Cannot get COAL

big ears

Well-Known Member
Hi I'm loading 223 and the coal is quoted at 2.200 but my seating die (lee) will not seat that deep. The deepest I can get is 2.235 and this still looks very deep.

what am I doing wrong?
 
What bullet are you loading?
2.200" seems very short even for a 40 grain bullet.
 
52gr amax. I was given a load with benchmark with this coal. Checked on a few websites and 2.200 is quoted as coal but as I said cannot achieve it with my dies so was worried may be doing something wrong. Was thinking of reseating to 20thou of lands and seeing how they shoot.
 
Point worth considering, comparators can/will vary.
Measuring with comparators doesn't give you COAL, it gives you the length to the ogive.
If you are using a comparator to measure then this is where you are going wrong.

P.S. COAL is a guide and may not give you the best results. Provided your not already into the lands then I'd try what you have.
 
Normally load 55gr vmax at 20 thou off which is 2.240 and this works, at this length the base of the bullet is seated on or a bouts the base of the neck. The new load is from a chap who has the same rifle as mine and finds its is really accurate. The only problem is that my dies won't load below 2.230. I have checked the cartridge length at 1.750 which is what is quoted in the books. Hodgdon load data for 53gr quotes 2.200. Just wondering what I'm doing wrong or if the die is faulty?
Will tap out and reload to 2.240 and try it.
 
Have you tried to measure the COAL using the Nosler technique with a fired case from your rifle and the bullet in question as a guide? Load to between 10 and twenty thou less than this measurement usually gives godd results. After all, loading our own custom ammo, matched to the chamber, is the basis for the claimed superiority of home loads.
 
same issue with my .222 and 52 AMax
is the profile of the seater and the bullet not being ideal

i took a couple of MM off the bottom of the die (some people were appalled!)
does the job fine
 
Hi I'm loading 223 and the coal is quoted at 2.200 but my seating die (lee) will not seat that deep. The deepest I can get is 2.235 and this still looks very deep.

what am I doing wrong?

Reading the .222 rem page instead of the .223 rem page?
 
Nope! Checked and double checked 223 rem data.

Sorry, just a suggestion.

I have only got the 4th edition manual... It lists C.O.L. (not, NOT C.O.A.L) of 2.220" for 52-53 grain bullets in .222 rem

The corresponding C.O.L. for 52-53 grain bullets in .223 rem is, surprisingly, 2.230"

Not that I actually pay much attention to such numbers, since I load, heavy for calibre bullets in .223 rem, with a C.O.L. relative to the start of the rifling lands... or max length that'll fit the magazine (when/if that becomes a consideration)
 
Thanks Tamus,
think that is what I will do. Have always found 20thou off in my rifle does produce good accuracy so will load to that and see. If no good will alter length and see what happens.

BE
 
I use length to O-Give for all my case measurements, for a .223 55grn VMax my rifle has a 1.875" length to OGive. So I seat mine to 20 thou off at 1.855"

Not sure what COAL that gives me as I'm not overly interested. I did check them to see they were in spec but that's it.
 
I use length to O-Give for all my case measurements, for a .223 55grn VMax my rifle has a 1.875" length to OGive. So I seat mine to 20 thou off at 1.855"

Not sure what COAL that gives me as I'm not overly interested. I did check them to see they were in spec but that's it.
interestingly that's very close to mine. Measured the max distance as 1.870 and load now to 1.850 which usually gives good results. It has been reassuring that so many have said the same just a shock I could not match what was suggested at a vial of 2.2.
off to the range next week so will give it a go
 
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