Oldbloke wrote:For a long time now I have measured to the bullet tip. As we know not ideal as there is sometime makers variation or minor damage causing some variation in length. I've compensated by measuring a few and calculating an average.
Anyone considered making one. Just looks like a nut with hole drilled in it. They are about $60 to buy. Seems a rip off to me.
I figure a 5.5 mm for 224 and a 7.5 mm drill for 308 will be just about right.
Oldbloke wrote:For a long time now I have measured to the bullet tip. As we know not ideal as there is sometime makers variation or minor damage causing some variation in length. I've compensated by measuring a few and calculating an average.
Anyone considered making one. Just looks like a nut with hole drilled in it. They are about $60 to buy. Seems a rip off to me.
I figure a 5.5 mm for 224 and a 7.5 mm drill for 308 will be just about right.
Laddie1012 wrote:Guys... thank you DIY and OEM aficionados for the various comments on the inspection tool.
The part that I struggle with is...what next?
I can cope with the concept that setting to the ogive will give the best grouping ( to a degree ) but am a bit unsure what the consensus is for what to do if the ogive position on the projectile varies.
Most dies set the projectile depth to allow for a COAL based on the tip location and in a perfect world that would be "set and forget" after the shooter determined the best off lands "jump" or "jam".
My question is after you have determined that you're between 5 or 15 thousandths off the magic ogive position but have the tip at your best "you beaut" normal COAL do you just re-seat deeper and batch or have some other practical techniques that work for maintaining a precision overall batch. I don't shoot that well but can pick up 1/2 MOA on longer ranges (600 yards plus) that can be directly attributed to higher velocity shots caused by higher chamber pressure due to the boat tail being pushed deeper in the case.
How do you manage things AFTER you've used your tool?
The next consideration is what happens when the comparitor shows you're too DEEP already?
marksman wrote:the problem I see doing this "A tip I saw recently was epoxy in the insert, some lube on the bullet, stick them together and the insert takes the shape of your ogive" is that you do not want to hug the bullet because of the differences in batches, this idea is only good for the bullet used to make the mould, you only want the polished ring edge touching, the main difference from a vld and standard ogive seater stem is that the vld is deeper so people think the same with comparators
this is why you should be measuring your projectiles into groups with very little fudge factor then when you seat them they will have very consistent oal with very little fudge factor, as long as your neck tension is good and consistent, I find that with some bullets eg... bergers I do check but they are very consistent always and I can be lazy not worrying about oal being consistent
if you dont want to have to worry about your oal jump large or jam, dont seat close to the lands
the idea of a DIY bullet comparator is a good one
bladeracer wrote:marksman wrote:the problem I see doing this "A tip I saw recently was epoxy in the insert, some lube on the bullet, stick them together and the insert takes the shape of your ogive" is that you do not want to hug the bullet because of the differences in batches, this idea is only good for the bullet used to make the mould, you only want the polished ring edge touching, the main difference from a vld and standard ogive seater stem is that the vld is deeper so people think the same with comparators
this is why you should be measuring your projectiles into groups with very little fudge factor then when you seat them they will have very consistent oal with very little fudge factor, as long as your neck tension is good and consistent, I find that with some bullets eg... bergers I do check but they are very consistent always and I can be lazy not worrying about oal being consistent
if you dont want to have to worry about your oal jump large or jam, dont seat close to the lands
the idea of a DIY bullet comparator is a good one
Yes, I probably should have qualified that but it seemed unnecessary in a thread specifically about ogive measurement. You don't want a mould of the bullet, you only need a faint ring of epoxy at the mouth of the insert so it just gives you the ogive.