OAL varience

[dougolupski]

Hi All-
Still new to reloading, only been at it for three weeks but I find my self being really anal retentive. I am currently loading some .223 rounds and my overall length is shifting .006. Is this normal per my setup?

Press: Lee four die turret with basic Lee components.
Brass: is once fired Lake city full length resized then trimmed to 1.757
Rounds: Sierra 69gr HPBT

My OAL is ranging from 2.253-2.260. Is this normal for this type of press and round configuration?

I started loading some Winchester mil spec rounds and those were all over the place +-.015. So I know rounds will shift in length a bit I just want to know if I can get better. Thanks all

[morrow]

What seating and crimp dies are you using? Please describe your setup more in detail so we can give you a better answer. I'd also like to see how much you're crimping the bullets (if at all) with a picture.

That's a little too much variance for my liking but not bad.

One thing to take note of is you always want to tighten down your dies while they're doing their operation. If you have adjusted your size/deprime die and want to tighten it down, do it while the ram is up and shell is in it. If you've adjusted your seating die/seater plug and want to tighten it down, do it while ram is up and bullet is being seated, etc...

[Fyathyrio]

How are you measuring the OAL? If just measuring length with calipers, the variance in the bullets can account for that difference. Using a Hornady comparator will measure off the ogive of the bullet and give a more accurate reading...but you will still have to ensure they are under max mag length if loading for an AR.

[dougolupski]

Lee classic four hole turret press with the auto indexer removed

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/814175/lee-classic-4-hole-turret-press

Lee Pacesetter die set

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/434975/lee-pacesetter-3-die-set-223-remington

All of my dies are lock down tight. The one thing I have noticed is the turret will lift a bit when I seat my round though fro the looks of it it appears consistent. I may stick a dial indicator on it and see it the lift is the same every time.

[dougolupski]

I am just using calipers, I have seen the comparator and thought about purchasing one. I may add one in to my next materials order.

[morrow]

Again, are you crimping the bullet? If so how much?
The LFCD causes all kinds of problems. That's a throw-away item.

[dougolupski]

No I dont crimp my 223 rounds. That die is still fresh out of the box.

[morrow]

If you aren't crimping i'd refer back to what Fyathyrio said, most likely bullet difference. Be sure you're tightening down your seater die correctly as I outlined above. Could be press flex too, but I doubt it.

[Bill Steele]

How are you measuring the OAL? If just measuring length with calipers, the variance in the bullets can account for that difference. Using a Hornady comparator will measure off the ogive of the bullet and give a more accurate reading...but you will still have to ensure they are under max mag length if loading for an AR.

1+

Don't bother trying to change setups to address OAL measurment differences until you get a comparator.

[damndave]

Like others have said, get a comparator set and measure from the ogive. Just measuring with a caliper is a very inaccurate way of measuring rounds.

[dougolupski]

Thanks for the advice I will add one to my next material order.

[dougolupski]

Since I have y'alls attention is there a good local source in OC LA area I can pick up 8LBS of Varget and a Comparator. I am kind of limited to one store in SB, while not bad everything needs to ordered if its out of the ordinary or over one pound of powder. I am heading down that way this weekend.