Question about OAL?

[Damon Larsen]

Hi everyone, this is my first post. I’m brand spanking new to reloading. Just got my first press setup, Dillon XL750.
Bought some Berry’s 115gr. FMJ bullets and CFE pistol powder.
I haven’t made a live yet, but was setting up the dies. Went on Hodgdon’s website, and according to their data, they list the OAL at 1.100”. Maybe I’m just used to shooting 124gr factory bullets that I’d buy from Walmart...but I swear I’m overseating the bullet. But it looks fine....just small. Hodgdon only shows the OAL at 1.100” and that’s it. No minimum or maximum. Is this what I should go with?
I don’t have a reloading book, and I know I should. But I thought I could get away with using Hodgdon’s handy loading data on their website. Thanks in advance

 

[berettaprofessor]

I run 1.120" with 4.8 grains of CFE pistol and that bullet. Around 1050 fps chronyed.

 

[D Rock]

I usually take the barrel I want to shoot with and do the plunk test, knowing that I want to seat the bullet long enough to feed well.
https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/reloading-tips-the-plunk-test/99389

I've found with 115g Berry's plated 9mm I cas seat at 1.145 to 1.148 (varies due to mixed range brass) and the rounds will reliably feed with my S&W, Beretta, Sig and Glock pistols.

 

[Slamfire]

But it looks fine....just small. Hodgdon only shows the OAL at 1.100” and that’s it. No minimum or maximum. Is this what I should go with?

All good answers so far. In my opinion more OAL out is less troublesome than less OAL. You just do not want the bullet to be so far out of the case that:

1. the bullet falls off. Don't laugh, it will happen to you

2. the bullet jams in the throat and stays in the throat when you extract the round. If it has not happened to you, it will.

3. the bullet jams in the throat and you can't extract the round by racking the slide. This has happened to me several times, always with 1911's with match barrels. The OAL of my 45 ACP rounds were set up so the base of the cartridge was flush with the barrel hood, and that worked great on that pistol. Which was cut with a different reamer than the match pistols. The match pistols, something was different, probably the throat angle, and guess what, the slide would not fully close on the round. But, the round was jammed in the chamber so tight that I could not rack the slide and remove the round by hand. And, because the slide was not fully in battery, I could not fire the weapon! That was the exact point I decided full length guide rods were un necessary. With a standard 1911 you just place the recoil spring plug on the edge of the table, barrel over the edge, and push down. The round will extract. However, a full length guide rod is in the way and won't let you do this. For this reason, my OAL is short enough to function in all my 1911's.And all my full length guide rods went in the parts bin. I am upset that my SIG P220 has a full length guide rod and I wish I could get rid of it, but it is integral to the design.

Long live the 1911!




4. The OAL is so long that the cartridge is too long for the magazine. This was always a problem with AR15 magazines and heavy bullets.

Too short of an OAL is a problem any time you run maximum loads. Maximum loads will turn into over maximum loads with no effect required. I have seen the affect of a pistol bullet being jammed in the case, due to a misfeed, and I can say, the pressures on that round, when fired, were hot, hot, hot!! If however you are running midrange to low pressures, and based on the cartridge, a couple of thousand's, or even a couple of hundredth's less is not going to cause over pressure problems. I cannot say that tenths of an inch less won't, it would have to be a case by case basis.

 

[otisrush]

After a scare with my very first 9mm reloads (I seated them per load data and discovered the chamber on my pistol is VERY short), my process now is I don't do anything until I've done a plunk test prior to working up a load. I then see how the max OAL for that bullet in my gun compares to what is published in various load data sources.

Then, as long as the OAL I found for my gun is reasonably close to what is in the published data sources, I'll load up test loads starting at what the manual recommends.

I did have one situation where what my gun would tolerate was substantially shorter than what was published. I backed off the starting charge to below what was published. Even that (lower) starting point was quite hot, given the short OAL. I ended up stopping there and tearing down the test rounds that were hotter.

As you may have read, and folks will say here, in 9mm the pressure goes up exponentially with shorter OAL. So......my $.02: be cautious.

OR

 

[Blue68f100]

I like to load them as long as I can and still function properly in the gun(s). If I recall I'm in the 1.125" range. But all guns have a preference in what they like. Load up some dummy rounds and to the plunk test first, then check for function.

 

[Outlaw75]

Hi everyone, this is my first post. I’m brand spanking new to reloading. Just got my first press setup, Dillon XL750.
Bought some Berry’s 115gr. FMJ bullets and CFE pistol powder.
I haven’t made a live yet, but was setting up the dies. Went on Hodgdon’s website, and according to their data, they list the OAL at 1.100”. Maybe I’m just used to shooting 124gr factory bullets that I’d buy from Walmart...but I swear I’m overseating the bullet. But it looks fine....just small. Hodgdon only shows the OAL at 1.100” and that’s it. No minimum or maximum. Is this what I should go with?
I don’t have a reloading book, and I know I should. But I thought I could get away with using Hodgdon’s handy loading data on their website. Thanks in advance

The OAL's listed in Hodgdon data are minimum OAL's for a particular load for people who want to compress loads for more pressure. If you're comparing those OAL's to factory ammo they look short because your factory ammo is probably seated at SAAMI standard OAL.

Get a reloading manual, NOW! It will have both the SAAMI standard and load minimum OAL in the reload data. Stick with SAAMI standard for a while before you try to compress loads.

 

[Mike44]

I load the same bullet (Berrys 115 FMJ) at 1.130". As many suggest use the plunk test (search in this forum if you need more info). After the plunk test load some dummy rounds and hand cycle them in your pistol to make certain that they feed OK and fit in the magazine. This way you can start working up a load (starting at the min) knowing that it should work fine in your pistol. Hodgdon's web site gives the COL for the bullet they tested with, but the same weight bullet varies a lot in shape by different manufacturers.

 

[Damon Larsen]

Ok, I definitely will adjust my dies to sammi specs...and definitely get a manual. Didn’t know that the Hodgdon data is minimum. Can’t thank you guys enough for your fast replies and help

 

[higgite]

The OAL's listed in Hodgdon data are minimum OAL's for a particular load for people who want to compress loads for more pressure.......

I respectfully disagree. For instance, Hodgdon lists COL of 1.169" for 9mm FMJs. That is the MAX COL in SAAMI specs. Lots of FMJs are seated to a shorter COL. Mike 44 is correct, Hodgdon lists the COL that a particular bullet was tested at, whether it is FMJ, LRN, or whatever.

 

[Walkalong]

I load the same bullet (Berrys 115 FMJ) at 1.130"

I seat them to fall between 1.130 to 1.135 OAL and they run with no issues. Pretty much works for any 9MM RN unless it is very blunt.

 

[Walkalong]

odgdon lists COL of 1.169" for 9mm FMJs. That is the MAX COL in SAAMI specs. Lots of FMJs are seated to a shorter COL.

Yep.

 

[Erief0g]

No berry's listed in the three books on my lap at the moment. Lyman 49th, an older midway 9mm load map book, and hornady tenth edition. Lyman had nothing for 115 grain. This is simply some reference material to add to your library. Abebooks and thrift books have manuals for around ten bucks.

 

[peterk1234]

I have a gun with a match barrel that requires me to limit my OAL 1.09 with the cone head bullets I use. Any longer and the gun will into go into battery. I use light loads, 4.6gr of BE86, so I am not worried about too much pressure. I have other 9mm guns that will take the same cone head and I can have a length over 1.25 all day long.

 

[Erief0g]

Several reloading manuals you can download for free.
http://marvinstuart.com/firearm/Manuals/Reloading/Reloading Manuals/

Manuals like:
speer #12
Hornady #4
Lee #1/#2
lyman #44/#48

Along with others

Fyi from a thread a bit back

 

[Walkalong]

Berrys gives some links to some data from powder makers.

https://www.berrysmfg.com/faq

Berrys recommends 1.135 OAL with that bullet.

I have run the Berrys 115 RN with jacketed data and the velocities vs jacketed RN both loaded to 1.130/1.135 OAL with identical powder charges has been insignificant.