Stupid(to me) question

Status
Not open for further replies.
P

presspuller

Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2007
Messages
584
Location
NC
I have been reloading for a while but still fairly new. So far I have only loaded round nose or flat nose in every pistol round I have loaded.
How do you determine the OAL using hollow point bullets?
Obviously you can't use the same dimension as a round nose because the nose is not there.
What am I not seeing on this?
Thanks guys.
 
In general the JHP will need a shorter O.A.L. compared to the RN. If your seater plug is for RN bullets you can leave it set, seat a JHP, and it will be pretty close to what will feed well. Tweak it from there. If your seater stem is the flat style this will not work.

What bullet and what caliber? Someone here probably loads it and can make suggestions.
 
hand loading manuals show specifics re bullet shape and LOA. 'they' have figured it out. i have never had even an local made bullet that did not match up to one shown in a manual. manuals (more than one) are the reloaders bible.
 
+1 on reading the manuals. If you're trying to load your ammunition without one or more manuals, then you're missing a lot of good information, and some very important information as well.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
I have read 3 different manual and I have not see the info for HPs.
Loading for 9mm to use in a Kel-Tec P-11.
Winchester HPs bulk from Midway going back in winchester brass.
 
presspuller:
I have read 3 different manual and I have not see the info for HPs.
Loading for 9mm to use in a Kel-Tec P-11.
Winchester HPs bulk from Midway going back in winchester brass.
Click to expand...
My Speer 13 manual shows for 9mm a 115 JHP at 1.125, for a 124 GD-HP 1.120 and for a 147 GD-HP 1.130.
Rusty
 
I have a hodgdon 2008 reloading manual and it shows for example in .40:
170gr hornady xtp oal of 1.125
170 gr jhp oal of 1.135
170gr lead oal 1.135
 
I don't know, but maybe it's just me...I adjust the seating stem on my Lee seating die until I get the OAL for that particular bullet. Most manuals (at least the ones I have) list hollow point bullets and/or round nose bullets. Not to mention that revolver bullets have a cannelure that dictates OAL...

Seating a bullet to its diameter is one starting point. The other is to remove the barrel and match the round OAL with the chamber insuring that the completed cartridge will still work and feed properly from the magazine.
 
Thanks for the info guys.
I stand corrected, after checking last night the Lee book does not show HPs but my Lyman and RCBS book does.
Shows what I get trying to go from memory.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top