues with the other rounds you seated correctly the first time?

I will come back here and report my findings btw, just trying to see how many I need to shoot of these rounds to be confident that their numbers will match the others.

 

[PJC]

If it were me, and like you suggested, I’d sort, identify the rounds not meeting your OAL target, pull them and reseat to target OAL. They probably won’t show any detectable velocity change to result in a POI shift at 600 yds or less. Identify the reworked rounds and segregate with a sharpie mark on the case head. Save them for steel at short ranges.

This assumes you are talking about a rifle round in a bolt gun. Best of luck…

 

[huntnh]

How much to short did you seat the rds

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

How much to short did you seat the rds

.100

 

[nn8734]

So... I won't go into why I want to know but obviously there's a reason and I'm sure you can figure it out...... I got physically ill when I noticed what I did.

If you were to set a bunch of rounds too short, and you wanted to take them apart and fix them, you'd pull them apart and then charge the case and set the bullet at the correct height. What if you did that with some, without sizing brass again.... would that be a big issue in consistency?

Also, what if you were able to pull many of them out but not completely remove the bullet, just got it out a good ways then re-seated it at the correct height without ever taking it all the way apart.

Would that cause consistency issues between the ones you did pull apart all the way as well as consistency issues with the other rounds you seated correctly the first time?

I will come back here and report my findings btw, just trying to see how many I need to shoot of these rounds to be confident that their numbers will match the others.

What bullet are you using and how far are you jumping with bullets seated to the correct base-ogive length?

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

If it were me, and like you suggested, I’d sort, identify the rounds not meeting your OAL target, pull them and reseat to target OAL. They probably won’t show any detectable velocity change to result in a POI shift at 600 yds or less. Identify the reworked rounds and segregate with a sharpie mark on the case head. Save them for steel at short ranges.

This assumes you are talking about a rifle round in a bolt gun. Best of luck…

I have the 2 different versions of the redone rounds segregated in the box. I should mark em with 2 different sharpie colors though, good idea.


I've taken them apart and put them back together before and tested and saw no noticeable difference in my ES or SD or MV but I'm unsure about the ones that I didn't take a apart. I got into a rhythm of hitting with my inertia puller .... I just rolled with it and started trying to do that with the puller. I ended up getting about 3/4's of them pulled out enough to re-seat without coming all the way apart and the other 1/4 or 1/3 maybe I pulled apart and recharged and re-seated .

 

[waveslayer]

Best thing to do is test them and see, once you have real data base your decision off of that.

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

Best thing to do is test them and see, once you have real data base your decision off of that.

Yeah but I can't really do that with this situation. I have shot and tested ones that I've fully pulled apart and not sized or anything, just Reloaded em and didn't see any difference. The neck tension is lighter feeling but it's always pretty light at .003 neck tension. The bullet sits firm enough where I can't push it in with my hands but that's all I really know about the ones I didn't take apart. I will be able to crono some when I use them but I can't test em and then load more before I need to have them to use.... I guess we shall see

 

[waveslayer]

How many rounds are too short

 

[nn8734]

My guess is .100 too short won’t make a difference but hard to say for sure if we don’t know what bullet is being used or how far they are being jumped to begin with.

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

What bullet are you using and how far are you jumping with bullets seated to the correct base-ogive length?

Jump is .005 off the lands. I just checked my book.

 

[nn8734]

Jump is .022 I think on that one. I'd need to look to make sure on the jump amount. It's not right at the lands or anything though

What bullet?

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

How many rounds are too short

It was 100. I have another 100 that are right.

This is all because of the stupid redding seating die for my 6cm set. They put a 6.5cm die in the 6cm set. While I was waiting for them to send the set back with the correct die, I used the 6.5cm die to seat 6cm rounds. So, when I set it back up for 6.5cm, I set it exactly .1 too short.

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

What bullet?

Berger Hybrid OTM 130gr

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

My guess is .100 too short won’t make a difference but hard to say for sure if we don’t know what bullet is being used or how far they are being jumped to begin with.

It would make a difference especially at distance. There is a spot where a really long jump works ok in that barrel with that bullet but I'd have to look back in my notes to see where it is

 

[nn8734]

Berger OTM 130gr

I don’t think it will matter. That bullet (like all berger hybrids ive ever used) doesn’t seem to care about jump as long as its not real close to the lands. I’ve jumped them .030-.110 in the same rifle (6.5 cm r700) doing seating depth tests and didnt see any meaningful difference down range

 

[nn8734]

It would make a difference especially at distance. There is a spot where a really long jump works ok in that barrel with that bullet but I'd have to look back in my notes to see where it is

Maybe, every rifle is different but i haven’t seen it in all the testing/eval ive done with Bergers in my various rifles.

Shoot a small sample of the .100 short rounds and go from there

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

I don’t think it will matter. That bullet (like all berger hybrids ive ever used) doesn’t seem to care about jump as long as its not real close to the lands. I’ve jumped them .030-.110 in the same rifle (6.5 cm r700) doing seating depth tests and didnt see any meaningful difference down range

I edited with correct info. Sorry , 2 kids and looked at my info too quickly. I have tested a lot of bullets for this one and have been doing 6cm at the same time and I looked at the wrong one initially. It is close to the lands but hybrids are more forgiving. They are all seated at the right length now though

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

Maybe, every rifle is different but i haven’t seen it in all the testing/eval ive done with Bergers in my various rifles.

Shoot a small sample of the .100 short rounds and go from there

Oh I've already corrected all of them.

 

[nn8734]

I edited with correct info. Sorry , 2 kids and looked at my info too quickly. I have tested a lot of bullets for this one and have been doing 6cm at the same time and I looked at the wrong one initially. It is close to the lands but hybrids are more forgiving. They are all seated at the right length now though

All good man, enjoy your Sunday.

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

All good man, enjoy your Sunday.

If the kids weren't sick we'd be in church right now but since we aren't, I'm going to get my stuff ready to go to the range and shoot a few. I have to have them for this coming weekend and won't have time do load more unless I were to use virgin brass to do it. That's the issue. I will shoot 10 (which i can replace) of each and see what the crono says while getting my zero perfect today. I think it will be fine but I was curious if anyone here had done that before...???

 

[nn8734]

If the kids weren't sick we'd be in church right now but since we aren't, I'm going to get my stuff ready to go to the range and shoot a few I have to have them for this coming weekend and won't have time do load more unless I were to use virgin brass to do it. That's the issue. I will shoot 10 of each and see what the crono says while getting my zero perfect today. I think it will be fine but I was curious if anyone here had done that before...???

Ill also be shooting a little later today in the desert. Shit happens, as long as you know why and prevent recurrence going forward. Ive seated stuff too deep by accident and caught it before too many rounds were loaded but i never saw any difference on target. I never knew the impact on SD/ES as i rarely ever track that stuff.

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

Ill also be shooting a little later today in the desert. Shit happens, as long as you know why and prevent recurrence going forward. Ive seated stuff too deep by accident and caught it before too many rounds were loaded but i never saw any difference on target. I never knew the impact on SD/ES as i rarely ever track that stuff.

Yeah, that's right..... the real issue is that I'm always rushed to do anything because work is so insane. With all the inflation and how busy I am, it's a really tough time right now, plus I'm not 25 anymore and I have a 5 year old and a 1 year old... and literally every time the 5 yr old goes back to school, he gets some crud or something and brings it home to the 1 year old, so basically they are both sick all the time...

First world problems I know, but it's still exhausting and I screwed up rushing things.

 

[Rocketmandb]

I wouldn't pull. When you pull a bullet, it screws up neck tension unless you resize, and even then, you'll still be a little off. vs. the others.

As others have said, Berger hybrids are extremely jump tolerant. I ran a test on my 6BRA where I went from 20 off to 80 off and saw only limited degradation at the extreme end. I have no doubt that had I continued, it would have fallen back in a little farther out.

Recommendation: have fun with the rounds. Use them to test jump accuracy from 100 off to something like 150-170 off in 3 thousandth increments by running them through the seating die again, adjusting down as you go.

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

I wouldn't pull. When you pull a bullet, it screws up neck tension unless you resize, and even then, you'll still be a little off. vs. the others.

As others have said, Berger hybrids are extremely jump tolerant. I ran a test on my 6BRA where I went from 20 off to 80 off and saw only limited degradation at the extreme end. I have no doubt that had I continued, it would have fallen back in a little farther out.

Recommendation: have fun with the rounds. Use them to test jump accuracy from 100 off to something like 150-170 off in 3 thousandth increments by running them through the seating die again, adjusting down as you go.

I've already re-set them, but I couldn't just use em to test because I just don't have time between now and Thursday to process the brass and reload them. I'm about to go shoot some of them to see if they give me the same numbers as the others I have good data on and report back.

 

[straightshooter1]

So... I won't go into why I want to know but obviously there's a reason and I'm sure you can figure it out...... I got physically ill when I noticed what I did.

If you were to set a bunch of rounds too short, and you wanted to take them apart and fix them, you'd pull them apart and then charge the case and set the bullet at the correct height. What if you did that with some, without sizing brass again.... would that be a big issue in consistency?

Also, what if you were able to pull many of them out but not completely remove the bullet, just got it out a good ways then re-seated it at the correct height without ever taking it all the way apart.

Would that cause consistency issues between the ones you did pull apart all the way as well as consistency issues with the other rounds you seated correctly the first time?

I will come back here and report my findings btw, just trying to see how many I need to shoot of these rounds to be confident that their numbers will match the others.

I've done both and having good results using my Hornady Cam-Lock Bullet Puller. I use the puller with just enough pressure on the bullet to pull it and don't see any bullet deformation as a result. It especially works well with my loads where on typically have .002 neck tension. But also worked with more neck tension, like when I did an experiment to improve some factory cartridges that I bought on line.

I bought 2 boxes of .308 cartridges that were supposed to be match quality. But when I fired the first box, I was very disappointed getting group size over an inch at 100 yds from my gun that I typically gets sub .5" with hand loads. So I decided to take the cartridges of the next box and measure everything, including the powder to see what might be going on. Before pulling the bullets, I found the runout substantial (like .003-.006) and seating depth varied quite a bit. I pulled the bullets and measured the powder weight and it too had substantial variance. So I put all the powder together and weighed it and divided that weight by the number of cartridges to get the average and recharged the cases with that average weight. Then I reseated the bullets without any resizing and seating pressure was just fine. Measuring runout, the cases were all less than .003 now. When I fired them to see how they performed relative to the previous ones I fired, I got excellent results with two groups, one being .391" and another at .258".

Having pulled bullets and reloading them on quite a few occasions, I found I don't see any detriment in doing so. And the same goes for having partially pulled bullets, which sometimes actually improves the runout issue.

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

So I did go and shoot some of the bullets, I couldn't shoot a lot of them because I may need them and I don't have time to replace them, but I did test 10 of each.

The ones that I pulled completely apart and re-set there was no noticeable difference in the ES/SD/MV. Perhaps if I'd shot 30 as I normally do for this type of thing it would have shown up...

The ones that I did not pull apart completely, that I just inertia pulled the bullet out enough to re-seat at the correct height did give a little more ES and SD, but it wasn't much, again if I shot 30 it might show up more. If I end up not needing them I will do just that and test them fully. I will use those for my zero checks and such as that, and try to not use them for any distance. I can load up 10 or 20 more before getting into my virgin brass so that's what I will do and just try to use the 30 or so suspect ones as a last resort other than 100 yd range stuff where it won't matter much.


Pretty interesting actually. Thanks for all the input guys. Maybe others will find this info useful. I may adjust the title so it is easier to find if searched on this topic.