Hornady / Stoney Point Seating Depth Tool

[simonp]

I am going to ask a question which I presume is probably impossible to answer online but heck here it goes anyway.

How did you become adept at using the Hornady / Stoney Point seating depth tool? I have been told by a few folks it's a matter of developing a feel for it - ok fair enough I accept that but how did you go about doing that?

I periodically break out the tool and try to figure out where the lands are in a barrel and if I do it 5 times I get 5 different measurements, if I do it 10 I get 10, 20 I get 20 so on and so on. At some point I stop due to frustration and irritation, and I go back to just loading book length or mag length until time passes and I think well I should try to do this again and see what the results are if I change the seating depth.

TIA

 

[Sheldon N]

I settled on using the Hornady tool only to find the "hard jam" number. If I want to know where "touching" the lands is I'll use the Alex Wheeler method.

Hornady tool is pretty repeatable if you just press the bullet firmly into the lands using just your fingertip, then knock the bullet out of the lands with a cleaning rod and measure. Assume that there's about 0.010 of grey area between touch and hard jam, so seating at 0.030 off the hard jam number is about the same as jumping 0.020 from touch.

 

[simonp]

I settled on using the Hornady tool only to find the "hard jam" number. If I want to know where "touching" the lands is I'll use the Alex Wheeler method.

Hornady tool is pretty repeatable if you just press the bullet firmly into the lands using just your fingertip, then knock the bullet out of the lands with a cleaning rod and measure. Assume that there's about 0.010 of grey area between touch and hard jam, so seating at 0.030 off the hard jam number is about the same as jumping 0.020 from touch.

Thanks for the information, I will have to look up the Alex Wheeler method.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

I have the older SP versions, before Hornady bought them out.

There is a 'finesse' that is needed.

For finding the lands, I take 5 bullets that I squirreled away before the rifle was fired for the first time, and mark them 1-5 (or 1-3 if I only use 3) and go to town.

I take 3 measurements per bullet and rotate the gage 120* after each time, notating each measurement.

I proceed from 1-5/1-3 and then average the 15 numbers out.

Chris

 

[Sheldon N]

I will have to look up the Alex Wheeler method.

There used to be a video from him years ago but it's not online anymore. Short description....

1. Strip the bolt - remove firing pin/spring/shroud, remove ejector plunger w/ a pin punch+hammer. Bolt handle will drop freely in the action with zero resistance.
2. Size a piece of brass until it fits completely loose in the chamber (work your way up to it so as not to oversize). Bolt handle should drop freely with the brass clipped under the extractor. This is also a great way to figure out shoulder bump for sizing.
3. Seat a bullet long and test fit in the chamber, clipping it under the extractor before you chamber the round.
4. Slowly seat the bullet into the case, testing fit as you go. First the bolt wont want to close, then it will close with some light resistance, then it will close with just the weight of the bolt handle pressing the bullet into the lands. Once you reach this point you are super close, fine tune the final seating in 0.001 increments in the next step.
5. Pay close attention to how the bolt feels when lifting the handle to remove the round. You should feel the bullet "pop" out of the lands on primary extraction, making a little click sound of the bolt snapping open all the way. When you lose any sensation of the bullet popping free from the lands and there's no click sound at extraction (ie the bolt is totally loose on both close and open) that is your "touch" measurement.

 

[ShtrRdy]

I have a near new hornady tool but have ended up using the Wheeler " stripped bolt" method.

 

[spife7980]

Thanks for the information, I will have to look up the Alex Wheeler method.

There used to be a video from him years ago but it's not online anymore.

It’s hard linked on his site and blocked everywhere else, I assume due to YouTube harassing him
Scroll down to the finding your lands video

Videos | wheeleraccuracy

www.wheeleraccuracy.com

Edit: the sizing, lands, clickers and die fitment are all excellent Simon

 

[smithpa68]

I don't have this down pat just yet myself with the Hornady tool, but I did find it a bit more consistent this way. I bought a brass rod at the hardware store. Slide it in from the muzzle until it touches the bullet in the tool. Then you can use your fingers on both ends to work it back and forth until it feels like it is "seated lightly" to the lands, then screw the knob in.

Not perfect, I find it more consistent and it helps you get a "feel" easier.

Also, if the bullet sticks.. you are all set to bump it out of the rod. easy.

 

[memilanuk]

FWIW, it's worth having a few options.

I used the Hornady oal tool exclusively for years - mine probably says 'Stoney Point' (Hornady bought them out long ago). I tend to stuff 'em in there pretty hard... and oddly enough, I get *very* similar results compared to when I use the 'Wheeler' method.

The problem I have with the Wheeler method in actual use was when I tried using it with a long-throated .223 Rem. I couldn't feel 'touch' for $hit. Completely baffled me. .308 Win, .300 WM or PRC, .338LM, 6.5CM... no problem. .223 Rem with a long throat for FTR... no bueno.

Turns out some of that may be the tolerances involved. If you look at the chamber prints for say, a .308 Win match chamber, the freebore diameter is something like 0.3085" - 5 ten-thousandths over nominal bullet diameter. Not very much, only a couple tenths on either side of the bullet - and that's assuming everything is perfectly aligned. But if you look at the reamer prints for say, an ISSF .223 Rem chamber... the freebore is 0.2242". *Two* tenths over bullet diameter. No f'ing wonder it's nearly impossible to 'feel' when the damned bullet is at touch vs. just off!

So for me, I had to go back to using the Hornady OAL tool for .223 Rem in my bolt guns. YMMV.

 

[John Glidewell]

I don't have this down pat just yet myself with the Hornady tool, but I did find it a bit more consistent this way. I bought a brass rod at the hardware store. Slide it in from the muzzle until it touches the bullet in the tool. Then you can use your fingers on both ends to work it back and forth until it feels like it is "seated lightly" to the lands, then screw the knob in.

Not perfect, I find it more consistent and it helps you get a "feel" easier.

Also, if the bullet sticks.. you are all set to bump it out of the rod. easy.

I use a cleaning rod down the muzzle, but same thing and result. Much more consistent numbers doing it this way, just takes a it of practice. I usually do at least 5 different bullets too, just to make sure the numbers are solid.

 

[LRDD]

The cleaning rod method is what I use with the hornaday tool. Gives me the same numbers as stripping the bolt method.