You need: a 48" length of dowel, diameter dependant on caliber, some hot glue, and an individual bullet from each bullet make/type you plan to shoot. Cut the dowel length based on your rifle's barrel length.
- insert a 30" or so length of 3/16", 1/4" or 5/16” dowel into your muzzle;
- close and lock bolt;
- push the dowel against bolt face and hold it there while marking the dowel precisely at the muzzle (use a razor blade);
- now remove the bolt from the receiver;
- take another length of 1/4" dowel, say about 12" long, and hot glue your bullet onto the end;
- insert the dowel/bullet through the action, into the chamber, and against the lands;
- holding pressure against the dowel/bullet, push the other length of dowel, from the muzzle, in until it touches the bullet tip;
- holding it there, make another mark on the long dowel with the razor blade;
- measure between the marks. This is your maximum COL (OAL) for that particular make, weight, and type of bullet.
You can repeat this procedure for each bullet make/type/weight that you plan to reload. Then you can deduct .010, .020, .030, or whatever to come off the lands. It takes about 3 minutes per bullet to get an accurate measurement. I do them all, then mark the inside of the bullet boxes with this maximum COL. Even when I don;t load them even close to that measurement, at least I always know what my maximum is, so when I go to extending the seating depth looking for accuracy, I know how close to the lands I'm getting.
Does this method leave room for a couple of three thousandths error, due to differences in bullet tip? Of course. But I think it's more than accurate enough for load development.
__________________Stretch ?
"If you are a reloader and you don't know Lee, you don't know Jack" - Floydster
DON'T BE SCARED?
