Compensating for OAL

[TonyK]

Seems like most load data I have found for my 45 have the 230 grain rounds set at an OAL of 1.20. (Hodgdon, Speers, Hornady....) But I have also noticed that everyone says to use the length best suited to your gun....

So just how do I compensate the powder charge if my gun prefers 1.26 OAL? And not cause an overpressure or damage me or my gun. All the manuals say not to exceed max powder charges.

And just why do most of the load manuals specify 1.20 and such? I haven't found a factory round even close to that. It may meet min spec chamber numbers but if you had such a gun you couldn't buy any factory rounds to feed it....

Just wondering what I need to do when I want to load a longer length than specified in the load data

Thanks

[bowenbuilt]

The loading manuals provide the "minimum" OAL for a particular load. Once you set your particular OAL that works best for your gun you chronograph it and add powder a 1/10 at a time until you achieve the PF or velocity you require. Most likely if your OAL is longer then the maximum safe powder charge will increase proportionally. This is the procedure most of us follow. The information in a loading manual is not set in stone because one size does not fit all when it comes to reloading for the individual gun.

[Hi-Power Jack]

wondering what I need to do when I want to load a longer length than specified

That's the best of both worlds. The problem is seating the bullet shorter

than specified - that can cause higher pressures.

Seating longer actually relieves pressure - so you're good to go - might

need a little MORE powder than they call for - but you want to work up

all loads slowly with a Chrono.

Only problem with longer loads might be they are too long for you

mags or chamber.

[TonyK]

Thanks for the advice

Loaded up some test rounds at the ridiculously short length specified in my load manual. This should give me a better baseline to start tinkering with my powder charges. They will probably be the last rounds I load this short. But yes they are headed to a chronograph....