I'm working on a load for one of my rifles that is FREE BORED. I'm shooting Barnes TSX bullets. My question is can your C.O.L. get to long to where it might cause problems. The cartridge loads down in the magizine and feeds into the chamber with no problems.
The Manuels call for C.O.L. 3.655" (cartridge overall length or O.C.L. overall cartridge length) and my length is 3.751.

Also with that bullet I believe the load is compressed. However, I'm one grain below Maximum.

Thanks for the help.
Scratch

Forget what the manuals state about OAL ... they aren't using YOUR firearm.

What's to long, 1 well not fit into the mag. 2 bullet seated out to far so it falls out. 3 bullet is jammed into the rifleing and raises pressure. 4 well not feed from the action into the chamber properly.

Barnes says that the minimum amount of bullet required to be seated is 2/3's of the bullets diameter, so if you got super long heavy bullet thats say .308
it only needs to be seated .23 inches or so, weither the bullet is .8 inches long or 1.5 inches long, so aslong as it fits in your chamber safely it can stick out as far as operationaly possible aslong as its atleast 2/3s of the diameter of the bullet into the case...
correct me anyone if im missunderstanding what i read, but that came from a little paper from a barnes tripple shock bullet box!