HELP- Reloading trouble with oal and consistency?

[hc18flyer]

Today I worked on loading 358win rounds with RCBS 35-200's and getting closer to the lands of my rifle. I tried to use a 35 bullet comparator bushing on each loaded round, and adjusting rounds individually to get better consistency. Before loading I sorted bullets by weight and cases by length. In the group, I had two loaded rounds with .048 difference in oal, and the same measurement using the comparator bushing? What am I missing? Flyer

[Jupiter7]

Are you using proper seating stem? Using a spire point usually affects the nose of flat bullets. Best to measure some sized bullets for length and add to brass length.

[country gent]

Is your press varying in its stop point? Is the pressure seating swelling the noses from heavy neck tension? Measure as you load and see if the varying has a pattern to it, slowly grows to the .048 or just jumps around. You might try mounting an 1" travel indicator to read zero at top of stroke of press and raise and lower ram 10-15 times to see what its doing free load, then add a fairly stout spring to load the ram and try again. This sounds like a stack up of issues from play in the press linkage, possible bullet deformation, an poorly fitting nose punch. What press are you using? Dies? Is the seater a fixed ( threaded) stem or a floating sleeve to a stop? Also check shoulder to base or case dimension. Overal length should remain fairly consistent regardless of case lenght or shoulder length as the case head in on shell holder and ram linkage determine this. I have checked a few presses after many years of constant yse to find linkage wear does cause some repeatability issues. IE Light pressure dosnt always get all the play out of the linkage. A medium heahy spring I used a 7/8 id with a 1/2" fender washer on the ram to provide tension to test and see if "loading the ram" changed anything, on some it does, taking the play out of the linkage more consistently.

[hc18flyer]

It is a Lyman 'Spartan' press and new Redding dies, with the micrometer stem adjustment. I use a Lyman 'M die', and didn't notice enough pressure that could swell the nose. My micrometer is a #20 vs the #21 standard seater. I will try again with my standard stem. Maybe I caused my nose to swell, when I was sizing/checking/lubing? I have a new set to size, will try and use more consistent pressure when I size. Other thoughts?

[Love Life]

Sort your bullets by base to ogive prior to the reloading process. Keeps you from having to tweak the seating stem for every rd.