Chicken Or Egg / Seating Depth or Powder?

[Promapper]

What comes first in developing a load? seating depth or powder charge?

And where does a change in primers come in?

I know what all these things do in reloading but the order of events seems to be random out there. I would like a little more order to my loading. How do you know when there is a seating depth issue and not a powder charge issue? Perhaps that isn't possible and it truly is seat of the pants???

Thanks

[Nor Cal Mikie]

Lots of opinions on this subject. I start all my loads off with the bullet jammed into the lands.
What I do is pick my powder charge. Adjust as needed. And when I make change, I make sure I change "only one thing at a time".
I'am not one for jumping around from one powder to another and the same with primers. I pick my powder and primers and work the powders till I can't get any more out of it. Jumping around can make your head hurt!
Make up 5 rounds (or even 3) on one batch. See how it prints. Same OAL. Adjust powder up or down and look for changes. When they get close to all going in the same holw, tweak that load. Powder only!
If you're close and arn't seeing much change, adjust OAL. Same primer, samr powder charge.
Different bullet with same powder? Back off maybe 1 full grain and work it till you can't work it anymore.
Want to try different primer? Back off again on the powder charge and work back up. Remember, only change one thing at a time or you'll end up chasing your tail trying to figure out what change made the difference.
And, when I make up a starting charge, I'am way down on the powder load. How fast are the bullets going? Who cares as long as they're all going in the same hole. You start off on the high side and you havn't left yourself any wiggle room if you get a temperature switch. Leave yourself room to adjust. HTH, Mike.

[Promapper]

Thanks, That is pretty much the way I am handling it. One change at a time. I tend to shoot at least two - 3 shot strings at each change. This helps eliminate the weakest variable (me).

A followup question if you will. On AVERAGE, how many rounds or strings will you have to shoot to get it as tight as it will go? I know that each condition is different but just looking for a comparison here.

[Nor Cal Mikie]

Depends a lot on how close you chose your starting charge. It may take me up to 10 rounds to get a good "group". They don't have to be one holers, just close enough that by tweaking I can close it up a bit.
Never found a load that couldn't be worked a bit and made better. Some high pressure loads that took only a couple of shots to tell they were too hot and I pulled the rest and started over.
All my loads are mid range, no where close to max and my brass lasts a long time by not overloading them.
Say max is 28.8 grains with a given weight bullet. I'll start at 26 and go up in .1 at a time. Might take me a bit to find an accuracy node but I'am pulling the trigger so that's what counts most. And at that rate, a pound of powder will last a long time, I'm having fun in the process, figuring out what combination makes the best load and I'm enjoying myself. Works for me anyway you look at it.