Questions on bullets and powder

[A5BLASTER]

Thanks for your response, I am new to reloading so your experience is very helpful. I have been doing a lot of research and I have some questions. Isn’t the COTB more important than COAL? I replicated the COTB measurement of a 123gr load that shoots good in my gun.
Also, I will adjust my load development increments to what you suggest. Hornady lists 33.5gr as the max of CFE 223 for 100gr bullets. Shouldn’t the highest load I loaded of 31.7gr be safe? If need be, I’ll pull the bullets and start over. Thanks for your thoughts.

There is no way to know what's safe in your rifle without doing a pressure ladder. The case capacity can be diffrent between diffrent case's like hornady,starline,PPU.

Case in point with ar-comp in a hornady case 28 grains under a 120 gold dot is not compressed. Same load in PPU brass is very compressed.

Then you have to factor that each barrels jump distance is diffrent and each barrel builds pressure and speed diffrently.

If there is book data always start at their listed start charge and work up slowly over the chronagrah. If they list a coal measurement go with their listed coal measurement.