Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

1

1MoreAR

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jun 20, 2006
236
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59
North Atlanta,GA
#1
I messed up on reloading my .223 and forget to check the Dillon 550b too head. This is the first time I reload the .223 in 9 months. I did about 400 rounds of .223 with Hornady 55 g, 26.3 g of BL-C2.After I finished and clean up the press I found out that the locking nut for the seater die was loose. I check the OAL and all of them are about 2.190" vs the usual 2.250
Is it safe to shoot those rounds on the AR-15? Thanks in advance.
 
#3
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 918v</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yes, unless you have messed-up the powder charge as well. </div></div>
Thanks 918v. The powder charge is dead on and that was the second thing I check after I found out.
 
#4
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

1MoreAR ......

It may be safe to shoot those short rounds, but chamber pressure can get quite high if your bullets are seated too long <span style="font-weight: bold">OR</span> too short.

The best solution is to use an inexpensive inertia bullet puller (looks like a hammer) to raise the bullet just a bit, then reseat them to match your other loads. That will help those loads have the same point of impact with your other handloads.

- Innovative
 
#6
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

I don't think 0.06" is gonna kill you on this one. I would shoot a few rounds to check the performance. If they are flying all over the place, definitely tap them out a bit with the kinetic puller and reseat as suggested. If they are grouping, I would just shoot them, bc pulling 400 rounds sounds like a real pain in the ass.
 
#7
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

IMHO I think you are safe. I would try as mentioned above shooting a few to see if accuracy is affected, before adjusting 400 rounds. I may get laughed at, but this is why I only use the lock nuts as a ballpark. I reset my die everytime, and measure OAL every 5 rounds, when doing a large quantity. The inertia hammer will be your friend, and I would suggest owning one.
 
#8
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

All I own is a single stage press,when I reload quantity,it takes me a couple of days,I just sit back and have fun.All my friends with the Dillon presses laugh at me,but,this is not the first time I've heard of several hundred rounds being screwed up,had one friend screw up the flash holes on 5000 rounds of brass before he caught it.

Yep,they are fast,but are they worth it???
 
#9
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

I am with Sandrat on this one.
Hope you have better luck with little hammers POS tools than I have. I have broken two of them and removed maybe one bullet.
I have two collet pullers which I leave set up for my two favorite calibers.
Collet pullers have several more useful attributes than the hammers.
1. they are faster.
2. can be used to hold custom made expander mandrells.
3. can move bullets out just a hair
4. can be used to check bullet pull tension.
5.can be used to check powder charge in a box of ammo the lable has fallen from and reseat the bullet to same place quickly.
6. can be used to break neck tension from bullets that have siezed to case neck or military bullets with mouth lacquer.
 
#10
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

You have probably escaped the work of pulling 400 rounds, but it brings a point to something I said on this site about the attention to detail reloading takes, and why a newbie , not you, should start learning the craft on a single stage set-up, or as Wil said, in a single stage mode.

Last night I threw my first charge of the session on my 550, weighed it, and it was 3.5 grains over the set point. Threw it again and it was back to right on. Go figure? That one round could have been a mishap, waiting to happen.

I did look around the room and in every corner for the Gremlin that screwed with my set-up; didn't find the little bugger.
 
#11
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Hummer</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I am with Sandrat on this one.
Hope you have better luck with little hammers POS tools than I have. I have broken two of them and removed maybe one bullet.
I have two collet pullers which I leave set up for my two favorite calibers.
Collet pullers have several more useful attributes than the hammers.
1. they are faster.
2. can be used to hold custom made expander mandrells.
3. can move bullets out just a hair
4. can be used to check bullet pull tension.
5.can be used to check powder charge in a box of ammo the lable has fallen from and reseat the bullet to same place quickly.
6. can be used to break neck tension from bullets that have siezed to case neck or military bullets with mouth lacquer.
</div></div>

I have the Hornady collet set as well as an inertia puller. The only downside to the collet puller I have seen is that incautious pulling sometimes engraves the bullet with radial marks when set too tight or slip marks when set too loose. I typically cuss when I do this, as I haven't zero'd the tension correctly.

Hummer,

Any pics of the custom expander mandrells, or a source? and, What collet puller do you use?
 
#12
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

"I check the OAL and all of them are about 2.190" vs the usual 2.250""

If you mean, "too short" is less than a book OAL, "Yes."

If your loads are is on the ragged edge of blowing up, it may raise peak pressure but seating a bit deeper in rifles normally reduces peak pressure a little. Your .040" difference is likely to be in the "normal" range and pressure will be a tad less than you usually get with that load.
 
#13
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

My first impulse was to say, hey try one and see. My second impulse was to say essentially the same as Innovative. If you crimp your rounds, his can be a rather frustrating challenge.

Then I realized the horse was gone, and closing the barn door may be satisfying, but is ultimately ineffectual...

Write this in big print and post it over your press: "<span style="font-style: italic">Always</span> start with a <span style="font-style: italic">dummy round</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic">measure</span> the damned thing, F'Chrissakes".

Greg
 
#14
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

Bet if you have to pull down 400 rounds you dont make that mistake again! But, if youre like me, you will make another one, thats just as stoopid. :-(

Unless you are running max loads, which you shouldnt be when loading progressive as you aint weighing every charge, you should be ok, but you need to be careful testing that theory!

John
 
#15
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

Thanks for all the advices. I will try to shoot a few rounds. I loaded those rounds for training/plinking at the range. I know it's stupid not to double check those rounds,but lesson learned.
 
#16
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

My custom mandrells are made by me from .311 oil or water hardening drill rod. When I finish with them I heat them cherry red and quench in oil.

I have a old Hollywood (I think it is)from my Dad and a RCBS collet puller.

If I am pulling military ammo I first stop the upward movement about 1/8" out of full up, clamp down the collet and force the bullet into the case a scosh, this breaks the seal, then reverse the direction and military bullets come right out.



 
#17
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 1MoreAR</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Thanks for all the advices. I will try to shoot a few rounds. I loaded those rounds for training/plinking at the range. I know it's stupid not to double check those rounds,but lesson learned.
</div></div>

There are worse things you could have done, that may not have been easy to spot and aren't easy to fix. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. In my opinion, I think that at worst, your accuracy may be sub par, but in that case just pull the bullets out a few hundredths and try them again.

The lands on my .308 are quite far away from factory FGMM, ~ 0.07". That is why I don't think you are in trouble by having your rounds at 0.06" away from the lands.
 
#18
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mudcat-NC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Unless you are running max loads, which you shouldnt be when loading progressive as you aint weighing every charge, you should be ok, but you need to be careful testing that theory!

John
</div></div>

You can use a 550 as a single stage. I always do it with my 550 when using extruded powder, measure every charge and trickle as needed. I clamp the toolhead in with the screw set from uniquetek to get tighter tolerance on my seating depth and shoulder bump. I use a Redding comp seating die and instant indicator to confirm.
 
#19
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

With my 550 I always back off the bullet seater die and work my way back to the OAL I am looking for. Get used to doing that everytime and always, always, check your powder charges. It can throw a heavy one every now and again and could be trouble if you are close to max charge.
 
#20
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

My 55gr seated with bl-c2 is set at 2.235 with 26gr of powder, my h-4198 loads were set at 2.20". My Lyman manual suggests 26.5gr Bl-c2 MAX for 2.260" for a 55gr SPT, pop one off and check for pressure signs...pull the rest if it looks dicey.
 
#21
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

The powder bar for the 550 is not very good with extruded powder. But then again, most powder throws have difficulty with it too.
 
#22
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

Wow, a lot of great suggestion and great info here. I will try a few rounds next week at the range(with no one around me...lol). Those rounds will be shoot within 50 yards as for practice rounds. I reload my precision .223 and .308 on the single stage with good ol' beam scale.
I really appreciated all the advices and learned more about reloading both good(what to do) and bad(what not to do).
 
#23
Re: Is it safe to shoot with too short OAL?

Yeah, you should be fine. Just make sure you wear some glasses for good measure. I doubt they will be put to the test though.
 
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