OK, so I'm a newbie and just did my first batch of rounds following Hornady's directions since I was loading SST's. But I've just figured out the importance of seated bullet depth--rather more specifically getting the bullet's base of ogive as close as possible to the lands in the barrel's throat. I just followed the COAL that hornady has in the book--but when preparing to load Nosler bullets I came across a totally different COAL for the same caliber (which I'm sure is due in part to the different bullet) but my initial reaction was "waoh, how could they be that different?" That's when I found the CBTO info and realized that this was a very important issue in getting my loads accurate.

So, my question is --how many of you go by CBTO rather than SAAMI max, and what do you find is the best way to determine CBTO for your rifle? I'm also aware of the importance of magazine clearance.

Thanks, : )