Trying different .223 bullets, need quick advice...

[IMC87]

So I loaded up my first 1k of .223 using Lake City bullets...
The bullet was seated to the canalure on the bullet, and was also perfect in achieving the COAL requirements.

Now I bought another 1k bullets, this time from Golden West Brass (local to me)
Their canalure is a bit lower than the lake city bullets...

Can I continue to load them with the way my dies are set up and not worry about losing any accuracy or such? The COAL is still the same this way. My lake city rounds, when complete, the canalure is slightly visible when loaded, the golden west brass ones are covered by the neck

-Rich

[XDRoX]

You certainly don't have to use the cannelure, but since they're new bullets that you have not loaded before, personally I would adjust the die and use the cannelure and see how they shoot.

[IMC87]

Ok, I'll load a little and try them out first

[Jonathan Doe]

For my semiautomatic firearms, I usually loaded to the maximum magazine length whether there is cannelure or not. It worked pretty good for me.

[IMC87]

So canalure or NO canalure, as long as I load to the specified COAL then things should be ok right? I mean these arent precision loads or anything, this is plinking ammo for my AR15.

After a quick check, my COAL of the newer bullets is 2.261
COAL of the lake city is 2.228
(when loaded to the canalure)

OAL of Golden west bullet (with lower canalure) is .746
OAL of Lake City bullet is .754

[Abenaki]

"So canalure or NO canalure, as long as I load to the specified COAL then things should be ok right? I mean these arent precision loads or anything, this is plinking ammo for my AR15."

Well.....yes and no. Since all chambers are different....make sure that it functions safely in your firearm. Don't take any thing for granted. Remember that the COAL listed in a reloading book, is what worked for them.

Take care
Abenaki

[IMC87]

Well with the lake city, crimped at the canalure, my first batch of 1k has worked flawlessly for me with good accuracy results (wasnt going for accuracy, but achieved decent results) and chambers very well...

With that said, would it be OK to load up my newest batch of 1k Golden west bullets to the SAME COAL as my lake city bullets? I'm only worried that with my first 1k, the neck is up to the canalure, but with my next 1k (which I am starting) the neck COVERS the canalure.

From the answers I'm reading, I need not worry about the canalure as long as the COAL that has worked for me/ my rifle is the same?

[GeoffLinder]

If this is a 55gr bullet and the COAL is between 2.215 and 2.245 you are good to go whether the cannelure is visible or not. In fact, where the cannelure sits means very little in a world of things.

I would just stick with the same OAL and move on for now as long as your charge weight is near the minimum recommended load from a data book. If not, drop a couple tenths on the powder charge and test a few rounds for pressure sign before moving back up to same charge weight whenever you change bullet type.

[IMC87]

Ya, this was for a 55gr bullet.
Thanks for the replys guys, I'm heading to the range tomorrow so i'll just load a small batch for now to double check for any signs of pressure before I load all 1k.

Good to have fellow calgunners that can help
-Rich