The Accurate Reloading Forums
Re: OAL gauge

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07 November 2004, 04:21
Ol` Joe
Re: OAL gauge
Use a fired case.
07 November 2004, 02:03
Hairtrigger
Has anyone made their own cases for the Stoney Point oal gauge?
It looks to me to be a 5/16 36 thread on the head end.
It seems to be an easy $4.00 to save for each caliber.
07 November 2004, 03:57
alpinecrick
Hairtrigger,

Not only will you save money, but it will make for a more accurate and "real world" measurement. For my Stoney Point OAL gauge, for some of my rifles, I make up four cases--a fired case, a full length resized case,a partial resized case, and a neck sized case. AND...sometimes I even do this by brand (WW, RP, Lapua). For one particular rifle I have a total of 12 cases threaded for the OAL gauge. Of course, this could be argued as rather obsessive. But...some loads do better partial resized (most of them in fact), some do better full length resized, and occaisionally neck sizing does the trick.

You're right, the threads are for a 5/16 x 36tpi UN tap.

Casey
07 November 2004, 04:05
Hairtrigger
I assume I will need to enlarge the inside diameter of the neck to make the bullet move a bit easier?
How do you do this on your cases?
07 November 2004, 09:59
alpinecrick
Quote:

I assume I will need to enlarge the inside diameter of the neck to make the bullet move a bit easier?
How do you do this on your cases?



You are right--forgot to mention that--sorry. I use my Forster trimmer with a inside neck turning set-up to "open up" the neck of my resized cases. For a fired case, I use a neck sizing die (a regular FL die will work also) to resize the first 1/32-1/8in of the neck. That way it provides just enough tension to hold the bullet but allows it to slide inside the neck.

If you don't have the equipment to enlarge the neck on resized cases (inside neck turner or a expander mandrel, just do what the other poster wrote and use a fired case.

Casey