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Posted: 6/30/2013 10:48:09 AM EDT
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As a novice re-loader I've been going strictly by my manuals without much cross-checking, however I recently purchased a bottle of 700X and to load .45acp 230gr. TMJ, Hornady 9th had no recommendation,
Lyman 49 stated a 230 grain TMJ @ OAL of 1.275". As I checked the Hogdon site it suggests a 230 bullet @ OAL of 1.20", which I've already loaded and fired @ 1.20" and is A-OK. My question is as I am understanding as long as OAL is between min. and max. and it fits mags and cycles in the firearm OAL is a matter of choice. I have noticed most seem to load out to approx. 1.250"-1.260". I loaded five @ 1.250" dummies and all cycled fine , just haven't been to the range this week. I believe precision shooters try to have their bullets just off the rifling, I don't ever see myself EVER being astute enough to see that difference, SEE being an operative word @ my age. |
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In 230 FMJ std round nose bullet, the OAL can typically vary from 1.26 to 1.275. If you seat it long make sure it cycles in your pistol. You can load some dummies to test cycling by hand.
Just off the rifling is not applicable to 1911 and semiauto handgun shooting. It all depends upon the bullet, Hodgdon may be using a flatter nose bullet like some Hornady types. A normal 230 gr round nose FMJ should not be seated at 1.2 normally. Make sure you get a good taper crimp that will take out the bell, hold the bullet in place. The .45 ACP indexes or "headspaces" on the case mouth. So you have to have the edge of the case mouth just snug to the bullet, but still able to see and and feel it pronounced above the bullet surface. |
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Bill Wilson once said that 230 gr RN feeds best out of 1911 when loaded to 1.250. I dont normally take statements like that entirely at face value, but it seems to be an accurate statement.
Just remember, when loading pistol ammo, the priorities are pressure first, feeding second, accuracy third. Shortening the round will increase pressure in most pistol loads. Major adjustments to length from a known load should be worked back up after reducing the charge a bit. |
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Quoted: OAL is bullet and PISTOL specific, not manual specific. It needs to Fit-Feed-Fire in YOUR pistol regardless what the manual says. If it does feed and fire there is really no need to worry pressure is there. No, no, no. Minimum and maximum OAL is a SAAMI spec. It is to ensure ammo will safely fire in any firearm correctly chambered in that caliber. (not necessarily feed, as that is based on the geometry of the bullet and its relation to the feed ramps on a specific firearm) Now optimal OAL for accuracy is firearm specific but newbs need to be worried about making safe ammo at first and can worry about tweeking OAL to find the optimal seating off the lands later. And finally, saying 'if it does feed and fire..' is careless advice easily taken out of context at best, dangerous and reckless at worst. |
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Quoted: As a novice re-loader I've been going strictly by my manuals without much cross-checking, however I recently purchased a bottle of 700X and to load .45acp 230gr. TMJ, Hornady 9th had no recommendation, Lyman 49 stated a 230 grain TMJ @ OAL of 1.275". As I checked the Hogdon site it suggests a 230 bullet @ OAL of 1.20", which I've already loaded and fired @ 1.20" and is A-OK. My question is as I am understanding as long as OAL is between min. and max. and it fits mags and cycles in the firearm OAL is a matter of choice. Correct. SAAMI spec for OAL for 45ACP is 1.190 to 1.275 page 49 of link I gave above. I have noticed most seem to load out to approx. 1.250"-1.260". I loaded five @ 1.250" dummies and all cycled fine , just haven't been to the range this week. I believe precision shooters try to have their bullets just off the rifling, I don't ever see myself EVER being astute enough to see that difference, SEE being an operative word @ my age. That is much much more applicable to rifle handloaders. |
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Being new to reloading, follow data on OAL is a good idea. With auto pistol rounds it is critical to not load shorter than the called out OAL. I load to 1.250 with my 45 ACP loads. Works fine in a 1911 style pistol. Other pistols may need a different OAL for feeding. High pressure can result when you load "short" with auto pistol rounds. Bottle neck rifle rounds, OAL is not so critical. Here we worry about feeding and mag length.
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Quoted:
Bill Wilson once said that 230 gr RN feeds best out of 1911 when loaded to 1.250. I dont normally take statements like that entirely at face value, but it seems to be an accurate statement. Just remember, when loading pistol ammo, the priorities are pressure first, feeding second, accuracy third. Shortening the round will increase pressure in most pistol loads. Major adjustments to length from a known load should be worked back up after reducing the charge a bit. Really? Pressure first and feeding second? Why the hell would you need to worry about "pressure" if the round won't feed or fire? You gunna take the ammo home, place in glass case and put it on your mantel for show and tell? Hay look at this "Pressure Safe" ammo I handloaded! Can't shoot it cuz it won't feed or fire, but it's loaded to "safe Pressures"! FIT-FEED-FIRE first and foremost. After all if it doesn't FIT-FEED-FIRE, there is no need to worry about pressure is there. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Bill Wilson once said that 230 gr RN feeds best out of 1911 when loaded to 1.250. I dont normally take statements like that entirely at face value, but it seems to be an accurate statement. Just remember, when loading pistol ammo, the priorities are pressure first, feeding second, accuracy third. Shortening the round will increase pressure in most pistol loads. Major adjustments to length from a known load should be worked back up after reducing the charge a bit. Really? Pressure first and feeding second? Why the hell would you need to worry about "pressure" if the round won't feed or fire? You gunna take the ammo home, place in glass case and put it on your mantel for show and tell? Hay look at this "Pressure Safe" ammo I handloaded! Can't shoot it cuz it won't feed or fire, but it's loaded to "safe Pressures"! FIT-FEED-FIRE first and foremost. After all if it doesn't FIT-FEED-FIRE, there is no need to worry about pressure is there. Read what you just typed. If the pressure is too high and you blow your gun all to shit, will it really matter if it feeds well or not? Every cartridge can be made to fire if it went through a resizing die that was set properly. It may catch or hang up, but it can be seated in the chamber with a little fiddling. Safety first. Thats common sense. You shouldnt even be arguing this point. Its logic like this that blows up handguns. Long loaded 147 gr 9mm doesnt always work too hot in CZ's. If we follow your line of thought, we can just keep shortening it up until it works, right? 
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Bill Wilson once said that 230 gr RN feeds best out of 1911 when loaded to 1.250. I dont normally take statements like that entirely at face value, but it seems to be an accurate statement. Just remember, when loading pistol ammo, the priorities are pressure first, feeding second, accuracy third. Shortening the round will increase pressure in most pistol loads. Major adjustments to length from a known load should be worked back up after reducing the charge a bit. Really? Pressure first and feeding second? Why the hell would you need to worry about "pressure" if the round won't feed or fire? You gunna take the ammo home, place in glass case and put it on your mantel for show and tell? Hay look at this "Pressure Safe" ammo I handloaded! Can't shoot it cuz it won't feed or fire, but it's loaded to "safe Pressures"! FIT-FEED-FIRE first and foremost. After all if it doesn't FIT-FEED-FIRE, there is no need to worry about pressure is there. Read what you just typed. If the pressure is too high and you blow your gun all to shit, will it really matter if it feeds well or not? Every cartridge can be made to fire if it went through a resizing die that was set properly. It may catch or hang up, but it can be seated in the chamber with a little fiddling. Safety first. Thats common sense. You shouldnt even be arguing this point. Its logic like this that blows up handguns. Long loaded 147 gr 9mm doesnt always work too hot in CZ's. If we follow your line of thought, we can just keep shortening it up until it works, right? Make dummy rounds(No primer/No powder) FIRST. Make sure these dummy rounds FIT in the mag and FIT in the barrel. Then make sure they FEED and cycle through the action. Once you know they will FIT-FEED-FIRE you can go to your load data and compare your OAL and your Components to published data. Then you can select your powder charges and worry about pressure. After all if you can't get it to feed and cycle no reason to fill the case with powder. |
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