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Yet, accuracy at short distances (under 50 yards) is not effected much by velocity variations and Bullseye shooters have been firing very small groups for decades without any issues. Back in my youth, I tried shooting handguns (.45 Auto, 9x19, and .44 Rem Mag) using mixed cases, identical head stamp cases, and identical weight cases and found that even at 50 yards, it just didn't matter and, for all three calibers, my average group size was smallest with the mixed cases (I had no idea what group I was firing until I finished the group). Even my 1 MOA 7mm T/CU didn't change average group size at 100 yards with case changes. When you start shooting 0.5 MOA or less, then start to worry about such issues.

The set-back reported is not an issue. How many times did you cycle the same round? Repeated cycling of a single round into the chamber is a REAL issue, as many cops have found out. More crimp will not help. verify that the case expander opens up the case ID to be 0.001-0.002" smaller than bullet diameter. Next, you can play with COL to find where the rounds will pop up under the extractor without needing to ride the feed ramp.

I prefer a snappy recoil as it returns sights to target faster. The faster sights are back on target, the faster I can continue.

Sizing dies can only size down so far. The sizing dies that size the furthest down the case (having the least bevel on carbide) are Lee and Hornady. Next, the sizing die isn't creating the bulge, it is either NOT able to reach it or it is pushing it down the case. Attached are pictures of a 9mm case where my sizing die pushed the bulge down the case. The only cure I know is to toss the case or use a Lee 9mm Mak FCD to Bulge Bust the cases prior to sizing.

OK, smarty, I have still NEVER seen Winchester Auto Comp on a shelf. If folks don't see it, they can't buy it.

They are all acceptable. If you want to size down as close to the shell plate as possible, buy Lee or Hornady If you want the smoothest sizing, buy Hornady or Redding. When carbide dies first came out, they had almost ZERO chamfer and it was easy if you were in a hurry to crush the case. Best solution I found was to raise the shell plate, screw the sizing die down to just touch the shell plate, lower the ram, put a case in, raise ram and assist as needed to get case in the die, and, with the case in the die, tighten the lock ring down. Other than that, you may have a timing/alignment issue or you simply need the large-mouth Dillon sizing dies... If your rounds/cases won't chamber even after sizing, run a plunk test and find out what the issue is.: Take the barrel out of the gun. Drop rounds in until you find one that won't chamber. Take that round and "paint" the bullet and case black with Magic Marker or other marker. Drop round in barrel (or gage) and rotate it back-and-forth a few times. Remove and inspect the round: 1) Scratches in the ink on bullet--COL is too long 2) Scratches in the ink on edge of the case mouth--insufficient crimp 3) Scratches in the ink just below the case mouth--too much crimp, you're crushing the case 4) Scratches in the ink on case at base of bullet--bullet seated crooked due to insufficient case expansion (not case mouth flare) or improper seating stem fit 5) Scratches in the ink on case just above extractor groove--case bulge not removed during sizing. May need a bulge buster.

You establish COL using your gun and the specific bullet you are going to load while at the bench before you EVER start to reload. All the COL in a manual REALLY tells you is what COL they tested at. For handgun rounds, longer COL means more powder before hitting max pressure, meaning more gas, meaning more velocity. Per Ramshot (and all other reloading suppliers): “SPECIAL NOTE ON CARTRIDGE OVERALL LENGTH (COL) It is important to note that the SAAMI COL values are for the firearms and ammunition manufacturers industry and must be seen as a guideline only. The individual reloader is free to adjust this dimension to suit their particular firearm-component-weapon combination. This parameter is determined by various dimensions such as 1) magazine length (space), 2) freebore-lead dimensions of the barrel, 3) ogive or profile of the projectile and 4) position of cannelure or crimp groove. • Always begin loading at the minimum "Start Load". • Increase in 2% increments towards the Maximum Load. • Watch for signs of excessive pressure. • Never exceed the Maximum Load.” Note: add to the above that the timing between when the magazine lips release the round and the slide pushes the round into the chamber can be COL sensitive. With 1911s, almost all feeding issues with SWC was solved simply by changing the magazine lips to release the round sooner. So, your COL (OAL) is determined by your barrel and your gun and your magazine and the SPECIFIC bullet your are using (bullets have huge differences in geometry). What worked in a pressure barrel or in my gun has very little to do with what will work in your gun. Load a couple of dummy rounds (no powder and no primer) to the max. COL (OAL) and see if it fits your magazine, feeds in your gun, and chambers in your barrel. Seat the bullet slightly deeper until you achieve all three of these goals. This is the COL (OAL) for you in your gun with that make of bullet.

I have never SEEN WAC on the shelf. There are at least 15 other powders I am more interested in any way. Thank God for the market availability of alternatives.

lgh: yes, but I assume that one has worked up the load already from the start load and is not just throwing different powder/charge, bullet weight, case volume and other things into the mix randomly. PS: COL is not dictated by case volume or powder or charge. If you have a safe load, it takes at LEAST a 0.100" change in COL for typical handgun cartridges to go so over-pressure as to injure the gun or you. Heck, the industry reports that for typical bottleneck rifle cartridges, the case volume is so huge that shortening the COL can actually LOWER the pressure as it gives the slow powder a longer to produce pressure and the bullet more velocity to squeeze through the lede. Pressure can go UP as you lengthen the COL.

> I sometimes see improved accuracy after seating the bullet deeper. And I often find that working up the load at near max COL gives me the best accuracy. Guns are fickle and I was writing about pressure/velocity worries for small COL variations well within normal.

I shot several seasons of IPSC and Bullseye competition and cleaned my guns once a year. When you start with a clean gun, accuracy if off until the barrel is "seasoned." This may take 3 shots or 25 shots. Wipe off the feed ramp, breech face and extractor with a dry rag or dry brush and that is that.

I find that, in rifles and pistols, that for almost all of them, if I set the COL at the start to be long enough length so the bullet is touching the lede/rifling (that the case head is practically touching the breech face), I get best accuracy. Never had a pressure issue because I start loading at the start load and start at the long COL at the beginning for testing, and reduce COL from there, as needed. You need to approach north of 0.050" COL variation to have any pressure changes of any significance. The big concern is NOT the COL your press provides, but the COL after chambering due to ANY bullet set-back. Always do a "push test" on seated bullets.

I use 0.356-0.358" lead bullets and 0.356-0.357" jacketed in all my 9x19s. The SAAMI barrel and bullet dimensions for 9x19 and .357 Mag are the same. Also, the larger bullets are often more accurate. During the last 9mm bullet shortage, it was so easy going on-line and buying .38 bullets...

That ogive is so sharp, that a very long COL still might not touch the lede/rifling. The COL you are using looks a bit too short anyway. Take a case and make an inert dummy round (or two). Remove barrel from gun. First, run it through the various stages through taper crimp (w/o a bullet) and verify that the case does drop freely into the chamber (it "plunks"). Now run it back through, and seat bullet to COL of 1.275" and taper crimp. Paint bullet and case black with Magic Marker or other marker. Drop round in chamber and twist once or twice. Remove cartridge and inspect for scratch marks. Marks on bullet indicate COL is too long. Gradually seat bullet deeper until there are no new scratches on bullet. This is your maximum effective COL for THAT bullet. Load inert round or rounds in magazine and see if they fit the magazine and feed and chamber. If they do, you can screw the seating die down another ⅛-¼ turn (to take into account COL variation) and see how that works, and you have your COL. You can probably use a shorter COL, but I don't see any reason to. This method has worked for all bullets for me for about 45 years. General COL Note: Per Ramshot: "SPECIAL NOTE ON CARTRIDGE OVERALL LENGTH “COL” It is important to note that the SAAMI “COL” values are for the firearms and ammunition manufacturers industry and must be seen as a guideline only. The individual reloader is free to adjust this dimension to suit their particular firearm-component-weapon combination. This parameter is determined by various dimensions such as 1) magazine length (space), 2) freebore-lead dimensions of the barrel, 3) ogive or profile of the projectile and 4) position of cannelure or crimp groove. • Always begin loading at the minimum "Start Load". • Increase in 2% increments towards the Maximum Load. • Watch for signs of excessive pressure. • Never exceed the Maximum Load." Your COL (OAL) is determined by your barrel and your gun and your magazine. What worked in a pressure barrel or in my gun has very little to do with what will work best in your gun. Load a couple of dummy rounds (no powder and no primer) to the max. COL (OAL) and see if it fits your magazine, feeds in your gun, and chambers in your barrel. Seat the bullet slightly deeper until you achieve all three of these goals. This is the COL (OAL) for you in your gun with that make of bullet. You are the one in control. Enjoy it. You can make ammunition tailored to your gun and not have to load to the minimum COL (OAL) as do the factories. General Plunk Testing: Take the barrel out of the gun. Drop rounds in until you find one that won't chamber. Take that round and "paint" the bullet and case black with Magic Marker or other marker. Drop round in barrel (or gage) and rotate it back-and-forth a few times. Remove and inspect the round: 1) Scratches in the ink on bullet--COL is too long 2) Scratches in the ink on edge of the case mouth--insufficient crimp 3) Scratches in the ink just below the case mouth--too much crimp, you're crushing the case 4) Scratches in the ink on case at base of bullet--bullet seated crooked due to insufficient case expansion (not case mouth flare) or improper seating stem fit 5) Scratches in the ink on case just above extractor groove--case bulge not removed during sizing. May need a bulge buster.

Arthritis in wrists. 230gn twists and hurts. 200gn is a pleasure all day long. Note: a good L-SWC is about the MOST accurate bullet you will find. A good FMJ-RN is often the most inaccurate bullet you will find. Not necessarily BAD, but not as good.

Here is some data. Start at the start load for 180gn jacketed bullet and work up or down for PF.

Powder Measure issue or powder that gets knocked out of case when shell plate rotates? Powder measure: call Dillon and discuss. You can try to disassemble, clean, and reassemble the whole powder measure assembly, but clean the "powder funnel" first. The "powder funnel" (powder-through expander plug) may be dirty. Powder knocked out of case: Tighten shell plate until it doesn't rotate easily and back off the bolts until it just moves. Remove shell plate and apply grease as shown in manual. I use marine propellor grease as it is very thick. Don/t cycle press so fast. Place finger over case as it leaves the powder measure die.

You sure it isn't just re-branded CFE Pistol, like 231/HP38, etc.?

Best seating stem, IMO, is to ONLY contact the bullet's ogive and do so as low as possible. Your die maker can make a custom seating stem for you that is concentric (do you KNOW that the bullet you used to the seating plug casting was concentric).

1) Call Dillon. I would use Loctite, but talk to them. 2) remove your barrel and see if the round Plunk.If they do, go shoot them and see how they perform. Take a round that doesn't chamber fully, and coat the bullet and case with black marker (Magic Marker or equal). Drop in barrel and rotate a couple of times. a) if there are "scratches" in the marking on the bullet, the COL is too long. b) if there are "scratches" in the marking on the very edge of the case mouth, you haven't removed enough of the case mouth flare c) if there are "scratches" in the marking on the side of the case just below the case mouth, you are over-crimping d) if there are "scratches" in the marking on the case where the base of the bullet is, you are seating the bullet crooked and bulging the case. Get a seating stem that actually FITS your bullet or try more case mouth flare and start every bullet straight. e) if there are "scratches" in the marking on the side of the case about 1/4" above the extractor groove, you didn't size the case enough (probably due to the Dillon die not going down enough on the case)

Umm, my powder measure works perfectly as received. I set up powder measure in station four and turn powder die down until it cycles perfectly with given case. I then, with case in die, turn lock ring die down tight and move to station two where I use the bushing to place measure in non-interference position. Call Hornady, just like you should can Dillon, about any problems. Also, be sure to clean measure thoroughly of any matching and shipping oils and be sure the correct rotor is installed.

Pushing coated and plated bullets in the same barrel is a bad idea, unless you have thoroughly cleaned the barrel when switching. Next, are you getting a sideways imprint of the bullet on the target paper or is the occasional shot simply a flier that could be operator error? True key holing is generally due to use of plated bullets, generally in 9x19, where the bullet diameter is too small. Other leading cause is damage to the muzzle. Both coated and plated can be inconsistent in dimensions and you might want to check them with a micrometer and slug your barrel. Really, if we were to diagnose the problem, pictures and better descriptions would help. If nothing else, scrub that barrel completely clean and run one or two thousand Precision Delta jacketed bullets through it.

Well, foreign is ALWAYS better. Thus, the US decided that the British had the right idea so we went with Boxer priming and Europe decided that the US was right and went to Berdan priming (with the advantage of making handloading more difficult for their serfs/subjects/peons).

Flakes come from two sources: the expander scrapping the case ID at the mouth and the crimp die scrapping the case OD at the mouth when crimping. In all cases, a light chamfer, inside and out solves the problem or you can just keep going and collect the shavings from cases your expander and crimp die haven't cleaned up for you. For my S&W M52 .38 wadcutter loads, I need to use so much bell that the case mouth does contact the crimp die body, but I don't get ANY shavings from that, as my cases were all once chamfered.

And, how does this die differ from every other seating die with built-in crimp? You still have to first set the COL, back out the seating stem, set the crimp, lock the crimp setting, lower the seating stem to contact the bullet, and lock the seating stem. Back in the early '70s I did testing with 9x19, .45 Auto, 38 Spl, and .44 Mag, and in all cases my ammunition was slightly more accurate if I crimped separate from seating. This is why I went to a Hornady AP at the time as Dillon one had a 4-station progressive out. Old Fart moment: back then, almost all die sets had the decapper as part of the expander, so all new sizing dies were required. I got one of the very first RCBS carbide sizing/decapping dies and it has almost ZERO chamfer to ease the case into the die. You learn a lot about die alignment when there is simply no room for error. So, for a few years my set-up was: size/primer expand manually cycle powder measure Inspect powder in case and seat bullet Crimp Couldn't do this with only 4 stations.