If you get this, you got it when it comes to loading cartridges. OAL means NOTHING unless you understand seating depth. Same weight bullets, similar profiles, can have very different seating depths with the same cartridge OAL.

Since I am an electrical/electronics/engineering technician, I KNOW that not everything electrical or of an electronic nature is as fool proof as we tend to believe.

Stuff like that is only as good as the individual calibrating or the tools used to calibrate them are. That being said, there has been some dumbing down of data, for whatever reason. The old data can still be used if you take note of what firearm you are shooting them out of. If it is yours and rated for the caliber, of a newer manufacturing date, then you just might be able to push the envelope. Case in point: 38Spl in a new revolver rated for 38spl +P ammo or even a 357Mag revolver. Another case in point: 44Spl data from the Elmer days can be safely used in a 44Mag revolver or possibly even a new 44Spl that is made today.

The real problem that comes to mind is when folks try to go out on their own and decide that if xxgr of uber fast powder gives xxxxfps then certainly just a bit more will give xxxx+100fps and it just doesn't work that way. Sometimes, depending on powder, those few extra tenths of a grain can push pressures through the roof, or, through your cylinder as the case may be.


I am going to go out on a limb here but, of the current manuals, there isn't one that has data in it that will blow up a gun that is in fine working order. Flattened primers? Hard extraction? Have a KB in an automatic? Yeah, all of that. Send a gun into oblivion? Um, I strongly doubt it.

Just me though and YMMV and so might your opinion!