Not talking about ganja here men, talking about for instance smoking the bullet so that when you put in the chamber and bring back out you can tell if it is hitting the lands.

What do you guys use to do that? I have tried a lighter, didn't really work. need something that burns good and dirty I guess, but what would that be?

Red

The best soot shooter is a propane torch that you tape over the air holes. It really puts out the soot.

magic marker

A candle works fine, get it right up in the tip of the flame and it will turn it black.

Good ol' wooden "kitchen matches" work pretty good too.

I use the old carbide lamp that I used to black my sights when I was shooting highpower. How many old timers remember those?

Spray on sight black.

Red: I think the best way to get to the lands is by feel! Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to be facetious. I am dead set against the Stoney Point gauge because it don't compensate for different chamber sizes. With that said, I use a combination of feelers, ie, cleaning rods, to "feel" when the bullet hits the lands. Here's how I do it. With the bolt stripped and locked in the action, I insert a cleaning rod into the bore from the muzzle and against the bolt face. You have to use a flat tip on the rod. I have a collar that is on the rod and it is pushed against the end of the barrel and locked down. I then take out the bolt, insert the intended bullet into the chamber and push it toward the rifling. with a cleaning rod in each hand, I push aginst the bullet and rock it back and forth. You can feel when it just touches the lands. When you have it where you want it, it is a simple matter of measuring the distance from the "collar" to the end of the barrel. This dimension is the overall length of the loaded round when it is against the lands and ONLY FOR THAT PARTICULAR BULLET. You can then load your rounds to any length using that measurement. Clear enough?

Jim

quote:

ONLY FOR THAT PARTICULAR BULLET. You can then load your rounds to any length using that measurement. Clear enough?

Jim

Doesn't work for me, I've spent hours trying to
get an accurate repeat measurement, only to find
80gr Sierra 224 projectiles having a difference
of 10 to 16 thou overall length. If you use the
exact same bullet to set the seat die with a dummy cart. it should be more accurate.
John L.

my fav way to smoke is with the stoney point tool, smoke free measureing ...works great.

Have a couple of carbid lambs my grandpa and I used to use coon /bear hunting. Nothing smells the same.

I use a lighter just hold the bullet just outa the flame

Hey Dago-
Consider picking up the Stoney Point gauge. It's the most accurate, repeatable method and its a cinch to quickly compare a handful of different bullets and fine tine depths. It really works.

Jim's criticisms have some merit when using cases (the tool threads onto brass cases of the caliber that you're working with) supplied by Stoney point. They're new/unfired and don't account for an actual case fireforming to your chamber. I got around this by buying a tap ofthe same pattern as the gague (5/16 x 36 tpi) which allows me to make cases for non-standard calibers etc. S.P. will do this also but they charge $11/case.

"sharpy"

jeffe

A plastic spoon creates some pretty black smoke when it burns.

A Zippo lighter or magic marker worked best until I quit smokeing, now I use a Stoney Point gauge.

Magic marker also....

I see no reason to do this....better to use a 3 ft. wooden dowel and run it down the bore to the bolt face and mark the dowl at the muzzle..then insert a bullet (bullet only, not a cartridge)into the lands using a short dowl to just touch it in the lands...run the long dowl back in and mark it when it touches the tip of the bullet and mark the dowl again at the muzzle...measure with a mic the distance between the two marks and you have a accruate measurment for OAL of the cartridge...Now set the bullet in the case somewhat short of that say from 15 to 50 thousands.

Light a old truck tire on fire with a couple gallons of gasoline should do the trick!

GSP7, Your on to something there.....diesel works better
LMAO

Red:

I use an alcohol lamp and put paint thinner in it. I use it a lot for engraving (smoke pulls and engraving pattern transfers) and also for stock inletting..

I'm suprised nobody has mentioned masking tape yet. Tear off a piece and fold it in half lengthwise.

Ray, what the hell did I just say? The only ting different from what I said and you is the wooden dowel. I use a cleaning rod... JESSSUSSS.

quote:

I use the old carbide lamp that I used to black my sights when I was shooting highpower. How many old timers remember those?

Did you spit in yours too?

I use a wee different method to find that contact point.

1. Use a case that has been fired in the rifle.
2. BARELY neck size the neck ( maybe .005 ) so that the bullet
will seat quite easily although not tightly. The goal is
for the bullet to be able to slide in the neck when gently
chambered. You will have to play with the neck tension to
get it right.
3. See where were going with this?
4. Gently extract the round & measure the overall length & record the measurement.

Smokin' bullet's is one of those leftover practices from the dark ages of handloading... a black magic marker is a heck of a lot easier...

I just used the bullet seating as one example of needing to do it, I'll try the candle, I have tried my zippo before but maybe mine burns too clean as I don't use the zippo fuel. at recommendation of a guy once I went to handwarmer fluid, cleaner burning and doesn't have such an odor, or impart flavor to cigars.

Red

I do a variation of D Humbarger's trick (BTW, is that name a test for people with dyslexia?) but I slit the neck on one side with a hacksaw blade. You can pinch the neck tight with your fingers over and over as you try different bullets.