How do I adjust the seating depth to be right for a particular chamber?
With the Encore and Contender barrels it’s very easy to adjust seating depth because we can remove the barrel from the frame and use it as a gauge. First take your forend off the barrel and remove it from the frame. Some people like to take their extractor out, but it’s not absolutely necessary. Seat your bullet so that you know it will be too long. Then, use a marker (I like the black sharpie markers for this) or some machinist die to color the bullet completely. Put the cartridge in the chamber and push it down until the bullet touches the lans. You can tell if you’ve touched the lans if you have rifling marks on the bullet where you’ve colored it. Use a pair of calipers or micrometers to measure how far the case is now sticking out of the chamber. Adjust your seating die accordingly. Then, test it again to make certain you are not touching. I like to give about 10 to 15 thousandths gap between bullet and lans. Some people like to give more. One thing I should caution you about is th
