.38 special OAL

[Nick Quick]

So I got a new .38 spl mold and casted around 1000 bullets. It's 125 gr and I'm really happy with the results. Now I was thinking to use Trail Boss behind the bullet and on Hodgdon website says for 125 gr the OAL should be 1.445.
I'm not sure how they got to that length as I went a bit lower and I still didn't got to the crimp grove.
Any suggestion appreciated.
http://http://i63.tinypic.com/2wp82tc.jpg

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I don't believe that it really matters. You can crimp it right there, or seat it in farther and crimp on the crimping groove. O.A.L. measurements are more of a "do not exceed" thing, and even then they are kind of arbitrary, sent by the manufacturers as a length that will work in most handguns. But, for example, if loading for a single shot rifle with sufficient throat you could very well load it longer if you wished.

[L Erie Caster]

Seat to the cannelure, start low and work up.

[Geezer in NH]

Crimp in the groove when the cartridge can turn in the cylinder no problem it is a short 125 grain. In a 38 pushing it in a bit will not be a problem

[rancher1913]

as stated already the OAL is the max that will work across the board, use the crimp grove. look for photos of the 38 with a "button" boolit and you will see its entirely in the brass with no protrusion.

[Nick Quick]

Thanx for the input gents. I worked a bit on the depth and here it how it looks. I honestly like it more if I would go with the very right one but then I'll be even shorter than what the caliper says.
http://http://i66.tinypic.com/aaeis9.jpg

[Hick]

I'll bet those will do great. I also go under the book OAL with some lead boolits, and they shoot fine.

[kmw1954]

Was having this conversation on another thread somewhere. About OAL, seating depth and starting charge weights. Most books will list what bullets are being used then the dimensions and load data. Where it gets confusing is with bullets that do not have published data for them. Most of which are cast lead.

The 38/357 is much more forgiving than say the 9mm or 380 auto. Some loads I've seen only have a separation of .5gr of powder between starting loads and max loads before that load could become dangerous. Then throw in seating depth variations for head space or feed issues and charges and pressures can be all over the board.

My question was where doses one start when there is no published load data for a particular bullet? When variations don't match any published data where is one to start? How to determine a Safe starting charge that won't cause a squib or damage the gun?

[bangerjim]

I just crimp in the groove provided by the mold. After all......that is what it is for, right?!?!?!?!? On cal's like 38, 44, and 45 colt, who really cares. It is only with finicky *** semi's like 9, 40, and 45 ACP where the OAL can be the major factor that leads to cycling or not.

In a revolver like a 38SPL, you really do not care about OAL.

Works for me every time......thousands of rounds......for years!

[Nick Quick]

Thank a bunch y'all. That's peace of mind to read all the above.

[yman]

Nick quick if your worried about them, send me 500 or 600 of them and I will try them out and get back to you. [smilie=s: I am a revolver fan, I mold,load,and shoot mostly 38's because they are economical. I don't think I have even looked at the OAL in the loading manuals for years. I just crimp in the crimp groove, stick a couple in the cylinder to make sure I didn't over crimp them, and then load the rest. I like a heavy crimp and i get alittle overzealous sometimes. The 2 best things about revolvers, they aren't as picky about what you stuff in them and you don't have to chase down the brass. Good looking bullet, nice mold job, how are you going to lube them?

[Nick Quick]

Ha ha, I will reload and shoot 5-600 of them then I'll let ya know how all went. I love too revolvers more than any other iron.

[runfiverun]

with trail boss powder I'd follow their 70% rule.
mark the side of the case where the base of the boolit will be and fill to that line with powder and weigh it.
this will determine your 100% fill point.
70% would be your starting charge.


since I don't use trail boss and quite often use a boolit design almost nobody else has, I always take the available case volume into consideration.
I look at the boolit the data was using to get the pressure and load details then compare as closely as I can with what I have in hand.
[using a boolit/bullet weight close to mine and similarly shaped to mine]
sometimes I use the data as is.
sometimes I have to reduce by the amount of extra air space I'm using.

I'd rather have to go back to the range 3-4-5 times than pull down loaded rounds or overshoot the pressure capability of my gun.

[Nick Quick]

Thanx for the advice runfiverun, I read a while back about the 70% rule and it makes everything very simple in terms of safety. Trail Boss being so flaky and bulky kinda tells by only looking inside the shell. Good to know these things.
Thank again.

Now playing with seating adjustments I found out that my good ole Dillon D-terminator scale just got Alzheimer so I can't trust it anymore. There is always something to have play with and always another thing to spend money on.

[Cherokee]

That looks like the Lee 38-125RFN that I use for SASS in 38 Special @ 1.370" OAL over some WST. Bullet works fine.

[SSGOldfart]

I see you have plenty of advice on seating the bullet just don't compress Trail Boss. Powder.

[Walkingwolf]

Not all flat points are the same, the lee 125 has a wide meplat making the seating depth shorter. As stated start at the bottom, and work up.

[runfiverun]

the old determinators are at the end of their useful lives.
mine just got a box of paper towels dropped on it by one of the kids when I had it in the garage to weight sort boolits.
they weighed in grams and converted over to grains so weren't perfect or even exact from drop to drop.
I have my newer Dillon scale and it's a step up for sure, so I bought a new Lyman scale to replace the old Dillon.
the old 505 still has a place on the bench where I can access it to double check things.
if it shows the E-scale out a tick I go ahead and re-calibrate the E-scale and get it back on track.

[Nick Quick]

Thank you kindly sir. I spend around two hours reading reviews about scales and such. So 505 still rules when the modern electronics goes awry. I figured I need one electronic and a mechanical as a plan B.
Right when I thought I was done with buying things.

How about the new Dillon vs Lyman.

[runfiverun]

I use them both fairly equally.
I also have the lyman electronic powder dispenser and thinking back I should maybe have just bought another one of those but it was another bunch of money I didn't want to spend at the time. [rolling my eyes a bit]
plus I already have 7 powder dumps on top of all the Dillon stuff.
and since I use the second scale in the other reloading room to weigh boolits/bullets/cores and shot shell loads
the smaller more portable scale made more sense.

I'm happy with it [and I do use the trickler that come with it when doing stick powders] it seems to actually be a good scale for the price and beats out the old determinator scale I had by quite a bunch.
I have made 3 batches of the same load on it at different times and have seen no anomaly in groups size or velocity change so it seems to be quite repeatable from use to use.
I'd say it's a good value for the money.

the only thing I kinda don't like about it is the smaller sculpted top where I sit the pan, but that is there to keep the pan under the trickeler so it's designed properly.

[Chihuahua Floyd]

I've used the Lee 125grain RNFP in several revolvers and my Marlin 1894 with no problems. Always crimped in the crimp groove.
You mileage may vary on lever actions.
CF

[Nick Quick]

Thank you for all the inputs. Now the depth issue is done. Need to buy a scale and I'll be back in business. I really like the shape of the bullets the new mold cast and I hope it will be a keeper as I try to create a light plinking load for wife's GP-100.