I am working up a load for my .223. I have been having some trouble getting a consistent COL. My loads have been varying between 2.190 and 2.205. My dies are tight and the seating stem is not moving during seating. The bullets seem to fit pretty tight in the cartridge neck. If I dont wedge the bullet into the case mouth, the tip of the bullet gets shaved off by the die. If I wedge them into the case I get inconsistent length. Should I try a boatail bullet? I've never had this problem with my 300 Win, is this common with smaller calibers?

How do you measure the COL ? If from bullet tip, you'll never get accurate measurements as bullets length from the same box differ. The only reliable measures are taken from the bullet ogive, using a comparator (Sinclair, Stoney point, etc.).

Andr� is right on. Also, you might have thicker necked brass that is a bit tighter than it should be. Yes, smaller calibers are a bit more affected by slight variances in brass and dies. Besides a comparator for measuring your cartridges you might be a candidate for a bushing die to enable you to adjust the grip on the bullets. In the .223 your grip should be .001". That is the difference in diameter of the neck between a sized case and a case with the bullet seated.