I worked up all my dummy cartridges by just seating the bullet in the case and running it through the action until it takes little to no effort to close the bolt. I then use a white board marker and blacken the bullet and continue this process until their is no evidence of contact with the rifling, I then perform one more full turn on the seating die stem which seats the bullets to a safe depth. I have used this method as discribed in my Speer Reloading Manual number 13 page 78 - 79 and all shoot very good with no signs of excessive pressure.
Capt Ray,
The above method has worked perfectly for me, and i started loading in the 60's!!!! I haven't found the need to buy something new to replace what's already working for me. I'm positive i've loaded over 100,000 rounds to date, so i'm not a newbie by a long shot.
Depending on the shape of the bullet, the same weight bullet could be seated waaay out, or waaay in, or maybe inbetween where it "looks" better to you.... Every bullet doesn't "look" right in every rifle, so you just have to find what you and your rifle likes.
Unless you shooting absoulte MAX loads, i wouldn't worry too much about seating a bullet a bit deeper causeing excessive pressures!!! Ideally i like the bottom of the bullet seated to the bottom of the neck, but it doesn't always work out that way.
Drilling Man