Adjusting OAL on 550

[CZinSC]

I'm having some difficulty adjusting the OAL on the 550. It takes me a long time, and a lot of trial and error, and then I just when I think I have it set, I'm still wrong.

What I am doing now is, take an unprimed case, bell it without powder, then advance to the seating die. Do this a couple of times with the locking ring loose, dial it in to the right length, and then when it's perfect, lower the handle all the way down, so that the bullet is in the seating die, preventing it from turning when I lock down the ring. Run another test round, again, perfect length. Then I start loading. With loaded round, I'm getting a length .003 longer. What is causing this? Is it the primer, or is it because I now have shells in all the stations, its just enough to not get the same length?

What is the best way to dial in the OAL you are looking for?

[Pat Miles]

Make sure you are adjusting the length with cartridges in the other stations doing what they are supposed to do in that station. This loads the shell plate evenly as it will be during the normal loading process. Personally I wouldn't give a second thought to a .003" OAL difference. What bullet are you using? New or used brass?

CYa,

Pat

[EEH]

are you kidding me 3tho--if it was 30,tho.it would be bad load and shoot

[Sarge]

Adjust all your dies with stations full.

[CZinSC]

Make sure you are adjusting the length with cartridges in the other stations doing what they are supposed to do in that station. This loads the shell plate evenly as it will be during the normal loading process. Personally I wouldn't give a second thought to a .003" OAL difference. What bullet are you using? New or used brass?

CYa,

Pat

Sounds like that is my issue. When I'm adjusting the depth I don't have the other stations loaded. Next time out I'll make sure I do that. My guess is I will see the discrepancy go away.

I'm using once fired Win brass.

are you kidding me 3tho--if it was 30,tho.it would be bad load and shoot

I'm not worried about the .003 in the grand scheme of things. I kept them as is, and will be happy to shoot them. My question was more of Why does that OAL change by that .003 after testing it as set prior to actual loading. As others have recommended, I will need to try that with all stations full and see if that .003 disappears.

[Pat Miles]

With all of the stations full load a round and measure it's length after it comes down out of the bullet seater AND before it goes through the crimp die. Put it back in the shell plate and run it through the crimp die with all the other positions full. Same measurement? I have found on my 650 that the OAL will grow a bit after going through my Lee crimp/resizer die. In my case it might be the resizing during the crimping. Worth looking at in your case.

CYa,

Pat

[EEH]

Really,, it could be the bullets are a little diffrent size,dirty die,

[CZinSC]

Really,, it could be the bullets are a little diffrent size,dirty die,

I won't rule anything out, so you may be right. However, each one was an exact 1.160 testing. Then exactly 1.163 fully loaded.

[benos]

Adjust all your dies with stations full.

Absolutely. And also make the final tightenin on the die lock rings with a fully loaded Shellplate and the handle all the way down.

be