Originally Posted by stubblejumper
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If you're going to do serious reloading, you need a cartridge overall length gague.


No you don't!

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It's important to know where your bullet is in it's relationship to the lands.


This can be accomplished with a fired case,a bullet and a dial caliper,without any special tools.

I put a very small dent in one side of the case neck so that a bullet can barely be started into the case with my fingers.

I then barely start a bullet into the case,and insert this assembly into the chamber and slowly close the bolt.

I then gently open the bolt,carefully remove the assembly,and measure the overall length with my dial calipers.

I repeat this procedure a few times with a few different bullets to make sure the results are consistent.

I now have the overall length to the lands with that particular bullet.


The problem with this method is it is imprecise. Bullet noses, expecially on lead tipped and hollow point bullets vary quite a bit in length, and that is why we need to measure form the ogive. Now if you use a tool that measures from the bullet ogive the method you describe will work. However, once you use a COL gauge (it's really betetr called an ogive gauge) you'll never go back to this other method.