Jedi,
Your OAL results are remarkably consistent. IME, even when being cautious, it is unusual to see such little variance. I just checked 10 of my 380 rounds and had +/- .004" on them. If I were not so polite, I would call BS on your numbers.
I will put it like this: Load long enough and you'll discover that checking AS you load makes a lot more sense. Dies always stay right where you put them...until they don't
Reloading is one of those things that requires in-process QA...not spot-checking after the fact. I think you will find that guys who load using a true progressive press, or even commercial reloaders, check early and often. At the very least, don't you think it would be prudent to check OAL on the 1st, 5th and maybe 50th round? If you're going to have a problem it will usually happen early...which is when you want to catch it, right?
Well I'm still new with the calpiers so it could also be "user error" in getting the numbers. I used the far inside of my calpiers to check all the rounds so as to ensure I was reading from the same place each time so to speak. Not sure if that makes sence or not.
I have noticed that if I use the tip of the calpiers I get one reading and if I use the far inside another reading. I think it's due to the RN bullet I am using and not always centering it.
& please don't be poliet this is INGO after all have you read the political section. They are rude beyond compare.
How critical your OAL is depends entirely on the powder and your load. Some powders get very scary when loaded hot and can be sensitive to seating depths. Other powders won't care at all. Personally I only obsess about OAL on my 10mm nuclear rounds. Remember OAL doesn't tell you seating depth which is what you really need to know. With my medium loads I don't worry about it at all.
Using Winchester 231 @ 5gr.
& correct on the red text. yet no one has answered that for the OP or myself.
How far is too far? Last night I took another round (factory) that I had with a no-name brass casing and that OAL was 1.196 which is way shorter than what I based all my reloads on. Not sure if the bullets on my reload vs this shorter round vs the other factory round I used to base my OAL are all the same. But again it leave me in the dark as to how far to seat the bullets before I have to worry?