Xl650 inconsistent coal. (Newbie)

[nzxtguy123]

So I've been reloading a few months now. I love my new 650. Case feeder is something every reloader should have.

However having trouble with seating.

Currently I have ran 400ish rounds over a 2 night period. Noticed the issue after 200 of course seamed to walk off. From 1.125 which I set it at all the way to 1.131on the highest. Are these abnormal any tips or advice to get it tighter. Thinking of mabye stepping up to a redding pro seating die. Or mabye a tool head clamping kit. Or mabye I'm just crazy.

[peterthefish]

Totally normal variation in OAL. There is some flex in the shell plates / ram - more than you would see in a single stage.

[RDA]

The bullets themselves can cause that much variation. Also, did you set the COAL with the shell plate full?

[nzxtguy123]

No I did with a single shell. But I will redo.

[gransport]

I make sure that I don't check coal on the first couple rounds at the start of a loading session. I wait until I get one that was loaded with a full load plate. I believe it's because the full load plate evens out an flexing.....I think :-)

[razorfish]

You didn't mention what caliber you were loading but one of the variables to consistent OAL is the brand/head stamp of brass your using.

For example in 9mm, the measured OAL using Federal Brass is ~.005 less than Winchester for me. So, I will say for mixed brass your OAL numbers are completely normal.

Also, you didn't mention what bullet you're using. FMJ's will "in general" give you a more consistent OAL measurement than a lead or coated lead bullet. I use the Redding Competition seating die and my OAL's are actually less consistent than when using the Dillon seating die (coated lead bullets). The Redding seats from the Ogive so I don't consider it a problem as I'm measuring my OAL using calipers only. If I load a single head stamp of brass my OAL evens out, but with a large batch I'll still see a ~.003 variation.

[Sarge]

Did you try a search? This comes up about once a week. There are countless pages of info here on this very subject.

[mikeinctown]

LOL @ Sarge. I asked this question a week or two back. The length on my .45 reloads varied by almost .005, but always on the +.005 side, never to the negative from where I set the die at. I am using coated lead, so it would make sense that the length could vary based on coating thickness and other imperfections.

[b1gcountry]

One thing to watch out for is an oal that keeps getting shorter. That could be an indication of buildup inside your seating die. Especially if you are using bullet lube.

[Bob DuBois]

Use a Lee seating die and had a flat insert made so it pushes on the nose of the bullet instead of the side helped OAL more than anything else I've tried.

Started working on the OAL issue when loading 160 lead bullets in 9mm minor. It was the fix.

[RDA]

Use a Lee seating die and had a flat insert made so it pushes on the nose of the bullet instead of the side helped OAL more than anything else I've tried.

Started working on the OAL issue when loading 160 lead bullets in 9mm minor. It was the fix.

Did it truly help with the COAL or did it simply push on the projectile at the same point you were measuring?