Seating base below neck.

[JeffinNZ]

Hi

Is the practice of seating a gas checked bullet with its base below the neck of the case detremental to accuracy?

[Bass Ackward]

Hi

Is the practice of seating a gas checked bullet with its base below the neck of the case detremental to accuracy?


Jeff,

Depends how far and how you want to shoot wouldn't it?

The base, the most critical part of the bullet, is hanging, unsupported, in mid air and exposed to the pressure wave.

If you use softer bullets and fast powders, you may see a problem. But if you go hard and keep pressures low or use standard cast speed powders that the pressure won't peak until the bullet has moved out of that condition, then I doubt you'll notice.

The big negative that perpetuates that untruth is from powder / lube contamination. I wouldn't store ammo that way, but that is still just a personal quirk.

[dragonrider]

I load for a 7mm supermag, with it's extremely short neck it is not possible to load and keep the base in the neck. I have never had good accuracy with this round and this could be one of the problems. Another problem would be that the short neck affords virtualy no support for the boolit. I think a bore rider is essential in this round but I have none that fit well yet.

[beagle]

Interesting topic here.

This is one of the "rules" of loading that us casters break all of the time. Especially us guys that load factory rifles without the long custom throats that the benchies use that allow the bullets to be seated way out.

The .308's probably a good example as well as many of the levers. I'd say that even the .30/30 with its long neck and the 311291 would have the base below the neck but mine shoots pretty well with that bullet.

I personally know that I load the .223 with the base below the neck and also the .35 Remington in my Marlin. Both of these rifles shoot well for me.

I think the "rule" should be changed to read, "Load with the base within the neck whenever possible"./beagle

[Ricochet]

Lately I've been loading a good bit with gas checks way down in the powder. I've been using entirely "dry" lubes, like Lee Liquid Alox, White Lightning, or Johnson's Paste Wax, so there's no powder contamination by oil oozing out of the lube. Several of these loads have shot very well.