I have a question on finding the lands to seat the bullet according to ogive to land spacing instead of the actual OAL out of the manual. I fully understand why we want to do this, but am less clear on the how. Or rather how to get an accurate measurement.
One method I read would have me basically seat a bullet into a dummy case by closing the bolt and pushing the bullet into the lands. I found this method fairly efficient at getting bullets stuck in the barrel, but that is not what I was after. If I wanted to do that, it would be more fun to just forget putting powder in a primed case. If one opens up the case neck enough so that the bullet doesn’t engrave itself into the lands, then it shifts around so easy that the measurement is untrustworthy.
Another method I have read but not tried would have me close the bolt on an empty chamber, shove a cleaning rod down the muzzle and mark the muzzle to boltface distance. Then I would seat a bullet in a dummy case, but sticking way out. Then I would close the bolt, but not completely and hold it in place with a bungee cord while I mark the distance from the muzzle to the bullet tip on the cleaning rod. After taking the difference of the cleaning rod measurements, I would then have to seat the bullet precisely to this overall length and measure to the ogive with a comparator. This method seems cheap and easy which is always good, unless of course you are ready to get married. It does seem to have opportunity for measurement error though.
Then, there is this Hornady OAL gauge of which many on this forum seem to think highly. I do understand the concept, however am not clear on how to arrive at a precise head to ogive measurement. The modified brass should give a pretty close measurement of the shoulder to ogive, but how does one account for the difference in head to shoulder lengths?
Actually, I am not even real certain how to measure the thing in the first place regardless of the case length issue. It is my understanding that the bullet slips in the neck easily so that one has tactile feedback when the threaded rod pushes the bullet to the lands. Once you lock the rod in place, remove it and the bullet, and then seat the bullet against the rod, you still have a big bolt sticking out the back. How do you get your caliper with comparator attached square across it to make a measurement?
One method I read would have me basically seat a bullet into a dummy case by closing the bolt and pushing the bullet into the lands. I found this method fairly efficient at getting bullets stuck in the barrel, but that is not what I was after. If I wanted to do that, it would be more fun to just forget putting powder in a primed case. If one opens up the case neck enough so that the bullet doesn’t engrave itself into the lands, then it shifts around so easy that the measurement is untrustworthy.
Another method I have read but not tried would have me close the bolt on an empty chamber, shove a cleaning rod down the muzzle and mark the muzzle to boltface distance. Then I would seat a bullet in a dummy case, but sticking way out. Then I would close the bolt, but not completely and hold it in place with a bungee cord while I mark the distance from the muzzle to the bullet tip on the cleaning rod. After taking the difference of the cleaning rod measurements, I would then have to seat the bullet precisely to this overall length and measure to the ogive with a comparator. This method seems cheap and easy which is always good, unless of course you are ready to get married. It does seem to have opportunity for measurement error though.
Then, there is this Hornady OAL gauge of which many on this forum seem to think highly. I do understand the concept, however am not clear on how to arrive at a precise head to ogive measurement. The modified brass should give a pretty close measurement of the shoulder to ogive, but how does one account for the difference in head to shoulder lengths?
Actually, I am not even real certain how to measure the thing in the first place regardless of the case length issue. It is my understanding that the bullet slips in the neck easily so that one has tactile feedback when the threaded rod pushes the bullet to the lands. Once you lock the rod in place, remove it and the bullet, and then seat the bullet against the rod, you still have a big bolt sticking out the back. How do you get your caliper with comparator attached square across it to make a measurement?
