OAL Question

[racinready300ex]

Loading for a 223 trying to come up with my OAL. I used the hornady OAL tool, and came up with a 1.854 OG. But if I pressed a little harder I could get 1.869 or so. This method didn't seem real consistent, I'd end up measuring it 10 times trying to come up with something. I worked up a load based on the 1.854 numbers

Today, I decided to size a case until I could seat the bullet by hand and get it back out by hand. I chambered this round letting the rifling press the bullet into the case. I measured this round at 1.950.

So what method is more accurate? I'm thinking the second way would be, and when I thought I was loading .15 jam I was really running a .2 jump?

Now I'm thinking I need to try at bit longer OAL and see if I can tighten up my groups. I seem to be stuck in the .5-.75" groups at 100 yards.

[Captain Finlander]

All you can do is try. It is suppose to make things more accurate when the bullets is seated to the lands but every rifle is different.

[CRNA]

Just curious. I am going to start load development soon for my new rig myself. By seating he bullet by hand and chambering it, did it not pull the bullet out when you opened the bolt? Seems like a good idea, but I don't see how you keep from having an action full of powder.

[jmeister]

but every rifle is different.

so is every bullet/ogive, measuring OAL instead of using a comparator will have you chasing your tail

[GaCop]

I've got an older sinclair OAL guage. Yes, I have to measure each bullet weight I'll be loading and will do at least 5 measures with each bullet averaging the results that I record in my loading notes.

[racinready300ex]

but every rifle is different.

so is every bullet/ogive, measuring OAL instead of using a comparator will have you chasing your tail


The numbers I gave are all based off of Ogive measured with a comparator.