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Great posts. 14 years ago I had blown primer & case failure from a 243 with Barnes X bullets set too close to the rifling.

Here are a few thumb rules that I stick to now....


3. For hunting loads, seat bullets 0.030 off the rifling & for mono-metal (Barnes X etc) make that 0.050 off the rifling.

Safe shooting to everyone.

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I'd like to ask about this. I have been reloading for 25 years but I've never gotten more technical than just using a case trim die and making sure they don't stretch. I throw them away when they crack, and I back off if I get primer set back.

I normally load to the cannelure that is on the bullet and just barely crimp - just enough to assist with smooth chambering.

I don't measure OAL - I just see if it chambers well. I load mostly heavy bullet stuff - 220 grains in my 30-06 and 175 in my 7x57.

Should I depend on the bullet's cannelure to give me proper seating depth, or is there some other better way to ascertain this? Should I leave the bullet seated out, try to chamber, then keep seating progressively deeper until I can barely close the bolt, then go .030 deeper than that?

I want to be a "minimalist" reloader, and don't want to get overly O.C. or technical, but I don't want to be a buffoon either.

Thanks for any advice.

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