Measuring OAL without a gauge??

I have a .17 rem and can not get a low enough tension to allow the head to move.
My dies seem to give a very high neck tension. Even a split case is too tight. I have ordered the correct gear, but need to try and do the .17 before Monday.

Any ideas???

Here is one way that works for me called the Cleaning Rod Method.

Best of luck to you.

I think I understand what you are trying to do. Make sure you use a fired and UNsized case when putting a bullet and chambering it. This way it will slip in the case to the correct point easiyl.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Johnny foreigner:
Measuring OAL without a gauge??

I have a .17 rem and can not get a low enough tension to allow the head to move.
My dies seem to give a very high neck tension. Even a split case is too tight.QUOTE]

Don`t use a sized case. Take a unsized case lightly pinch the mouth only with a pair of pliers and split it. Make sure it will chamber, place the bullet in the case mouth and chamber the cartridge allowing the lands to push the bullet back in the case. Extract and measure.

Johnny,

The answer to your question in “old Yank speak†is, “You can’t get there from hereâ€.

You need a Stony Point gauge.

The cleaning rod method works very well. I have compared an average of three bullets done by the "cleaning rod method" using a scribe to mark the rod, whith the measurements from a Stony Point gage. There is only a couple thou. difference between the two. Theres more difference in most individual bullets than the difference between measuring methods.DW

I have a Stony point gauge now but got along fine without it for 30 yrs. It is a nice tool and makes things a little easier but surely not a necessary tool.

Johnny,

Just read the answers here…. Makeup your own mind.

Johnny old man, the cleaning rod method works well for me too, but the slight inconsistencies in bullet length affected the OAL I found. I ended up buying an RCBS Precision Mic. It is now invaluable in checking headspace and also bullet seating, based upon the ogive, rather than just OAL. I found the plastic seating bullet thingy to be awful, so I replaced that with a case that I Dremmeled the neck to allow a bullet of the type I was about to reload to be set at excessive length and then chambered. Once ejected it went back into the Preciusion Mic for seating measurement. Do this several times for consistency and then set the dies up to this spec. I find that the OAL still varies, but the seating is absolutely perfect.

By the way, keep those Frenchies at bay!

Sure, but If you use the same projectile to make up a dummy to set your seating die, it is using the ogive to measure by.
Just measure your dummy and if the seating die consistantly reseats it, all other bullets will seat the same regardless of OAL.