rfwobbly
Member
Mr Clongest -
Welcome to the fun of reloading.
• Per your statement above, the OAL is completely determined by how your bullet fits into your barrel. The only person that can "give you an OAL" that's worth a toot is someone with the exact same pistol and exact same bullet, and even then you can get variations. Sometimes (for instance) a bullet's shape allows it to fit all Colt and Kimber chambers so a 'folk lore' builds up around a certain OAL that 80% of the shooters are using, but that's still no guarantee that it will work in your gun at all. The mantra then becomes: "Trust but Verify."
• Lead is going to be problematic for a new reloader. Lead bullets are simply larger diameter and so it takes more work on your part to work out all the details. It's not hard once you've done it twice, but the first time can be a headache. IMHO for your first reloads in any gun, plated or jacketed bullets are the way to go. THEN with that positive experience under your belt, move on to lead.
• The first place to start with any new reload is to get the physical shape of the loaded cartridge right. You can best do this by making up 4 or 5 test cartridges with no powder and no primer. In the end, these should drop right into your naked barrel's chamber (ie removed from the gun)with a Clink! by using only their own weight. If it won't drop all the way in and then all the way back out, you have more work to do.
Hope this helps!
