measuring COL

I shoot nosler bt's also and haven't felt the need for this tool.Are you having accuracy issues at all? If not I would say it would be a waste but thats my 2 cents.Are you shooting AR'S or bolt guns?I do have an O.A.L. guage that is useful for bolt or single shot types.Its made by Hornady and checks your chamber for where to set your seating die ect.
 
shooting out of a bolt action, not really having any accuracy problems, but they could improve and was thinking that may help a little bit.
 
Your seating die is useing the ogive of the bullet,so I dont think the few thousanths variance in the tips of your noslers will change anything.The good part is this tool is not too expensive.I am thinking that the oal guage+the comparator will give a more refined load.If that will help your accuracy is the question.All the little gadjets have a place. At what point do you say OK good enough.I am not the perfectionist type,so if my guns are shooting sub moa I am a happy camper.Most often I blame myself and not the gun for my accuracy issues.The winner is the one that dies with the most toys!!
 
You can get the data needed without the tool. there are a couple easy ways to find max OAL to lands. One that works on some rifles, is to take a spent shell, put a new bullet into it at a long oal, chamber it. The bullet will set back into case to touching lands OAL. Do it several times to make sure it is always the same oal. With this measurement you can then determine what fits in magazine and how much jump your getting at that oal. There are other methods. without buying a oal length tool.
 
I use the stoney Point (now Hornady) COAL gauge and a Sinclair multiple caliber comparator (looks like a large nut) with my calipers. One big advantage to using the comparator is that you can approximate the same jump with different bullets when you measure them off the ogive. If you find the jump that works best with bullet A, you can seat it to the same length with the comparator for bullet B and you'll be close to the same jump. The fired case method may work for you also but be sure the grip of the rifling doesn't pull the bullet out of the case giving you false readings. There is set screw on the Hornady OAL gauge so if your bullet moves, you can push it back in against the follower and still get an accurate reading. Good luck.
 
Originally Posted By: nick2010i have been think about getting a hornady " Chamber all bullet comparator.
i was wondering if any of you guys use something like this and if its better than just a regular caliper. i'm loading nosler bt's and the tips seem to vary a bit.

Yes I have and use one and it makes it real easy to do the measuring. It is One of the better ways to do it
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DAB
 
Originally Posted By: DABOriginally Posted By: nick2010i have been think about getting a hornady " Chamber all bullet comparator.
i was wondering if any of you guys use something like this and if its better than just a regular caliper. i'm loading nosler bt's and the tips seem to vary a bit.

Yes I have and use one and it makes it real easy to do the measuring. It is One of the better ways to do it
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DAB



^This^
 
I use them and they work great. You will get a much more consistant COAL and in return get better accuracy. I use them for all my calibers I reload for and in my opinion it is the only way to measure the OAL
 
The Hornady tool (aka Stoney Point tool) DOESN'T measure COL (Cartridge Overall Length); you measure COL with a dial caliper tool.

The Stoney Point and Hornady tool assists in measuring where the respective caliber bullet you are loading engages the lands, and you adjust the seating depth of the bullet (COL) with your seating die according to where you want it with respect to the rifling contact point for that particular bullet.
 
I have always wondered, if you see varience in bullets by measuring to the tips, can you also see varience in measuring to the Ogive? Afterall, the bullets are all made mostly by machine, and though the Ogive should be a more consistant measurement can't there still be variences? Would one need to measure each bullet much the same way you measure and Mic Brass? Just wondering..
 
The only reason for my previous post is that after 2 pages of responses no one is able/capable(?) to correct the terms for the process....being barely "alluded" to...

I think you know everything varies, how much depends on the accuracy/repeatability of your measuring tools.

Just load the things the best you can with what you can afford and go hunting! BUT, read a reloading manual first!
 
Ornery ,

Yes i do measure every bullet when i purchase production made bullets and i have seen differences . Now when i purchase certain custom made Spencer's bullets I dont measure .
 
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