Okay guys I am loading up .223 using 40 gr. V-max Hornady bullets.

Now the book I am using says OAL is 2.215

So do I need to seat the bullet so the overall lenght is 2.215?

Cases have been trimmed to specs new winchester brass and trimmed flush.

Lyman book BTW.

I promise no more newbie questions for at least a day.

Only did 44 mag handguns back in the day.

Thanks all.

That's the way they did it in the book. BUT, no it's not necessary to follow the OAL exactly. Many shooters try to load the bullet out to tough the rifling, which, sometimes, gives better accuracy. Sometimes you'll have to shorten it to fit in a box magazine etc. So it's not a rule set in stone.
One thing to keep in mind is, that if you shorten it a great deal, you reduce the space for the powder. When you do that you raise pressures. You should always work up loads for this reason. But, in truth, I doubt it would make a huge difference with, with safe loads, to experiment with seating depth, as long as you don't make enormous changes.

The OAL is a over all good measurement that should work in several different type rifles. On some of the lighter bullets they cannot be seated way out to reach close to the rifling because they are to short. The OAL is a good place to start if in doubt. But I have found in some cases the book shows an OAL that is hard to get with lighter bullets. One way to start bulet seating depth is to measure a factory round of that bullet weight and start there. If factory doesn't offer it then seat the bullet so that the base of it is even or close to the end of the neck of the case.

The oal listed in a loading manual is correct for the rifle that they publishers of the loading manual used.Since throat lengths vary considerably from rifle to rifle,the manuals overall length may not be the optimum or in some cases even usable in your particular rifle.I measure the length to the lands and the magazine length in my particular rifle and start from there.

reef12:
The simple answer to your question is YES.

I strongly suggest that you follow the loading specs in the Lyman book. Later, when you feel more comfortable with all of the procedures and are knowledgeable and confident enough in your reloading methods, THEN you might consider some of the advanced stuff like OAL to fit your specific chamber and so on.

As for "newbie questions", ask questions all you want - that is what this forum is all about; sharing knowledge.

NONE of us is as smart as ALL of us.

"NONE OF US IS AS SMART AS ALL OF US"


Wise words.

Okay will seat to size.
I have measured a .223 in 55 gr and that is where I took my seating depth from.

Which is 2.249 so will have to seat .34 deeper

So I know will function in rifle.


And make note of depth.

Thanks to all

Be advised though, especially with lead nose spitzers the bullet length will vary slightly, so your OAL will vary with it. Don't get worked up about that last .005 just yet! Your bullet seater SHOULD press on a ring about halfway down the curve of the bullet nose and put the base of well made bullets into about the same depth...but a dented/flattened nose (from merely being in a box with a bunch of others and handled/shipped/dropped etc) will measure short.

Measure and set your bullet seater per mfg. instructions, then assemble 5, measure and average, throw out any measurements that are suspect and you have a reasonable estimate of OAL. And .005" doesn't matter in 99.9% of the rifles out there!

Simple, huh!?!? Flat point/HP pistol bullets are much easier to measure OAL than spitzer point rifle bullets...

Have fun!