Anyone out there know of a good YouTube video showing how to correctly set the COL in the reloading die? I have a dummy cartridge that I will gently chamber then extract to get the COL of my particular rifle, I'm just trying to find the best way to set the COL in the die. Thank You in advance....

Aaron

Most all the U-Tube videos I've been able to find so far, are in relation on how to determine a rifles COL, not in setting up the die for your COL. Setting up your bullet seating die for your COL is a relatively simple process. Your reloading manual will provide a safe COL for whatever round you're loading that should function in any rifle of that size. Be careful if you want to set your cartridge length to the maximum your rifle can handle. Having the bullet up against the rifling can produce extremely high chamber pressures. Most times great accuracy can be achieved with the bullet set back, off the rifling, ten to thirty thousandths. If you have a dummy bullet and casing that you used to determine your rifle maximum cartridge length, ensure it will load and feed from your magazine. Often times the magazine length may be the limiting factor for COL.

(Sorry, I ran out of time before I could finish this. Something came up where I work and I couldn't get back to finish. I'll try to finish later, if someone doesn't beat me to it.)

Volume II (Back again)
If you have a dummy round that is set for your rifle chamber maximum length, measure the cartridge overall length with your veneer calipers or dial calipers and record this measurement in your reloading records as the maximum COL for this rifle and bullet combination. Your rifle COL will be different for different bullets.
To set up your bullet seating/crimp die, start with a resized and properly trimmed shell case. Ensure the proper shell plate is installed in your reloading press and place the shell case in the shell plate, the die should not be screwed down on the press yet. Raise the reloading ram to the full up position and slowly screw down the die until it just touches the mouth of the shell case, then back it off about 1/4 to 1/2 turn and lock it down in this position. Ensure the bullet seating stem is raised up enough to prevent pushing a bullet down below the COL. If you want to make a load dummy, then you can proceed with this shell case as is, otherwise go ahead and remove the shell case and prime and charge it with powder. Place the shell casing back in the shell plate and position a bullet at the case mouth and raise the press ram to press the bullet into the case mouth. Set your veneer or dial calipers to the COL as referenced in your reloading manual. Remove the now loaded cartridge and attempt to pass it through the jaws of your calipers, it should be too long to fit. Adjust the bullet seating stem down slightly and repeat the above sequence again until the loaded cartridge will just pass through the jaws of your calipers touching on each end. The bullet is now seated to your COL, but is not crimped in place.
If you desire to crimp your rounds, back out on the bullet seating stem a couple turns and unlock the die. Screw the die down approximately 3/4 to 1 full turn and lock in place. Place your COL cartridge back in the press and fully raise the press ram to crimp the shell to the bullet. With the ram still raised in the full up position screw in the bullet seating stem until it firmly contacts the top of the bullet. Remove the loaded cartridge from the press and again check it with your calipers. You're now set to load the rest of your ammunition to this same COL. If you desire to lengthen the COL, then raise the bullet seating stem slightly until you reach the desired length. Remember, do not extend beyond your rifles maximum COL as recorded at the start of this.

Got to get back to work again. Hope this helps.

Thank You very much for all your knowledge and help !!!!! You stated that most bullets like to be and should be set back from the lands anywhere from .010"-.030". That is one important aspect that I have recieved wrong or bad info about. A few people I spoke with told me to carefully chamber a dummy case and carefully eject it and that would be the best COL for my rifle. I don't know why, but it just did not sound right to me. This week , I will hopefully be ordering a relaoding manual. Any recommendations as to which one? I've been looking at the Hornady 8th edition.

I prefer Lyman. They do not make powder or bullets, so there for cover ALL bullets and powders. No body has more experience at publishing reloading manuals then they! They do cover every aspect to reloading. Buy one, read it cover to cover before ya start with your new hobby of reloading!

A bullet, as it is being fired, has to overcome two resistive forces before it starts moving (actually three, momentum is the third force). The first resistance is to overcome the crimp force of the shell casing to the bullet. The second force it has to overcome is the engraving of the rifling into the jacket of the bullet. If the bullet is loaded to the point that it is already touching the rifling, then the bullet will have to overcome both of these resistive forces at the same time, thus causing the chamber pressure to spike extremely high and possibly causing damage to the firearm and the shooter. This is particularly a problem if you are loading near maximum charges. By backing off the COL by ten to thirty thousandths, this will allow the bullet to free itself from the crimp before it engages the rifling, the bullet will still be in the neck of the case but it will already be moving by the time it hits the rifling.
I will normally start by selecting what bullet I want to try. Then I'll select what powder I want to try. I'll load five round groups of that powder starting at a mid-point, according to my reloading manual, and increase in 0.5 grn. increments, up to the max loading. I'll set my COL as specified by the reloading manual I'm using. I use the reloading manual for the brand of bullet I'm loading. After I determine which five round group provided the best accuracy, I'll go back and load some more to each side of that load, varying the powder charge by 0.1 grns. If one of these proves to be more accurate, then I'll keep adjusting the powder charge until I start seeing my groups opening back up. Once I've determined the best powder charge for a given bullet, then I'll start lengthening my COL to determine if I can get the groups to tighten up any more. I will not load any longer than ten thousandths less than my rifles max COL.
Keep in mind, as you near the max powder load and as the COL nears max, inspect your spent cases carefully for signs of overpressure. If you start seeing sings of overpressure, back off.

Lyman has a very informative manual. I like to use the manual for the brand of bullet that I'll be loading. I've got a whole book case shelf of reloading manuals, and several editions of the most of them. My kids have finally learned that if they are trying to find a gift for me, they can always get me a current edition of a reloading manual.

Above all else, be safe, and please be careful.

Wow, thank you so much for all your knowledge! Since I am starting relaoding with Hornady Vmax 58gr, sounds like the Hornady manual will be the first purchase followed by Lyman. I'm not looking to load any "hot" loads, I just want to reload to save money so I can shoot/hunt more and because doing something like this right from square one to eating my harvests gives me great satisfaction. The Hornady Vmax manufacturer loads are great out of my Savage 10 .243, and that's all I want to do is duplicate that performance at my reloading bench without spending $28 a box.I realize it will be trial and error,and that's part of the fun,aggravation, and learning. lol.

P.S. Being safe and careful is my number 1 priority....that's why I have not reloaded a single round yet.

Just a couple of notes to add:

If your load is longer than the max COAL length in the manual, it may not work in your magazine or if a buddy runs out of ammo and borrows some, it may not be safe or usable in his rifle.

Because I want absolute functional reliability to feed and chamber from the magazine, I start with the max COAL. Once I get a powder charge, then I will seat shorter and see what happens. Often, if you are getting the classic '2 shots together and one out' group, seating a touch (1/4 to 1/2 turn on the seating stem) deeper will tighten up the group.

I too have several manuals but there are more Lyman's on the shelf than anything else.

Dale

The "2 shot group and one flyer" you spoke of is exactly the problem I was having with the 2 boxes my good friend/coworker reloaded for me. We dropped the grains of powder a wee bit thinking that was the problem. He used a COL of 2.560 with the max being 2.600 for this bullet. I will start trying deeper settings and see if the flyers stop and the groups tighten up.