Reloading - Does the bullet really matter

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Shadowrider

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Bullet lengths of the same weight are not seated to the same depth. Talking rifle here. Bullets with a high BC like Barnes TTSX, Bergers, etc in .308 diameter designed for long range are much longer than say a Sierra 165 grain BTHP.
If you shove it into a case with a max load for the standard bullet you've been shooting your going to generate higher pressures. These bullets are seated further out by necessity. They do have to fit into a magazine, or mag well. Backing off the max load and working back up is required for safety.

Exactly the same with pistols, you're just working with a whole lot less pressure.
 

Shadowrider

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Could be, I really don't reload enough small cased pistol cartridges to know the base differences available. The smallest I load for is .41 mag and up. I can see where not following the suggested data for each bullet in a small case and using a bullet that takes up more case volume could cause issues. I don't see enough difference in lengths in rifle bullets of the same weight to matter imo, other than the Barnes.

I was just using that as an example to hopefully illustrate the issue. Dennis said it better, but that's the point I was attempting to make.
 

dennishoddy

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Exactly the same with pistols, you're just working with a whole lot less pressure.
Yup, the powder puff loads we shoot on weekends don't matter much if we aren't bumping the power factor too close, but my .44 mag with a full case of H-110 is critical on the pressure and the seating depth. The difference of .2 grain of powder makes the difference in a flattened primer and a primer with the shoulders still slightly rounded. But, lordy does it throw a fireball! Seating the bullet a few thousands deeper would increase the pressure the same as adding more powder.
 

Jcann

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This is probably a question better asked of someone like Bryan Litz at Applied Ballistics.

Most serious rifle shooters try to build or buy their rifle based on the bullet they are going to be shooting and type of shooting (target or hunting). Things like twist rate, chamber, and cartridge are pre-decided therefore doing away with jumping from one bullet to another.

My chamber was cut for Berger bullets and I have shot three different 180 grain Burger bullets (Hunting, VLD, and Hybrid) with 65.8 grains of H1000 powder. Each bullet is designed slightly different than the other and each bullet has a different seating depth. Muzzle velocity is close for all three but each one has a different ballistic solution. All three shoot sub 1/2 MOA.
 

NikatKimber

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That's my method for every load with a substitute component that I develop. I look for signs of pressure and chronograph for comparison to the published recipe as well.

While I haven't done much load work up since I bought a chrono, I always start well off max load and work up. In fact, I rarely load anything to max published in the first place.

Like I said, I don't start from max anyways, but if I'm using a Hornady 124gr FMJ 9mm and the load data is for a Speer 124gr FMJ 9mm I'm not too concerned. Going from an FMJ to JHP is where seating depth becomes an issue.
 

OKCHunter

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This is probably a question better asked of someone like Bryan Litz at Applied Ballistics.

Most serious rifle shooters try to build or buy their rifle based on the bullet they are going to be shooting and type of shooting (target or hunting). Things like twist rate, chamber, and cartridge are pre-decided therefore doing away with jumping from one bullet to another.

My chamber was cut for Berger bullets and I have shot three different 180 grain Burger bullets (Hunting, VLD, and Hybrid) with 65.8 grains of H1000 powder. Each bullet is designed slightly different than the other and each bullet has a different seating depth. Muzzle velocity is close for all three but each one has a different ballistic solution. All three shoot sub 1/2 MOA.

Wow! I'm not a serious rifle / accuracy guy - just try to workup rifle loads for "acceptable" target / hunting accuracy. I had no idea some of you guys build a rifle around the bullet.
 

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