223 1x9 24" bbl 52 grain loads

[J.Baker]

Know how you do a ladder test with your powder charge when developing a load? You need to do the same thing with your seating depth once you find the powder charge that seems to be offering the best consistency (low S.D. and E.S.). Simply jumping from just touching to 0.020" off to 0.070" off or more isn't going to tell you anything or if you're going in the right or wrong direction. Every barrel is going to be different in what it likes and doesn't like, and your particular Savage barrel may just not like those bullets.

[Hotolds442]

Know how you do a ladder test with your powder charge when developing a load? You need to do the same thing with your seating depth once you find the powder charge that seems to be offering the best consistency (low S.D. and E.S.). Simply jumping from just touching to 0.020" off to 0.070" off or more isn't going to tell you anything or if you're going in the right or wrong direction. Every barrel is going to be different in what it likes and doesn't like, and your particular Savage barrel may just not like those bullets.

Berger recommends starting the VLD's at .010 off the lands and loading in .040 increments out to .130 and refining from there.