Bullet seat depth too low = sooting?

[taiden]

Hi all,

I loaded up some 158gr LSWC in 38SPL with 5.0gr of AutoComp last night. These are my first 38SPL loads.

I loaded them all up to max OAL spec (1.550"), didn't realize this until afterwards. They were seated just to the top of the lube groove. The reload data called for 1.475" OAL. This would not have seated the bullet up to the SWC lip, as seen here (http://www.lasc.us/38SWCKeith38-44-9.jpg).

I shot them today and they were very sooty. Soot down 1/3 of the case on 95% of all cases.

Should I stuff them in further next time?

[Abenaki]

I have never used AutoComp. And I don't have a loading manual handy.
But.....I would say that the sooting could be from a light load, and the lube you are using.

Is 5.0 gr. a starting load? If so bump it up a little and see what it does.

If you are seating the boolit like in the picture.....you are doing just fine.


I hope that this helps
Abenaki

[s mac]

I may be wrong, have never loaded for a handgun but have noticed this on light loads in a rifle I'm thinking it's not enough pressure to seal the case mouth to the chamber. Abenki must type faster than me.

[taiden]

Thank you both.

Before they were seated very very low on the bullet. Just a hair past the lube groove. This was my mistake. This is how I shot them.

Had I seated it to the specified OAL for the load, it would NOT have seated to the point as shown in the photo.

I imagine I should take it even further and seat them so they look like the photo, ignoring the OAL specified from loading data... assuming I'm not packing the powder. Is that a fair assumption?

Also, this is right in the middle of the range for the load data given by Hodgdon.

Thanks all

[Abenaki]

Abenaki has super fast freaking fingers!!!!!!!!

Some times faster than his brain can think!!!!!


Take care
Abenaki

[bhn22]

Crimp them in the crimping groove on the bullet and see if the pressures increase enough to allow the case to seal to the chamber.

[taiden]

I'll give it a go, thank you all. This is definitely my favorite cartridge yet... 38 SPL / 357 mag!

[taiden]

I seated and crimped it to the crimping groove... case sooting decreased significantly. Thanks all for the help.

[WILCO]

I seated and crimped it to the crimping groove... case sooting decreased significantly. Thanks all for the help.

Reloading manual?

[taiden]

Yep, just a little oversight hiccup in the beginning. Specified OAL for the load was still too long for this bullet, methinks.

[MtGun44]

Sooting is due to too low pressure to expand the case and seal on
the chamber.

Bill