AOL question

[Ozy]

Hi All
Just have a question about AOL. I have a howa s/action 223.
Using a hornady aol gauge I get an AOL measurement of 2.243" for Nosler 55g varmagedon bullets.
The nosler load data states 2.260 aol for this bullet. Thats .017" longer than my measurement.
Just wondering is there something wrong with my rifles chambering,

 

[Rich Coyle]

Different chamber, different demintions.

 

[ShtrRdy]

To figure out if there is something wrong with your chamber you will need to compare some of its dimensions to the SAAMI drawing.

 

[Mikecr]

Ozy, an obvious matter demonstrated by your post is that you know utterly nothing about reloading. This makes it impossible to begin with answers, as you couldn't understand them.

My observation here is not meant as a slight. It's just that you really need to go to 'how to' and 'why' books on reloading, and start over.

 

[Ozy]

Ozy, an obvious matter demonstrated by your post is that you know utterly nothing about reloading. This makes it impossible to begin with answers, as you couldn't understand them.

My observation here is not meant as a slight. It's just that you really need to go to 'how to' and 'why' books on reloading, and start over.

Mikecr if you have nothing constructive to say better you say nothing. Cos when one like you speaks they just prove nothing constructive will ever come from them.

 

[dok7mm]

Ozy, the fact that you don't seem to know the difference between AOL and OAL, is a sign that you are very new to reloading and the nomenclature we use to discuss loading.

I suggest you get some reloading manuals and read them over and over, until you have a good grasp on the information. Better yet, try to find a person with reloading experience to mentor you.

I believe Mikecr was referring to the lack of experience you have, you would only be confused by the answers you might get. I agree. One question would lead to another and so on, until the thread was pages long and you might still be confused.

Chamber dimensions are different and the load data in a manual is only for the test barrel they used. If you are using the OAL gauge correctly, you are getting OAL for YOUR chamber. I doubt there is anything wrong with your chamber.

 

[ShtrRdy]

What if we assumed AOL was a typo and the OP really meant OAL?

To the original question -- when you measure the OAL with a Hornady gauge, that is telling you where the bullet has contacted the lands. If you had some factory loaded ammo with that bullet that was 2.260" then you might have something to be concerned about. When you reload you can place the OAL to match the bullet you're using.

 

[dok7mm]

4 typos? Maybe so.

 

[Mikecr]

-Ok, assuming AOL is not America Online. That you mean OAL (overall length).
-The 2.243" measure. I'll assume this represents case shoulder (either new or fire-formed) to touching lands. Then unknown is bolt face to land touching, or touching COAL(cartridge overall length).
-The Nosler 2.260" measure. I assume this is simply the COAL Nosler set for their load testing.

If right so far, and you're right so far, Nosler's COAL would put your loads as jammed. I doubt Nosler's load was jammed. So your pressures would potentially be higher.
That your chamber is different from Nosler's is to be expected. None of our chambers match each other.
As far as your chosen seating depth and COAL, that's YOUR choice, for YOUR gun, not Nosler's. It's a problem if it's a problem FOR YOU.
In that case a gunsmith could extend the throat.

Somewhere in your book there should be golden rules, one of which is start low & work up. Plays a roll here.

 

[Ozy]

sry it was a typo error meant oal. Case used was a purchased .223 hornady case solely designed to be screwed onto their oal guage. Bullet used was a nosler 55g varmogdon. Case was inserted into rifle and bullet then pushed out gently until it can to a stop. Took 10 individual measurements and all were within .005" difference shortest to longest. Average length calculated as 2.243" oal. With my measurement being oal of 2.243" and if i use the 2.260" oal could i be jamming this round in.

 

[woods]

In this scenario, YES

There will be variation between your Hornady modified case and the cases fired in your rifle regarding the measurement from the case head to the middle of the shoulder. IOW the modified case is smaller than your fire formed case

To measure this you will need what Hornady calls it's headspace gauge

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/4...headspace-gauge-5-bushing-set-with-comparator

IME it can be hard to get an accurate measurement with the Hornady modified case method and there can be problems if your neck is too tight for the modified case (that will hold it from entering into your chamber fully) or if you apply different force to push the gray rod in

Also you can not get into trouble seating further from the lands than necessary whereas you can get into trouble seating too close or into the lands. So just seat to 2.223 (20 thousandths off the lands according to your measurements) and it will not be critical if you are actually .020" off or .037" off

 

[ShtrRdy]

For that bullet in that chamber, if you use 2.260" for OAL, then yes, it would be jamming into the lands.

So, you would want to use an OAL of 2.243" or less.

 

[Ozy]

Woods & ShtryRdy thanks taking the time to answer my question. I am still learning and thort I come here to ask questions. ShtrRdy I was careful in applying the exact same pressure on the grey rod. I also do have that head space gauge in Wood's link along with a bullet comparator for measuring oal from the o-give.

 

[woods]

There are 2 kinds of Hornady comparators, one for the bullet (bullet comparator) and one for the case (headspace gauge). The one I referenced is for measuring from the case head to a point halfway between the neck and case body along the shoulder and is the case compator