I used the cleaning-rod/bullet in chamber technique to measure the COL for that particular bullet. I come up with 2.570" for my .243 Savage 11 bolt action with a Sierra 75gr. HP. Checked it 4 times and basically get the same result. I have been shooting prior to this COL @ 2.600" COL with the Blue Dot and got no signs of pressure and excellent results. I checked these loads with the black Magic Marker technique and there is no evidence of lands on the "smoke". I still have a ton of room in my magazine for length left.

What am I doing wrong with my measurement with the rod? According to it I should be dangerously into the lands but no indication of that. I tried the chamber a long bullet in a case method with new brass (I realized it was supposed to be fired first - way to much tension) and got about .050" extra length on the bullet so I know what the lands look like on the marker from that previous mistake. Seem to be doing it all correctly now but can't figure it out. Thanks, Wayne

If you still have the bullet you marked that shows the lands on it, measure the lenght of the rifling marks in the ink and seat that much deeper. Recheck after touching up the ink on the bullet and see if the marks are gone. The amount of rifleing showing in the ink is usually very close to how much the bullet is into the lands. By seating that much deeper you are very near the lands if not just touching.

I use a "Stoney Point Thingy" (as Hot Core would say) and fined it much easier then playing with rods and pushin` and pullin`. I know some out there prefer your way and, I`ll let them offer hints on making it work.

Thanks Ol' Joe:

I will do that and see how it works. I also read to put a bullet into the bore and hold it with a wood dowel and mark and then a finished cartridge in question and mark the same way. I did that until I saw the distance I wanted. Confirmed it with your magic marker method.

My original loads I had to seat deeper - I was way into the lands using the faulty method I described above (using a virgin case the bullet really dug into the lands) - glad I persevered. Thanks. Wayne

The rod in the barrel method could be tricky if the rod wasn't seating on the bullet end the same as your outside measurements. Then the same bullet should be used for the outside measurement as the bullet lengths can be way out.
I wonder if anyone tries to measure to the bolt face with the fireing pin sticking out?

Screw a flat nose jag into the rod before you insert it in the barrel, this will keep the nose of the bullet from entering the threaded end of the cleaning rod.