Redid test just now: 15 Win cases, 3 different bullets with 5 different cases.
Hi was 1.149
Low was 1.140
AVG was 1.143
SO, do you go with low, hi or avg...
1.143 - 0.015 = 1.128....
Thanks a lot, Red
One of the objects of subtracting the 0.015" is to make sure
all your reloads work
every time in your barrel. Another is to make up for wide variations in your OALs.
If your seater fits the bullet's ogive and you're lubing your cases, and your resulting OALs vary very little, then you can use the
Average result (which is closer to the Low number anyway) allowing you to go with 1.130" as your OAL. (If your
Average had been much closer to the
Hi of 1.149", then my answer would have been different.)
If you are new to reloading and your OALs are still seeing wide variations, then use 1.125" as your OAL. That extra 0.005" will give you some safety padding to insure that every round fits and fires safely.
So to answer your question, there's not one, single, definitive way it's
always done. Part of reloading is
science and part is good
judgement. You simply want to err toward safety.