Oal

[Cowtown guy]

How do you guys find the OAL for your rifles? I have heard of a gauge of some sort. Would it be worth the money?

I have been doing it by smoking the bullet and seating it deeper and deeper until I come off of the lands. This to me takes entirely too much time and I am not sure exactly how accurate it is.

Is there any little insider info that some may want to share?

[catnthehat]

Stoney Point makes several good guages for determining OAL.
I've used most of the systems over the years.
I still like to put a bullet in backwards in a lightly crimped case and close the rufle on it, then carefully pull it out and measure.
I do this several times to make sure I get the right measurement.
That will dertermine the length of the bullet from the ogive that I wll use as a STARTING POINT when I develop my loads for the rifle.
Cat

[Donkey Slayer]

Take an empty shell and cut two cuts down into the neck with a dremel about 1/4 inch. With a little pressure sqeeze the ends together (only slightly) then place a bullet in the end. Chamber it, remove the shell and measure the OAL. Very simple and cheap.

[Bobby B.]

Cowtown,

Here's another method. Seat a bullet in a case so that it is obviously too long in OAL. Place the case in the chamber of your rifle to where you can feel the bullet is touching the lands. Next. insert your cleaning rod down the barrel from the muzzle end until the end touches the bullet. With a felt pen, mark the rod where the barrel's muzzle is. Withdraw the rod and place some masking tape around the felt pen mark so that this mark is covered by the tape. Insert the rod again so that the rod end touches the bullet. Push the rod in gently so that the bullet is pushed back away from the lands. Push the bullet back in so that it just contacts the lands. Do this as many times as neccesary to feel confident that the bullet is only just in contact with the lands. At this point, take an exactor knife and cut a mark into the tape on the rod at the end of the barrel. Remove the case and close the bolt on the rifle so that the firing pin is recessed. Now insert the rod until it contacts the bolt face, place the tape as before and cut a mark as before. With your calipers, measure the distance between the two cuts on the taped sections of the rod. This is your OAL. Seat molycoated bullets at a few thousands into the lands and non-coated bullets a few thousands off the lands.

Be certain the end of your cleaning rod is both flat and squared.

Bobby B.

I use the simplest easiest system that I know of.I take a fired case and put a small dent in the neck so that a bullet can barely be started into the case with my fingers.I start the bullet that I am going to use in the case,place it in the chamber and close the bolt.I carefully remove it and measure the overall length.Repeat this several times making sure you get consistent results.This tells you how long that particular bullet must be to touch the lands.Simply make the overall length shorter by the amount that you wish the bullet to be from the lands.

[Redfrog]

http://www.predatormastersforums.com...age=0#52212062

I've used this and it is great.

[Cowtown guy]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

That will dertermine the length of the bullet from the ogive that I wll use as a STARTING POINT when I develop my loads for the rifle.
Cat

I always thought that the ogive would be the obvious place to measure from as it will contact the lands first. Is there a gauge for this measurement? Obviously I would have to measure a different way than measuring the length with a mic.

Am I right by assuming that the ogive will stay consistent whereas the length of the bullet may vary slightly?

I should add that I am loading for hunting and not any sort of long range distance or silhouettes. Would this make a difference?

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Cowtown guy

I always thought that the ogive would be the obvious place to measure from as it will contact the lands first. Is there a gauge for this measurement? Obviously I would have to measure a different way than measuring the length with a mic.

Am I right by assuming that the ogive will stay consistent whereas the length of the bullet may vary slightly?

I should add that I am loading for hunting and not any sort of long range distance or silhouettes. Would this make a difference?

That's pretty much it in a nutshell, the ogive is more consistant than using the point of the bullet as a reference point.

On hunting rounds it is generally considered an acceptable method, however.

Sinclair sells a nice little nut that measures the ogive, and there several types of gauge that fit on on a vernier to do this.
If you are loading for a box magazine rifle, check the cartridge legnth in thw magazine as this is often the limiting factor.
Cat

[Skinnydipper]

Cowtown:

Keep in mind that all Stoney Point measuring products are now owned and distributed by Hornady. They are all listed on the Hornady website:

http://www.hornady.com/shop/?page=sh...71150bb17e4e06

[4570]

I still like to put a bullet in backwards in a lightly crimped case and close the rufle on it, then carefully pull it out and measure.
I do this several times to make sure I get the right measurement.
That will dertermine the length of the bullet from the ogive that I wll use as a STARTING POINT when I develop my loads for the rifle.
Cat

So you take the OAL from the above method.
Does this become the OAL of the actual rounds you use to shoot?

[Cowtown guy]

Originally Posted by Skinnydipper

Cowtown:

Keep in mind that all Stoney Point measuring products are now owned and distributed by Hornady. They are all listed on the Hornady website:

http://www.hornady.com/shop/?page=sh...71150bb17e4e06

Thanks Skinnydipper. I checked out the site and found a comparator that will measure from the ogive. It attaches to the jaw of the vernier and will be more accurate I think.

I found the same one on the Cabela's site for a few bucks cheaper and I know I can trust their reputation and shipping.

Thanks to all for the replies.