bullet seating oal

[Masterdebater]

when seating ur bullets is it best to be closer to minimum oal? or max? i figured minimum gives u more pressure correct?

[kdm]

Depends on what you're reloading for. Semiauto pistols and rifles: typically, right at what's listed in the reloading manual to allow for positive feeding. Lever action rifles: right at what's listed, as well, for positive feeding.

Bolt action rifles are, typically, reloaded such that the bullet ogive is about 0.050" off the beginning of the rifling, or "leade". Concept is when the jump from cartridge mouth to leade is shortened, the bullet is more stable and thus more accurate at range.

[zfields]

My lead loads I load at the minimum OAL, otherwise they jam up on me.

Its all about the gun, some like them long, some short, some in the middle : )

[hk91666]

Depends on what you're reloading for. Semiauto pistols and rifles: typically, right at what's listed in the reloading manual to allow for positive feeding. Lever action rifles: right at what's listed, as well, for positive feeding.

Bolt action rifles are, typically, reloaded such that the bullet ogive is about 0.050" off the beginning of the rifling, or "leade". Concept is when the jump from cartridge mouth to leade is shortened, the bullet is more stable and thus more accurate at range.

+ 1

[killshot44]

Don't mess with maximums unless you know the exact dimension of your chamber/throat. A Hornady OAL tool will do this.

Minimums don't give increased pressure unless you're using a projectile that is long enough to compress the powder significantly.
Maximums can actually increase pressure when seated very close to or in the lands.

[zfields]

Don't mess with maximums unless you know the exact dimension of your chamber/throat. A Hornady OAL tool will do this.

Minimums don't give increased pressure unless you're using a projectile that is long enough to compress the powder significantly.
Maximums can actually increase pressure when seated very close to or in the lands.

minimum and max can increase pressure.....

[SixPointEight]

Don't mess with maximums unless you know the exact dimension of your chamber/throat. A Hornady OAL tool will do this.

Minimums don't give increased pressure unless you're using a projectile that is long enough to compress the powder significantly.
Maximums can actually increase pressure when seated very close to or in the lands.

Minimums increase pressure by increasing case volume. Though seating into the lands can be ore dangerous if you aren't careful.

If you work up your load from bottom to top seated into the lands though...you won't KB by seating all the way back to minimum.

Anyways, as was already mentioned, if it's a pistol, lever action or semi-auto you'll want to stay between listed length, and maximum magazine length.

[CSACANNONEER]

It's best to load to an COAL that works best in that particular firearm. It does depend on the gun, type of bullet and intent though. If you need a COAL which will work in a magazine, you will be limited to what fits in the mag and/or feeding operation of that particular gun. In my experience COAL is critical on .308 1919s. Too short or too long and they won't feed right. If you are going for precision shooting, most people find that around 0.005" off the lands is good for small calibers. Many 50BMG shooters go with 0.020". Of course, if you are loading borerider type projectiles, you will want them on the lands. This can be dangerous for non borerider bullets though. If you don't know what a borerider is, there's a 99.9999999% chance that you are not using them. So, 0.005" of the lands is a good starting place unless, feeding from a mag is critical to your needs.

[Jonathan Doe]

For rapid fire portions of high power match, I seat the bullets to the magazine length, and for the slow fire stage, I seat it out to about .010" from the rifleing. Works very well for me.

[XDRoX]

For a new reloader, always load pistol to maximum length that will function in your firearm.

[1lostinspace]

my bolt gun is 2.35" my AR's 2.25" 2.26"
for .223

Here is what I did to find out my COL on my Rifle.
I took a case neck sized it loose so the bullet can be forced back, then placed in the case deep enough then placed in the chamber and closed the bolt.

It came out 2.36" so I backed out a bit to 2.35" and my groups are soooo tight!

[Masterdebater]

hmmm okay so my manual said oal with most bullets go 2.6 but with my lee load data sheet it said with all the parts and powder im using go 2.2 so i put them all about 2.2-2.25

edit this is with an ar15 .223

[bruceflinch]

my bolt gun is 2.35" my AR's 2.25" 2.26"
for .223

Here is what I did to find out my COL on my Rifle.
I took a case neck sized it loose so the bullet can be forced back, then placed in the case deep enough then placed in the chamber and closed the bolt.

It came out 2.36" so I backed out a bit to 2.35" and my groups are soooo tight!

I do that for my bolt guns. AR load is shorter.

I know Benchrest shooters that use minimal neck tension & very shallow seated bullets, so that when the bolt closes, the chamber/throat actually seats the bullet a bit further. Talk about tight groups! Of course they are only loading one round at a time.

[SixPointEight]

2.200-2.250 is a huge variation. Hope you didn't make one run of ammo with that much variation unless you want to see how different depths feed. For my AR I run at 2.255" unless my bullet has a cannelure. Then I seat there and crimp.