Is slug seating critical

[Rickrick]

Any tips or advice on slug seating. I'm trying some AVS slugs in my .25 condor standard 24" choked LW barrel .248/.254 land groove.

At first the .2513 slugs grouped well but now I'm finding out the .254 slugs may be better.

The .254 slugs don't go all the way in so I'm wondering how critical the seating is when it comes to slugs that don't seat flush.

Do you push them in as firm as possible, or just lightly, any rigs you've made to help?. Have you found that something particular works or it really doesn't make a difference.

I'm narrowing it down to just a couple to choose from now to be able to place a full order of the one that works best and while I was shooting today I realized there could be someone that might have some thoughts on the matter with these last few slugs I'll be testing.

Thanks,

Rick

 

[Motorhead]

Some barrels where the slug would be thought as SNUG to rifling may be / or are set up with a deeper free bore / leade to allow some jump before entering rifling.

In this set up the free bore / leade MUST NOT BE any larger in diameter that the actual O.D. of the slug so NO YAW is allowed.



Most well matched barrel / slug combo that are NOT snug you will typically find that the correct free bore / leade is that where the slug when chambered has the rifling in contact or has slug partially engaged with rifling.

 

[Corvid_hunter]

When reloading for centerfire some rifles like to have the bullets just seated into the lands and some like a little jump. In mine, I always found just seating into the lands created the best accuracy. Likely similar with air rifles, but experimentation would answer that one.

 

[Brent]

I found the same to be true with my center fire rounds also, they grouped better when seated to just engage the lands of my barrel. 

 

[mtnGhost]

Some barrels where the slug would be thought as SNUG to rifling may be / or are set up with a deeper free bore / leade to allow some jump before entering rifling.

In this set up the free bore / leade MUST NOT BE any larger in diameter that the actual O.D. of the slug so NO YAW is allowed.



Most well matched barrel / slug combo that are NOT snug you will typically find that the correct free bore / leade is that where the slug when chambered has the rifling in contact or has slug partially engaged with rifling.

Spot on! Adding my $0.02 to this, I have been chambering slug barrels for the smallest projectile that is planned to be shot out of them. I would rather the chamber throat / leade in seat the projectile deeper into the throat rifling than shallow (or in free bore). I use 2 degree live piloted reamers that are made specifically for the barrels that I work on for the utmost control. 

The "make or break" attribute for the chamber throat in is making sure the projectile seats perfectly concentric in the rifling. You want it seating in there just far enough that it's not being jammed in there all crazy, and there shouldn't be any chatter marks or rough spots in the throat that will cause damage the projectile.