Is the PTG comparator same as the Sinclair?

How do they comapre to Hornady's comparator?

doesn't anyone use them?

Abob....allow me to be the very first to show my ignorance.....

What to hell is a comparator?????

From a different post -- "Actual bullet length is unimportant and does vary. Length from base to ogive is more important (Ogive in this context being the point on the 'taper' of the bullet which will engage the rifling.) This can be measured with a comparator, as supplied by Sinclair, attached to a vernier."

Since length of bullet tips can vary, it is a more accurate way to determine bullet seating; you can search them on Midaway

see: https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/2511043/m/583100269

this thing?.....

Personally I have no use for such a thing.

I would be interested in one to measure headspace of the cartridge case before and after firing and resizing to know more about how much I'm pushing the case shoulder back in FL resizing....

Buy some quality bullets and you won't need a comparator...

This is a comparator:

SEE HERE

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
Abob....allow me to be the very first to show my ignorance.....

What to hell is a comparator?????

+1

You ain't alone. I have zero use for a contraption like a comparator.
Incidentally, OAL varies all over the place with my loads, but accuracy is amazing. It's the distance from the ogive to that lands that's important, not OAL. I use Wilson Seaters, or custom made seaters like the Wilson's.

quote:

It's the distance from the ogive to that lands that's important, not OAL.

That is what a comparator measures

this the one I was looking at: http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=746974

If you believe you must have one that's the one to get..... it makes me wonder how I reloaded over 40 years and never needed one......but I did know of their existence.....just didn't realize they were called comparitors

I don't really believe I need one eihter, but if I don't spend the money, my wife will

I use a bullet comparator in all the calibers I can get one. I *much* prefer to establish COAL with respect to the ogive as opposed to the tip of the bullet. Bullet ogives vary, but tips vary a lot more. So don't let yourself be browbeaten by people who choose not to use this tool. Results matter, not whether somebody else chooses to get there the way you do.

I only use comparators like this



in one caliber (.323 cal), because my regular device does not come in 8mm... Otherwise, I normally just use one of these:



I'm not familiar with a Hornady bullet comparator, but I use their head space gauge which works about the same as the first bullet comparator above. I not familiar with a PTG comparator either, sorry. (PTG = Pacific Tool & Gauge??)

- mike

Your PTG ogive compairitor is virtually identical to the Sinclair. Get it.

Started loading in '65. Got my first dial caliper in '72. Didn't get a comparitor until about '90. Sure wish I'd had both much sooner.

Got my concentricity gage in '98. It not only taught me a lot about my previous mistakes and help me improve my ammo, it also taught me that a lot of my previous conceptions about which dies were "best" were mostly misconceptions. Plan to get one of those in the near future as well.

A good loader certainly can make good ammo with any tools but a good loader with good tools can do even better. A poor loader can't make good ammo with anything!

quote:

If you believe you must have one that's the one to get..... it makes me wonder how I reloaded over 40 years and never needed one......but I did know of their existence.....

I only have about 38 years. I was given one tried it saw no difference in my accuracy and gave it away. If you feel that your loaded rounds must all be as close to exactly the same as possible and you feel you need this go for it. I know this will pi$$ people off but I doubt the vast majority of reloaders have a rifle or the shooting technique that needs this much precision. Heck most of us weigh each charge while the BR shooters are throwing theirs.

I can't remember a rifle I owned that the accuracy depended on if the bullet jump was .102 vs .105.

quote:

Originally posted by Abob:
Is the PTG comparator same as the Sinclair?

How do they comapre to Hornady's comparator?

Abob,

If you want a Comparator, by all means buy one.

The Comparator by itself does have a lot of value to me. The comparator used in conjunction with the OAL Gauge and the OAL Gauge dummy rounds gives a quick, repeatable, and accurate measurement of maximum COAL for any given bullet in any given rifle. The Hornady comparator is just the old Stoney Point tool.

The tool will give you a pretty good idea about how deep the throat is on a rifle.

If other people don’t need one, don’t want one, can’t find any value in one, think it’s a poor purchase, so what! This isn’t a government tax, no one is forcing them to buy one.

Abob,

Remember this, if all of the people on this forum were to make a field trip to each others reloading rooms and reloading benches, not one person here would be immune to the question, “WHY THE HELL DO YOU OWN THAT PIECE OF CRAP??â€.

I have the Sinclair, and recorded OAL with it for a few years, but have regressed back to OAL measured at the tip.

The bullet comparator is more accurate, but more trouble to use.

The accuracy on OAL is not that important to my group size with bottleneck cartridges. I typically jam the bullet into the land, but not so far I can't extract the bullet from the chamber with case neck tension.

45 Colt and 44 mag rifles seem to get accurate for me way back from the lands and crimped into the canalure.

I use a Hornaday Comparator when I load my .223, 30-06 and 35 Rem. I have for the last 5 years or so. I can load more accurately than measuring from the bullet tip.. and it take no more time than measuring from the tip. It works well for me.

quote:

Originally posted by MickinColo:
Abob,

Remember this, if all of the people on this forum were to make a field trip to each others reloading rooms and reloading benches, not one person here would be immune to the question, “WHY THE HELL DO YOU OWN THAT PIECE OF CRAP??â€.

This is so true.....but mostly because there's so much stuff available that actually serves no-to-little benefit to the reloader.

Every company has a bunch of stuff they sell just to increase their sales.....the list grows annually.

quote:

Originally posted by MickinColo:
Abob,

Remember this, if all of the people on this forum were to make a field trip to each others reloading rooms and reloading benches, not one person here would be immune to the question, “WHY THE HELL DO YOU OWN THAT PIECE OF CRAP??â€.

I own a lot of it to learn. Sometimes I learn a gadget is useful and sometimes I learn i can liver without it. For example buy many die sets in the same caliber and you eventually find that some are better than others.

quote:

“WHY THE HELL DO YOU OWN THAT PIECE OF CRAP??â€.

YUP!!!

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

Originally posted by MickinColo:
Abob,

Remember this, if all of the people on this forum were to make a field trip to each others reloading rooms and reloading benches, not one person here would be immune to the question, “WHY THE HELL DO YOU OWN THAT PIECE OF CRAP??â€.

This is so true.....but mostly because there's so much stuff available that actually serves no-to-little benefit to the reloader.

Every company has a bunch of stuff they sell just to increase their sales.....the list grows annually.

At least 90% of the tools and components I purchased with never get used.

I've used the Sinclair tool for some years. They used to advertise that it was made using the same type of reamers that the corresponding caliber's chamber is made when barrels are finished. That seemed like a good thing to me, but I'm not sure that the others with just holes drilled in them are not doing the same job.

I don't use mine to measure cartridge OAL. I use it to cull match bullets for base to ogive length. I use mostly Berger bullets these days and have almost got to the point where I am tempted to ask myself why I bother. I do still find one oddball bullet every now and then or I find the difference between lots when I have to change.

If you are loading for a BR match or long distance varmint shooting comparators can be of some use as described above. If you've kept control of your trim length and case shoulders, and you're using halfway decent bullets, the comparator is a tool you probably don't need to load hunting rounds for factory rifles.

quote:

Originally posted by mho:
I use a bullet comparator in all the calibers I can get one. I *much* prefer to establish COAL with respect to the ogive as opposed to the tip of the bullet. Bullet ogives vary, but tips vary a lot more. So don't let yourself be browbeaten by people who choose not to use this tool. Results matter, not whether somebody else chooses to get there the way you do.

+1 for mho's comments. Remember, there are also people out there that will argue that throwing AND weighing charges are a complete waste of time and they will recommend you use the "Lee Perfect Measure" cups. But should you? It's a personal choice that depends on what you are trying to accomplish.



For me...

The plastics tips on my varmint bullets (V-Max and BT) do vary more than I like and so do soft point lead tipped bullets, so I mainly use a comparator like this one:



I have the Sinclair comparator below as well, but find it more cumbersome to use. I use it for calibers that I do not have inserts for the above tool.

Some bullets really ARE sensitive to how far off the lands they are loaded - Barnes TSX being a case in point.
That's where a comparator/OAL gauge like the Hornady makes the difference & it can be a BIG one.