No minimum OAL for Lee loading data

[coondogger]

I'm loading for 270 win. The data I'm using is from Lee Precision's Modern Reloading. It entails using a starting load of 32.2 grains of IMR 4198 to propell a 130 grain Hornady SP Interlock bullet.

Several things. The bullet has a cannelure. Also, there is no minimum COAL listed for the staring load; only for the never exceed load. For the never exceed load the min. OAL is 3.250". Even if I use that for a starting load, it falls well short of the cannelure.

Lee says I can simply crimp below the cannelure, but does not say at what OAL. Except that I wasn't planning on crimping at all since it's being fired from a Ruger No. 1 single shot rifle.

Any thoughts?

 

[wankerjake]

My thoughts:

Seat to cannelure unless you want to seat near the lands, then find your lands and seat accordingly

Don’t crimp


I never even look at the suggested OAL for a cannelured bullet or for a bullet I plan seating just short of the lands

 

[WeekendReloader]

In the LEE manual, the OAL applies to both the start and max loads. Whoever pressure tests loads will typically seat all the bullets to the same OAL and only change the amount of powder.
You can seat with a shorter or longer OAL if you want, just be aware that it changes the internal volume of the case. When seating shorter, you want to drop your starting powder charge a bit to be safe, then work up.

 

[wankerjake]

Also it should be assumed the minimum OAL would be to the cannelure, maximum is at your lands

 

[greyling22]

Oal is largely irrelevant as long as it fits in the magazine and isn't something stupid. I'd follow wankerjakes advice.

 

[coondogger]

Also it should be assumed the minimum OAL would be to the cannelure, maximum is at your lands

The listed minimum OAL is way short of the cannelure.

 

[AJC1]

The listed minimum OAL is way short of the cannelure.

You can always use Sami minimum and maximum oal if your looking for hard numbers. A minimum load and whatever you seat it to works really.

 

[wankerjake]

The listed minimum OAL is way short of the cannelure.

Then it’s a typo if you have data for that exact bullet

The cannelure is the suggested seating depth, that’s why it’s there. There shouldn’t ever be a reason to go shorter, especially in that cartridge. The reason to seat longer would be to try and maximize accuracy

I suggest seating to the cannelure and starting low on the data and work up as you would

 

[mdi]

Follow book OAL, ignore cannalure (unless you are reloading for a semi-auto the slams a new cartridge in the chamber no crimp is needed). I have 4 rifles that I reload for and none are crimped. Experimented with my 30-06 Garand with crimped vs no crimp and found no "deep seated"/setback...

 

[wankerjake]

It’s probably not the same bullet you are referencing. Boat tail vs flat base or something. The cannelure is the COAL for that bullet. You can go longer up to your lands.

Hodgdon lists 3.18” for a generic “hornady 130gr SP”

I don’t have a Hornady manual in front of me but if you post a product number for that exact bullet I’ll take bets on what the OAL to the cannelure comes to vs what the Hornady manual says

And again published OAL is a suggestion. On a bullet with a cannelure that is a common bullet for a caliber (as it is in this case), that’s going to be the default length and there is no reason to reference it.

In practice, Anywhere between your cannelure and your lands is going to be fine and often times you can get better accuracy by extending OAL towards your lands

 

[stringnut]

Looking at the Hornady manual All the 130 gr. bullets are listed at 3.210. This is a bit shorter than what you are referencing. If it will chamber at that length you are probably good to go. Seat a bullet to that length, coat it with a sharpie, drop it in, see if the action will close. Remove and see if the rifling took some of the marker off. If it did shorten it a bit. You can always go a bit shorter.

Don’t crimp. No need to with bolt, single shot, or pump. People that I know with a Bar and Remington semi auto don’t crimp and have not had issues.

Don’t worry about the cannelure. It may be useful for semiauto , or, some specific application.

Curious about using 4198. Reduced load?

 

[coondogger]

Looking at the Hornady manual All the 130 gr. bullets are listed at 3.210. This is a bit shorter than what you are referencing. If it will chamber at that length you are probably good to go. Seat a bullet to that length, coat it with a sharpie, drop it in, see if the action will close. Remove and see if the rifling took some of the marker off. If it did shorten it a bit. You can always go a bit shorter.

Don’t crimp. No need to with bolt, single shot, or pump. People that I know with a Bar and Remington semi auto don’t crimp and have not had issues.

Don’t worry about the cannelure. It may be useful for semiauto , or, some specific application.

Curious about using 4198. Reduced load?

It’s not technically a reduced load but it is a lower recoil load and good for plinking to a 100 yds.

 

[Bcwitt]

Are you sure that is not lead bullet data? Lee lists data for lots of cast bullets.

 

[coondogger]

Well, the cartridges that are seated at the minimum OAL listed will not even fit in the rifle. In fact, only the ones seated at the cannelure will fit. I'm going to write an email to Lee and ask them to address this. It might be a typo in their data.

 

[jmorris]

The listed minimum OAL (3.250”) is way short of the cannelure.

Seems odd, what is your case length and part number for the bullet? Hornady lists a COL .025” longer than the data you are referring to, with the 130gn SP.

 

[coondogger]

Seems odd, what is your case length and part number for the bullet? Hornady lists a COL .025” longer than the data you are referring to, with the 130gn SP.

View attachment 979392

I know. Here's the email from the tech at Hornady:

ted at: 02-19-2021 02:37
Mr. Fogel,
Thank you for your email. We tested our 130gr Interlock SP at a COL or 3.210".



Thank you

[email protected] commented at: 02-19-2021 07:46

I am loading a 270 cartridge. I'm using 32.2 grains of IMR 4198 to propell a 130 grain Hornady SP Interlock bullet. I'm using Lee Precision's load data but it does not indicate a minimum OAL for a starting load, which is what I'm using. The bullet has a cannelure
but I would also like to have an actual minimum OAL measurement. Can you supply me with that number?

 

[coondogger]

Seems odd, what is your case length and part number for the bullet? Hornady lists a COL .025” longer than the data you are referring to, with the 130gn SP.

View attachment 979392

The bullet number is #2730. This whole recipe is, as we say, 'gefok en deurmekaar'.