Guns, Bows, Shooting Sports, and Hunting Picked up a reloading press

[SHobbs]

Been doing some reading and I was wondering. What about items used to measure the cases loaded or unloaded. I know a caliper helps to measure the over all length before and after a reload but, I was thinking about a more detail measurement.

Couple of examples
https://shop.rcbs.com/WebConnect/Ma...creenlabel=index&productId=3180&route=C11J142

Lyman Products Your Primary Source for Reloading Equipment

 

[GHarman]

SHOBBS, There are several ways to accomplish this task. A general overall measurement is important for feeding through a magazine. Lead nosed bullets are very inconsistent but its only a ball park measurement.

A more precise measurement is using a tool that allows the reloader to measure ogive/bearing surface relationships. This will allow you to seat bullets more precisely relative to the rifling leade in the throat of the barrel. It will also show you that the ogive/bearing surface interface changes between different lots of the same bullet!

I use a tool from Sinclair International. Please see: Sinclair Hex Style Bullet Comparators - Sinclair Intl

This is a multi-caliber reference tool. Works great, for me.

You can make your own seating depth finder with an empty resized case. Slot the neck 4X, it will have 4 fingers so it acts like a collet. I use a diamond cutoff wheel in a dremel tool. Clean and debur the case. Place a bullet into the case, a little long. Chamber the dummy case, carefully extract the assembly and wa la, instant throat depth dimension!!! You will do this ideally with every bullet type. Overall length will change with changes in ogive/bearing surface geometry. Hope this helps! GregH

 

[BIGNASTY]

The dummy round way has worked for me for quiet a while. I just wont load anywhere near MAX. I load a grain of two less then sneak up on the MAX. I have almost always found the MAX loads are not the most accurate anyway

 

[GHarman]

SHOBBS, Concentricity of a loaded round can be measured with the tool you have linked. There are others available from various sources.

Case headspace gages are, IMHO, not necessary. If you adjust your dies as described. You will not set back the shoulder and create a headspace issue. GregH

 

[SHobbs]

Greg,

Thanks. Slotting the neck makes sense, could something other than a Dremel be used say a small hacksaw? Reason I ask is that I do not have one.

Bignasty,

I have no intentions of creating monster rounds, lol.

 

[GHarman]

A jewelers saw or hack saw with a very fine tooth blade will work great. GregH

 

[BIGNASTY]

Greg,



Thanks. Slotting the neck makes sense, could something other than a Dremel be used say a small hacksaw? Reason I ask is that I do not have one.



Bignasty,



I have no intentions of creating monster rounds, lol.

It works the other way also you dont want to create pressure problems with SQUIB loads, to little is just as bad if not worse than to much in some cases

 

[starkmr]

Good info here for sure! I'll pass on another valuable link for you THE ACCURATE RELOADING. COM FORUMS there is a ton of information on this site and it has been around for a long while. One of the engineers I used to work with is a mod on that site and is good for info on large bore pistols.



Reloading is a lot of fun to me, but also demands your respect and attention. As others have said, do not multi-task or consume alcohol while you are loading.



As for loading hot rounds, I've got a cousin that is hung up on pushing his velocities as high as he can. It will bite him in the arse one day. I have yet to find a max load that was also the most accurate load. I mean really, is a deer or elk going to know or care if that bullet got there 50fps faster or not? I'd prefer that bullet to hit exactly where I wanted it to rather than get it there a touch faster.