RE: bullet seating depth?
IF freebore is cut correctly(regardless of others opinions IMHO) the bullet can still have a large jump and be extremely accurate(for reference purposes here I'm talking MOA or just under as extremely good hunting rifle accuracy). Its just that the free bore should be close to bullet diameter.
In your instance of having or wanting to seat way out, you can try varying the neck tension to see if that may help your grouping. Redding makes good dies for this or Jim Carstensen can adapt the size die you have. In this instance neck tension will be about the only way to help hold onto that bullet really well if its needed.
Going the other way in seating, its best not to seat below the neck/shoulder juncture BUT only because there can be a donut that will destroy accuracy hiding down in there. If thats reamed out then it will have little affect on accuracy.
I'm curious as to the rifle article, but I don't have access to the article unless someone can help me. And I despise someone posting you are all wrong due to this one article..... Let us know what it says and back it up a bit. Just because I read it doesn't mean I believe it.
Prime example is folks listening to bullet makers that claim that lead tips melt off bullets in flight. I've got enough proof that they do not melt, while others claim they do. Their only claim is from what they are told. There is too much evidence to the contrary to believe that. Not to mention required energy calculations(that are beyond my capabilities but have been presented)
Final thoughts on seating depths. There is no guarantee. ONe thing to be aware of is that seating just to touch will create varying speeds and pressures due to the fact that you each bullet can be a bit different and instead of just touching, some will be jumping, some engaged to the rifling. Some just touching. So the best rule I can give you use a minimum of 10th off or 10th engaged and go from there. Don't be in between. I've won lots of matches with engaged rounds. But then again I've won a lot of individual matches with bullets that jump a LOT. In hunting rifles I feel one should be a minimum of 15-20th off for safeties sake.
Jeff