The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Skunkworks > Handloading, Reloading, and Bullet Casting

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old May 29, 2005, 10:37 PM   #1
StrikeEagle
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 29, 2004
Posts: 264
.45 ACP Cast Bullets: OAL

I'm reloading some National Bullet Co 230 RN cast bullets. But I'm wondering what the OAL of the rounds should be here.

http://www.nationalbullet.com/41-6.html

As you can see, the 230 .45 bullets have a bit of a step where the bearing surface ends and the ogive starts. If I load that 'step' even with the case mouth, the OAL seems a bit short... 1.250" or less. If I load to a greater OAL... say, 1.270" or so, that step just kind of looks bad and gets kind of battered in the feeding process.

What would you do here? What OAL should I load this bullet to?

Thank you!
StrikeEagle
StrikeEagle is offline  
Old May 29, 2005, 11:00 PM   #2
Unclenick
Staff
 
Join Date: March 4, 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 21,013
1.275 is the standard OAL, but don't fret that. With lead you will get best accuracy headspacing off the bullet anyway. Battering of the front of a bullet does little of significance to ballistics. It's the squareness of the base that matters.

To headspace off the bullet, load it with the seating die backed out to where the cartridge is too long. Slowly inch it down until the cartridge head rests flush with the back of the barrel hood (barrel extension) on a 1911. For other pistols, let it get back against the breech face. For revolver, just make sure it doesn't stick out of the cylinder and interfer.

Nick
Unclenick is offline  
Old May 30, 2005, 08:16 AM   #3
HSMITH
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 21, 2002
Posts: 2,019
I load them to 1.250-1.275" with no problems and good accuracy. The only way to find out is to load some up and shoot them in your gun. Some guns like 'em long and some guns like 'em short.
HSMITH is offline  
Old May 30, 2005, 08:22 AM   #4
WESHOOT2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 20, 1999
Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country)
Posts: 14,324
actual experience

Suggest an OAL as long as you can maintain 100% reliability; 100%.

Suggest an OAL of 1.250" (I use 1.242" for 230g LRN in MY gun). Some guns allow longer OAL's due to chamber shape, while some might require going as short as 1.220".
Consider reducing powder charge slightly as OAL shortens.......
__________________
.
"all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo"
WESHOOT2 is offline  
Old May 30, 2005, 06:49 PM   #5
StrikeEagle
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 29, 2004
Posts: 264
Ok... I'll keep playing with it. Thank you all for the great advice.

StrikeEagle
StrikeEagle is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:01 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.05491 seconds with 10 queries