I have never heard of this moethod can anyone give me some info on how to do it?

I use it. It's the best, fastest method I've used by far too. Split a case neck to below the bottom of the shoulder on a sized case (NK sized preferably) with a cut-off wheel in a dremmel or something, go slow! Leave the bullet out long, close the bolt all the way, extract carefully and measure. Do this a few times to be sure of your measurement, you should be able to repeat the measurement to the .000" quite easily time after time.
Good luck

Brent thank you very much. That sure beats smoking the bullets and the trial and error method

Brent,
Do you need to do both sides or just one? Thanks

I just neck size the case until it just holds the bullet barely. Use an unprimed case and seat the bullet by chambering the round (Push it in slowly, don't ram it). Remove the case easily, and you have the maximum case length measurement (assuming it will fit the magazine).

This has always worked for me, and I don't have to cut the case.

Thanks for the "how to." I'm geting a little sick of my Stoney Point tool. I think I like
your method more. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

mmanincor,
Just split one time, the tension will maintain about the same time after time too, that's the nice thing about this method vs. not splitting the neck.

dodgestdshift,
if you split the neck on one and try it this way, the tension will be absoulutly perfect as opposed to trying to get it just right and keeping it that way without doing so. The case will only apply enough tension to push against the lands, not into them, so the bullet is never pulled from the case when removed... that's a main problem with any more tension on it. Any less tension and it will always leave it in the bore too or be real inconsistant.

This method just seems to work perfect as it gets for some reason. The neck flexes so it always returns to it's same shape. If more tension is needed down the road, just squeeze it together again.

Don't thank me, it ain't my idea, just passin it along. Some helpfull gentleman here gave me it a while back, who ever it was thanks again. It's saved me alot of time and effort to date, and the search ended there.

I tried the split neck method of finding my rifles OAL and after twenty tries and not one of them repeating, what the heck am I doing wrong. I split the neck all the way into the shoulder and split only one side. On the first try the bullet was stuck in the bore (which I remember reading never happens with this method) and on most other attemps the bullet was being pulled out just enough to give varied results. Comments please.

[ 05-13-2003, 14:43: Message edited by: Turkeyshooter ]

Try marking the bullet with a permanent magic marker all the way around from the base to the the tip before you seat the bullet. After unchambering the round, check to see if the bullet has been pulled out of the round by the riflings (you will see scrapes in the magic marker if it has). Just seat it back to the top of the scratches and this should give you the AOL. That's how I have been doing it anyway.

Turkeyshooter,

How tight is the bullet in the neck? Sounds like you have it to loose.. After I split the neck I run it through my FL die. If you are doing that how big is the split it may be to big, try squeazing it together some.. Th eonly other thing that I can think of that would cause this is, If your throat is rather long and its never actually pushin the bullet back into the case far enough to keep a good hold on it that would surely give you the problems you are having..

6.5 Bandit

You need to squeeze the neck tighter, you should be able to just barely remove the bullet from the case with your fingers if not pushed in too far and your grip on it is good. Squeeze the case mouth with the edges of the split going past each other just enough to get the right tension on it and your problem should go away. Blue coated Barnes XLC bullets are the only ones I have had "some" trouble with, if the tension isn't a little tighter, pulling them back out to do it again is sometimes a little more difficult, as they are so damn slick!

It could be possible you split the neck too low below the body/shoulder junction and it can't retain the tension needed, never had that happen so I don't know for sure. Somewhat lower than where the doughnut forms at the neck/shoulder junction is all that's needed really, enough to let this spot open up some when pushing the bullet past it. If you don't go low enough, pulling the bullet back out is a real bitch, and the added resistance forces the bullet "into" the rifling and that will also pull the bullet out some or all the way upon removal.

Good luck.

just exactly do you use to cut the case, a small hacksaw?

I tried tin snips, but the cut was not very neat...

Express,

I use a dremel with the cutting wheel on it.. Or I take a case that split from firing it and use that..

6.5 Bandit

A hacksaw works fine, you just have to go slow and start the cut with a file. A dremmel and cut-off wheel work faster is all. Tin snips = not good.

Deburr the thing good when your done.

i have a friend that coats the INSIDE of the case neck with glue,then inserts the bullet,chambers it in his rifle and lets it set overnight.he swear by thie method.myself i use a stoney point oal gauge.what problems do you have using it?
muskrat

"There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and
pursue it steadily." --George Washington

The easiest and most accurate method I have found is to use a wood dowel.Mark the bolt face length to the muzzle and then lightly isert a case held bullet( very long) to contact the lands.Mark the length muzzle to tip of bullet. The difference in these two marks is the maximum OAL.Set the die using this bullet to avoid disparities between bullets.This is not my discovery-it may be in past threads on this or another site.

I've tried all the method just described except for glueing the bullet in, don't see the point there, but the other methods have their own disadvantages, all of which the split neck method overcomes.

Neck sizing; Getting the right tension is the main problem here.
All bullets slightly vary in diameter.
The neck will squeeze harder on the bullet as it reaches the base of the neck.
Pulling them out with pliers distorts the ogive point at which I take my measurements from, the Stoney Point comparator works great for this.
This method is very time consuming to get tension just right. Splitting the neck is not, takes two minutes and the frustration is over and done with, if it gets too loose just sqeeze the neck.

The dowel method isn't accurate enough to keep notes on throat condition and the bullet tip is not consistant in length on almost all bullets. Measuring from the ogive is. This is the most inaccurate method I've used.

Stoney Point OAL Gauge; Well, this one gets closer but is more inconsistant than the split neck method. One reason is that the pressure you but on the rod to push the bullet against the lands is hard to gauge and keep consistant. The other is the set screw on the rod will move the rod in or out as it rotates against it. It takes longer to use, as the bullet often is left stuck in the throat.

If you try them all as I have, you'll find the same things I'm sure. I only wanted the best accuracy, that was most important to me, just so happens, the split neck gave that "and" was the simplest and fastest all at the same time. Sometimes you strike gold! Good luck whichever you prefer.