Soft seating?

D

dangthathurt

New member
I just read that John Whidden, a winning shooter, "soft seats" all of his bullets. By using a lighter neck tension, he loads his bullets long so when they encounter the rifling they push back a bit into the case.

So, assuming your rifle enjoys the bullets in the lands, does anyone else do this?
 
Benchrest shooter, not a good idea in a hunting rifle. It may work til you have to unload it and the bullet stays in the barrell and you get 46 grains of 4831 in the action and magazine. Guess how I know this.
 
Unless he has changed his discipline, Whidden is not a benchrest shooter. He is one of the finest position shooters in the country, and if I'm not mistaken has won the Wimbledon a time or two. He uses a sling and lays on the ground. Pretty sure he shoots a fast twist 243.

As far as soft seating goes, it has its place in target shooting, and is a favored technique for barrels whose throats erode quickly as one does not find himself chasing the lands to arrive at a consistent seating depth.
 
I would only 'Soft seat' for a single shot target gun. Light neck tension in any multiple shot gun could and probably would result in bullet set back and, the each subsequent round would have more and more set back. Most reloaders want consistency which includes consistent OAL.
1st Marine Division, 3rd Marines, Horno, 53 area.
 
John Whidden has advantage most of us don't.

http://www.whiddengunworks.com/

I use bushing dies on all my rifles and I don't call it soft seating but I don't use same neck tension on my 30-338mag as I do my tight neck 6ppc. If I was going to load 6ppc in a magazine I would change things.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top