RE: As a hypothetical exercise
homatok,
I completely agree with your hypothetical exercise, that the deeper seated a bullet is you must reduce your powder charge or experience excessive pressure and possible injury or death!
I am not trying to shout at you or anyone else with my words that are in bold type, just using bold type to emphasize some of my points.
So, to get on with it
My example of different length bullets seated into equal length cases shows that the volume is reduced with the longer bullets.
The point I was trying to make was that
IF you reload to the
MAXIMUM WORKING OAL or the
MAXIMUM OAL listed in your reloading manuals,
SPECIFICALY for the type (shape, weight etc.) of bullet you are using the
SEATING DEPTH is not a factor in producing a cartridge that will have excessive pressure.
Examples:
Data from MODERN RELOADING 2nd EDDITION:
BULLET POWDER START LOAD MAX LOAD MIN.OAL
115gr JRN ACCUR #2 3.6gr 4.5gr 1.077"
115gr C plate RN ACCUR #2 3.8gr 4.6gr 1.140"
124gr C plate RN ACCUR #2 3.3gr 4.1gr 1.060"
Data from WESTERN POWDER HAND GUN DATA:
115gr C plate(RAIN)RN ACCUR #2 3.8gr 4.6gr 1.140"
124gr C plate(RAIN)RN ACCUR #2 3.8gr 4.6gr 1.160"
As
MY MAXIMUM WORKING OAL is
GREATER THAN the
MIN. OAL for these
BULLET SPECIFIC start and max loads I will not have a problem with excessive pressure.
The problem of excessive pressure enters when the reloader
DOES NOT use data for their
SPECIFIC bullet/gun powder type.
The OP was concerned with seating depth and a possibility of over-pressure in his loads. If he follows the load data for HIS type of bullet and HIS gun powder, as long as HIS cartridge OAL is over the MIN OAL listed for HIS load, seating depth does not enter as a factor into an over-pressure situation.
Going beyond published data WILL enter into excessive pressure territory.
This is a great discussion, especially for beginning reloaders concerned with safe reloading practices