I used the nosler bullet seating depth instruction where you use a fired case and black flet pen to find the OAL on my .270WSM. I am useing sierra game kings 130BT. What would be a good starting point off the lands? What have you had good luck with and is there a general rule of thumb? Thanks.

I don't know that it's a rule of thumb but I keep my handloads about .010" off the lands. I don't load for 270 but I do load for 243 Win, 25-06, 7mm RM, 300 WM, and 45-70. I haven't noticed a performance difference getting closer than .010" off the lands but definately see one moving further back. Your gun may like something about the same. I have been successful at controlling the seating depth to about .002 off the lands but there is a pucker factor that comes with standard reloading equipment and component tolerances, especially if loading for max or near max levels. .010" has some room for error and has provided good accuracy for me.

For a hunting rifle that is loaded from the magazine, the most critical length is that which will feed from the magazine without malfunction.

If you can achieve a land stand-off of .010" - .020" and still have reliable feeding, you've got it made, especially where bullet intrusion into case capacity is of concern.

I took one of the moderator's advice when I first started reloading. I think it was kdubs, and I go with the .020" off that he suggested, measured from bullet ogives, not the bullet tip. My 223, 270, and 308 all seem to like that distance. The only way I've tried different seating depths is by taking my best load, and then trying that at different depths. It didn't totally fall apart, and some groups seemed to get even better. But shooting another group with those showed their inconsistency. So, unless I'm having problems getting something to shoot like my brother's -06, I just stick with the one distance off the lands and develop my loads that way.

amndouglas