What am I doing wrong?

[fstdraw]

OK, I'm hip deep into my reloading .223. My brass is trimmed to plus or minus a thousandth. Bullets seem good (55gr ball with a cannalure). I've switched RCBS single stage presses twice and still I can't get a consistant OAL to my reloads. I'm a stickeler for details and proper OAL, this is driving me nuts. One shell will be 2.220, the next 2.238. Two will be a perfect 2.220, than bam, 2.234 or 2.218. Am I missing something, or am I just a moron? I've loaded 1,000's of pistol rounds with little or no problem. Thanks for your time.

 

[fstdraw]

OK, I'm hip deep into my reloading .223. My brass is trimmed to plus or minus a thousandth. Bullets seem good (55gr ball with a cannalure). I've switched RCBS single stage presses twice and still I can't get a consistant OAL to my reloads. I'm a stickeler for details and proper OAL, this is driving me nuts. One shell will be 2.220, the next 2.238. Two will be a perfect 2.220, than bam, 2.234 or 2.218. Am I missing something, or am I just a moron? I've loaded 1,000's of pistol rounds with little or no problem. Thanks for your time.

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

I have experienced this when trying to seat bullets over a compressed load.

Also, a lot of bulk bought FMJ bullets used for the .223 are inconsistant in their ogive in my experience. That will play havoc with trying to get a consistant OAL.

I hope this helps.

 

[Maddog 521]

Do a search for "Bullet Ogive". Your die seat stem is seating from the ogive, thats why there is a difference.

 

[fstdraw]

Thank you tons guys, I'll check and see what I can do. Bullets are winchester, but I do see how the ogive could be a problem. I assume a different seating stem might solve this problem?

 

[OKFC05]

If you are loading bulk ball bullets, a difference in OAL may make little difference, due to other non-symmetries. Those aren't exactly 600yd target bullets, anyway.

Now if I were loading something like a Speer match bullet, I'd worry about consistent OAL.

 

[fstdraw]

OKFC05, at this point, I agree. Now that you mention it, I loaded up some 60gr. V-Max, no cannalure, and all were within a 1000th or two, acceptable to me. Thanks

 

[rewster]

Originally posted by fstdraw:
OKFC05, at this point, I agree. Now that you mention it, I loaded up some 60gr. V-Max, no cannalure, and all were within a 1000th or two, acceptable to me. Thanks

Not to be a nitpicker but do you really mean a 100th rather than a 1000th ?

If you are using the bullet point to measure OAL from you will get wide variances. I use a Hornady Lock-N-Load Bullet Comparator and Anvil Base Kit with a .224 insert. This way you measure from the base of the case to the ogive of the bullet. You can also get other inserts for other cartridges.

 

[arkypete]

Something else you can do is fill the cup of your seating die with sealing wax, the stuff used to seal letters and put seals on documents.
Get the stem hot and melt the wax into the cup and set it on a bullet and allow to cool. This will form to the bullet.
Another option is to drill out the cup so the tip of the bullet is held closely along the ogive and the end of the cup pushes on the bullet tip.

Jim

 

[JoeHatley]

One shell will be 2.220, the next 2.238. Two will be a perfect 2.220, than bam, 2.234 or 2.218.

Just a SWAG, but I'd bet a small undisclosed amount of money, that your primer pockets are an inconsistent depth. Some of those primers are sitting a bit proud of the case base, and that's the variable when you check OAL.

Maybe...

Joe

 

[S/W - Lifer]

Great ideas here looking at bullets, primers and compressed loads. I'd bet on the bulk bullets but it could easily be any of the 3.

The standards for accuracy in battle rifles are pretty marginal. You can usually locate that data in the field manual. I saw the standards for ball, tracer, match etc. ammo and it was pretty generous. I wouldn't expect much from bulk 5.56 bullets.

 

[Noah Zark]

No offense, but don't forget to push the press handle through its full stroke.

I've been guilty of short-stroking the press handle a time or two.

No comments, now!

Noah

 

[DougE]

 

[fstdraw]

S/W-Lifer; Bullets seem to be the problem. Each time I load my high quality bullets, I'm always within a thousandth or two of where I need to be. Bulk 55gr. bullets just don't seem to seat as accurately. I'll get used to it .

JoeHatley; right you are, when I went back to using my hand primer tool, the shallow primer problem went away.

thomashoward; I'll get hold of Hornady and ask about the case gauge, anything to make my reloads better.

arkypete; I'll try the wax idea to take up the slack in the seater cup.

rewster; I've always refered to those measurements as "thousandths", I may be wrong. At least you and I know what I mean. I've learned the error of my ways trying to measure from the bullet tip, thanks for the heads up.

 

[Wayne M]

rewster has a great point: make certain you measure the oal FROM the ogive and not the tip. Can't remember the name of it now but a handy gadget is a hex type tool with several holes in it that will allow you to measure from the ogive. OAL from base to tip will differ greatly between bullets out of the same box, even match bullets.

 

[fstdraw]

Thank you Wayne M, I've learned that and am doing as suggested, going from the ogive. Thanks to all that helped me with this problem. This is the best forum on the net!