Homeade OAL Gauge

[statelinerut]

I made a dummy OAL gauge for my 243 Stevens today. I took a full length sized brass, without primer, and cut a slit in the neck with a small hack saw blade. I then seated a bullet partially and chambered it slowly. I did this three times and took the average measurement. This gave me the maximum OAL of my rifle. I will now use this cartridge to set the seating die whenever I am loading 75gr Vmax bullets. I will set the die and run the dummy round into the seating die to where it seats to the maximum OAL length I got and then adjust the seating die to where I want it from there. I will probably back it off the .015 and begin there. It was really easy to do and I think it will work well. The maximum OAL of my rifle is 2.660 and the SAAMI COL for the 75gr Vmax is 2.640.

[quickdtoo]

This is from the FAQs and Help sticky Handloading section, an improved version by Fred.

Tim

http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php/topic,112672.msg1098350243.html#msg1098350243