Bullet Seating - Similar Bullet Differences

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cvl78

Inactive
I am fairly new to reloading, and have been able to learn a lot from forums and YouTube videos. However, I can't find an answer to this question.

I am reloading .223 and have been using Nosler Varmageddon 55gr. FB Tipped bullets, seated to 2.260". I picked up some Nosler Varmageddon 55gr FBHT bullets and started to also seat them to 2.260" inches, from the Nosler loading data sheet.

However, I noticed that the seating depths are different, with the tipped bullet being seated quite a bit deeper than the HP bullet. As you can see in the picture I attached.

Is this something to be concerned about and to contact Nosler regarding, or is this normal to have bullets seated to different depths?
 

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https://load-data.nosler.com/load-data/223-remington/

The way I read it is that the recommended COL for the hollow tip is 2.230". The bullet will be seated deeper but it looks like the ogive should be about the same distance from the case head giving nearly the same pressure and velocity. If you seat it there and use the same charge your velocity according to Quickload will drop about 30 fps using 23 grains of N133. Do not rely on that data it is a mock up.

You have little to worry about if you seat to the recommended depths.
 
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In general, different bullets have different shapes and often are seated to different depths.

If they list one common depth, its a safe one to stay out of the lands.

If you shoot a bolt action its easy to determine that.

A semi auto is a different story. In general I think the magazine limits the length to a safe distance, ergo you don't get a jam into the lands and a cartridge not fully seated.


Sierra notes where a lady won an AR shooting event, her bullet seating was long and in order to work, had to single load. Kind of makes you think you should use a bolt action gun!
 
cvl78,

Welcome to the forum.

As Steve pointed out, you seem to have misread the data for the COL Nosler reported for the FBHT by 0.030". That is about 1/3 of the bullet length difference and probably is about the difference in length you would have if you lined the bullets up side by side with their ogive shoulders in the same place (this shoulder is where the cylindrical bearing surface ends and the ogive begins), with greater length being due to the plastic tip. This will give both bullets about the same jump to the lands. The shorter bullet will have a slightly lower peak pressure and velocity with a given charge weight because its base is not occupying as much of the powder space when seated as recommended. However, most load manuals that use the same charge with multiple bullets are satisfied if their velocities are within about 50 fps of one another. There is that much difference and often more just going between different rifles of the same barrel length. It's due to chamber and bore tolerances, mainly, and to a lesser extent to differences in the striker or firing pin impact energies and etc.
 
The shorter bullet will have a slightly lower peak pressure and velocity with a given charge weight because its base is not occupying as much of the powder space when seated as recommended.
Click to expand...

I think this is the answer to the key question. I know you've answered questions about case capacity and increased pressure before but thanks for answering it again and explaining the answer.
 
Look at the two bullet's and the tipped bullet is longer than the HP. OLL if you didn't change the seating die will be the same and I suspect both bullet's will be in about the same position compared to the lands. The longer bullet will be seated deeper.
 
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