[jw29650]

What should be the expected variance in seating depth OAL of loaded rounds due to bullet shapes? I have been trying to load somw .223 rounds and have OAL variances from 2.261 to 2.247 in length from tip to base. I understand there is variances due to the bullet shape and that measuring from the tip to base does not represent the distance that the bullet will jump to meet the lands in the bore. Is there a brand of bullet manufacturer that is more consistant than others?

[Mal H]

Nosler Ballistic Tips and other similar bullet designs are very consistent in length. Any lead nosed bullet is going to be less so since the lead gets banged around from the time it leaves the bullet swaging machines. Most hollow points are fairly consistent, but I've found some brands that are not.

The .014" you noticed isn't uncommon for lead pointed bullets. Just be sure your seating die is pushing on or near the ogive rather than directly on the point and the measured difference, tip to head, won't matter that much. Without springing for more sophisticated equipment, you can usually get very close to the published OAL's if you set up your seating dies with the most perfectly pointed bullet you can find in the box.