COL for 311299

[zomby woof]

My one book/one caliber reloading manual for 30.06 lists 311299 COL at 3.167". I've been loading them 3.330", not knowing any better and using a Sinclair OAL tool. I'm using this in an M1 and 03A3. Am I too long?

Seems like the GC will be below the neck at 3.167"

[madsenshooter]

The OAL listed in manuals isn't engraved in stone. It is listed solely so that one can see if you are seating the bullet deeper, which would increase pressures. You're seating longer, so that's not a problem. For cast bullets the OAL you want to use is the one that allows the nose of the bullet to just touch the lands, the exception to that being the Garand. Since it has a floating firing pin you don't wish to seat the bullet so long that the round may stop short of being fully chambered. That could allow the firing pin to come forward and set the round off, aka a slamfire. With some bullets, by the time you've found the point of contact with the lands, you've exceeded magazine length, so you have to decide whether you wish to shoot one at a time, or seat shorter and have a repeater.