Minimum Overall Length

[rdellafave]

I have a question about Minimum Overall Length. I am fairly new to reloading and have reloaded only handgun ammo (.38 & 9MM). I recently started reloading 30-06 using H4350 with a 150 grain jacketed bullet. According to the reloading data from Modern Reloading by Richard Lee printed in 1997, the Minimum Overall Lenght for this combination bullet with 57.0 grains of H4350 is 2.970". According to the reloading data that was included with Lee reloading dies for 30-06, the Minimum Overall Length for the same combination bullet/powder with 57.0 grains is 3.250". My first question is why is there a difference with the Min. OAL and two, should I pull the bullets if I already reloaded using this combination and the cartridge Min OAL is 3.180 ?

Thanks for any advise, Rich

[Roskoe]

Minimum and maximum overall lengths are kind of a fuzzy science. You need a certain amount (one caliber?) of the bullet to be seated in the neck to hold it straight and secure. And you don't want to seat a bullet so deep that the mouth of the case isn't holding onto the full bullet diameter, ie. the start of the ogive; or that the round is so short it won't feed smoothly. But beyond extremes like that, though, the overall length of a loaded round is generally dicatated by magazine length, throat length, and feeding issues. Factory ammo is almost always loaded on the short side, so that it will function in a wide variety of guns. But the minimum OAL could vary from bullet to bullet.

[vangunsmith]

Roskkoe,stated it in great terms,and explained it just the way it is!! Thanks to him for a good explaination. vangunsmith