Cartridge Length Inquiry

[Socal]

Hello-

I just started reloading metallic ammo about a month ago and I'm really starting to take a liking to it. Right now I am exclusively loading 45 acp. Here's my question: I am using Hornady's load manual to develop my loads and use a Dillon 550B. So far I have only used Berry's plated bullets.

Is there an absolute depth that the bullet should always be seated to? For example, you have two different types of 200gr slugs, one flat point and one round nose. The slugs themselves have different lengths... if you were loading these two slugs, would the absolute bullet depth be the same. By absolute bullet depth I mean the distance from the bottom of the bullet to the bottom of the case which can be measured by subtracting the lenth of the slug form teh length of the loaded cartridge.

I was looking through the load book and measuring some slugs I have laying around and noticed that the 230gr round nose slugs got seated quite a bit deeper into the case than the 200 gr hp's I was loading.

I hope someone can shed some light on this for me.

While im at it, a couple more questions.

What signs do I look for as far as over pressure, under pressure etc?

I am loading for steel matches that I shoot with a Wilson CQB. The reason I startede thinking about all this Cartridge length stuff was because I have been having feed issues with the 200gr Berry's flat points I am loading. I orignially loaded them with 5.7 gr's of WIN 231 and a C.O.L of 1.245. After I had quite a few mis feeds and realized that these slugs were actually smaller than the 200gr hp's I was loading, I re-seated them to 1.215"

My chronograph is broke at the moment.

Thank much for any help!

SOcal

[yoshidaex]

you're striving for an OAL that works in your gun be it RN or HP. For example using 1.250 as a OAL for a RN bullet, a lighter RN bullet seated to this length will net you a larger case volume compared to a heavier RN bullet seated to the same OAL.

Now the question is, are you loading to reach a certain power factor or any load that will work in your gun?

[superdude]

overall length: http://38super.net/Pages/Overall%20Length.html

pressure: http://38super.net/Pages/Factory2.html#Anchor-3800