seating depth advise

One of these is what I need to measure, correct?

https://www.hornady.com/reloading/precis...llet-comparator

Affirmative.

Yes

That tool will measure the bullet to the ogive.

Which is what I want because to the tip is in-accurate. Are you suggesting something different?

The Hornady tool or a Hex nut. I use the Hex nut since it's much faster and easier to set up. 90% of my loading is based off a seating depth using this hex nut. It's much faster to use and has multiple holes for various calibers.

http://www.sinclairintl.com/reloading-eq...-prod83792.aspx

Maybe I'll go that route so I don't have to deal with all those inserts. Fewer tools=cleaner bench.

It's faster and it is less inserts but a lot easier to misplace when it isn't attached to your caliper. It is also easier to fumble around in your hand. I used the hex once and was happy I bought the kind that clamps to my caliper.

I have both the nut and inserts, but like the inserts better. A screw / bolt drawer organizer on your reloading bench helps keeps your bench uncluttered.

what clamp on ones do you like?

The Hornady that is linked above....please try and keep up, old man

The Hornady or Sinclair both work well. I stick with what I have been using for years, Some aluminum cylinders I got from work years ago of various sizes, and for the cartridge a case with a split neck from a cut with a dremil tool

I was too lazy Judddd

I have the Sinclair set up but with all the tipped bullets I've gone back to the hornady with the modified cases

Okay...we're getting into two different things. 1 - measuring OAL using a Hornady tool or the Sinclair nut and 2 - finding your lands (Hornady modified cases or cases with split necks)

As soon as I get a new barrel the first thing I do is build a dummy round like this: https://youtu.be/TWmIwPwLyyg

That tells you where the lands are and where to start your load development (I almost always start .015-.020 into the lands...hunting guns should start just touching, I don't like to jam bullets in a hunting gun). The other thing I can do is 6 months later I can run this same process and see where/what my shooting has done to my lands and where they are currently.

Judd, does jamming bullets into the lands cause more wear to the lugs due to snug bolt closing? Or is your tension so light that you don't feel anything?

It could gall but these actions are hardened...take a lot to wear one out. You do feel the tension and I'd tell you my neck tension but there isn't a way to measure it

LMAO!!! Rolling over here!

Tension is force. Change in dimension due to stress or force is strain.

You guys have described the strain in your case necks by measuring the ID before seating, and assuming (reasonably so) what the ID is after seating. That is strain, not tension. You have no freekin idea how much tension there is in those case necks, regardless of how much and often you insist that you do.

Who gives a shoot? If it's shooting a tiny little group, what does it matter? To me it only matters if you are having a problem and trying to eliminate possible variables. You guys know more about loading ammo than I probably ever will so I just ask questions occasionally and read what info is available. If you read enough on here you can tell who knows there shoot. I take their advise to the bank.

So you're good as long as we call it neck strain?

RR do this - measure a case neck that has a bullet in it (as you stated above)...then size a case that is that size - .001 and then size one that is .005. Once you have your cases sized then seat a bullet in them....then come back on here and tell us how dumb we are for using this method.

Better yet...post pictures of the two cases because I love to see a case peal back the jacket That is TENSION on the bullet I don't give a [censored] what anyone says.

TackDriver - my neck tension on this case is .001...so it is light and they aren't new cases but you still feel the contact as you close the bolt and I wouldn't want to have to unchamber a round unless I could open the bolt and then tilt the rifle back on the butt end to pull it out of the chamber. I've had more than once dumped powder in an action leaving the gun horizontal.

All I am saying is that "neck tension" is a misnomer. I recognize that the methods employed are fine and I called no one stupid. Okay?

I didn't think you were calling anyone stupid

you can employ a fish scale on the press handle while pulling the bullet
out of a case, where it breaks is the poundage that you can use
to represent 'tension' 'friction' 'force' ... at least you have a number
to compare

.... like a trigger scale

We'll have to agree to disagree on the misnomer part but you did say you "recognize the methods employed are fine"...I interpret that as you see they work? I wasn't the least bit upset or fired up...I didn't say anyone was stupid or that you called anyone stupid...I said dumb for using the method, big difference.

Of course it works, I employ similar methods to a certain extent. That would mean annealing and using Lee collet dies in the attempt to achieve some degree of uniformity. If they all feel approximately the same when I seat bullets, then I consider the effort a success. Pending rrsults on the target, of course.

See what you started Chad. I ask you guys advise to make darn sure I don't buy some tool I don't need and you offered an alternate tool and confirmation on my question, as did several others. Thanks to you all for that by the way. Now you have guys talking about straining someone's neck with tension. Your an instigator.

When it doubt....blame it on Chad

I really started it with my smart donkey comment about not being able to give a neck tension measurement...I'll own it if I deserve it

To be clear, what Judd is talking about is measuring relative neck tension. What RR is talking about is measuring absolute neck tension, which would be very, very difficult to do. But as Judd, Chad, and others said, there are a number of ways to assess relative neck tension and those are more than adequate for most of our purposes.

Agreed. And well stated.

I'm just laying the law down! LOL!

+1, quick and easy!!?

I got the hex nut to measure the depth. I used it Saturday and find I have different depths with a variance of .005 inch. I put a couple back in the press and leaned on it a little more and it seated deeper. How do I remedy this for consistent seating depth?

The seating depth should be spot on each time. If you are using different brands of brass, or the die is not set up right you can get some variation. But the seating depth should be within .001" each time, if using the same brass and everything is consistent.

That's what I thought. I'm using all same brand of case. I adjusted the lock ring on the die to the depth I wanted. It is a quick change bushing and I only hand tighten, but it's tight enough that when I take it out I sometimes struggle. Do I need to tighten more? What could I be doing wrong?

RCBS explains it pretty good here, page 3:

http://rcbs.com/RCBS/media/RCBSMedia/PDFs/Instructions/English%20(EN)/ReloadingDieInstructions.pdf