acemisser, For purposes of my response, I use the acronyms OAL and COAL to mean the same thing-the overall length of the cartridge from the base of the case to the tip of the seated bullet. The OAL of the cartridge from the base of the brass to the tip of the seated bullet is almost a meaningless dimension except in determining if the cartridge will fit into the rifle's magazine. Do you have the tools necessary to accurately measure the length of the cartridge from the base of the case to the OGIVE of the seated bullet? Without these inexpensive but necessary tools, you are just guessing about the distance from the ogive of the bullet to the rifling in the barrel.
Hornady makes an OAL Gauge and Bullet Comparator which, when used together, will give you very accurate dimensions for bullet "jump" to the rifling. Sinclair and other manufacturers also sell such tools. Midway, Sinclair, Cabela's, and other internet ratailers usually carry these tools. Others on this site have described the home-made tools they use to measure this dimension. Conduct a search on this forum to find some good recommendations.
In my OPINION, there are about three ways you can develop unsafe pressures: 1) Exceeding the recommended powder levels as stated in various reloading manuals; 2) Excessive compression of the powder by seating the bullet too deeply. Over time, this excessive compression of the powder can also slightly "nudge" the bullet a little out of the case, making the OAL of the cartridge a bit longer; 3) Seating the bullet so it is forced into the lands with a near maximum powder charge. This practice can also make a "mell of a hess" when you have to extract the chambered cartridge before firing. Bullet is stuck in the rifling, powder is all over everything and one's face is very red with embarrassment, etc. Some experienced hand-loaders will disagree with my opinion on this third item.
I hope these brief comments will provide you with a few ideas to achieve the exact bullet seating depth you want.
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