Bullet Seating Depth with Single-Shot Rifles

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charlesb
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Bullet Seating Depth with Single-Shot Rifles

Post by charlesb » Wed Feb 11, 2015 10:20 pm

Working with my first single-shot rifle, a Winchester 1885 in 270WSM, I have discovered a simple method of setting the bullet seating depth for that kind of firearm.

This would apply to 1885, the Ruger #1, the H&R Handy-Rifles and the Rossi single-shots.

Briefly, I adjust my bullet-seating die so that the bullet is seated within the neck of the case, but is way too far out.

Then, I act like I'm going to insert the cartridge into the bore. It won't go in all the way, of course. The rear of the cartridge ends up sticking out of the back of the barrel.

I measure how far it sticks out with dial calipers - and that's how much further the bullet must be seated so that the breech will close up with the bullet just touching the lands.

If I want the bullet to jump .020" inch before hitting the lands, then I simply add .020" to the measurement that I took - and that's all there is to it!

This is one of those things that single-shot owners have known for better than 100 years, that I have discovered for myself. - Like the guys who neck down a 7x57 for a 6.5mm bullet and think that they have a wildcat, when actually the 6.5x57 has been around for well over a century, now.

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