How to measure OAL in a 284 Shehane without a modified case for OAL gauge

[grand330xi]

I just got a 284 Shehane. I cannot find a modified .284 case for the Hornady Lock n Load OAL gauge. Called hornady and sent them a Lapua 6.5x284 piece of brass which they threaded and tapped but they do not resize the neck to enable a berger 180 gr hybrid bullet to slide in and out freely. I can seat a .284 bullet as the necks have been expanded but it is too tight a fit for the OAL gauge. Is there a way to further expand the neck to allow a .284 bullet to slide in and out?

I need a reproducible way to determine OAL for load development. What are my options? Thanks in advance!

 

[Sheldon N]

Have you seen Alex Wheeler's video?

 

[grand330xi]

Have you seen Alex Wheeler's video?

I watched the video and that looks great. On other guns, I had discrepancies with the stony point/hornady tool trying to get the same number, presumably due to not using the same pressure to advance the gauge. So the hitch in the uprise of the bolt is due to the bullet "rubbing" on the lands?
I can do this!
Thanks

 

[fguffey]

Is there a way to further expand the neck to allow a .284 bullet to slide in and out?

I am the only reloader that wants all the bullet hold he can bet, there is no such thing as too much bullet hold. I do not use the threaded case heads because I want to know the length of the chamber from the shoulder to the bolt face.

I drill out the flash hole/primer pocket to a diameter that will allow a cleaning rod to pass through. After I seat a bullet I remove the bolt then chamber the test case. After chambering the test case I use a cleaning rod to push the bullet out of the case until it stops; when it stops; I quit pushing.

F. Guffey

 

[mikecr]

I need a reproducible way to determine OAL for load development. What are my options?

Let's adjust the terms first. You're not determining OAL. You're attempting to determine OAL at land contact (touching). This can be independent of any case, as it can be set based off the closed boltface. Commonly referred to as the cleaning rod method.
The best system I've found for this is R-P Tool. Essentially it is a cleaning rod with a blunt tip inserted at the muzzle all the way to the boltface. A collar is tightened against the muzzle at this point. Then a bullet is lightly set against the lands and held with a pencil in place, while the cleaning rod is again inserted to the bullet tip. Another collar is tightened against the muzzle. Measure is then taken between the collars, and a reference cartridge is built to match resulting touching OAL.
Cartridge base to ogive(CBTO) would then be measured off that touching OAL reference round.
No case needed.

 

[Sheldon N]

So the hitch in the uprise of the bolt is due to the bullet "rubbing" on the lands?

I think it's more of the feel of the bullet being pulled out of the lands by the extraction cam, with maybe a little bit of feel while the case/bullet rotates. If there's no pull or feel on rotation, then the bullet isn't touching the lands anymore.

 

['Freak]

I get a much better feel of what’s going using Sinclair’s Bullet Seating Depth Tool #749-004-650 working its solid stainless steel rod through a Delrin action guide (and no “special case” is involved) shoving directly against either the base of a bullet or, in a separate step, against the head of any case that you choose though preferably a case that’s been fully fire formed to the extents of your chamber.

Two stop collars will be positioned on the rod, the first relative to the distance to the base of the bullet alone, and the second will be relative to distance to the case head whilst the case is held fully against the chamber’s shoulder. A measurement between the two stop collars is the length from the case head to the base of the bullet and then add to that measurement the bullet base to ogive measurement that you’ve obtained with the aid of a bullet comparator and the final result is the case head to ogive length for a completed round with the bullet’s ogive positioned relative to the lands however you had it during the test.

 

[fguffey]

Let's adjust the terms first. You're not determining OAL. You're attempting to determine OAL at land contact (touching). This can be independent of any case, as it can be set based off the closed boltface. Commonly referred to as the cleaning rod method.
The best system I've found for this is R-P Tool. Essentially it is a cleaning rod with a blunt tip inserted at the muzzle all the way to the boltface. A collar is tightened against the muzzle at this point. Then a bullet is lightly set against the lands and held with a pencil in place, while the cleaning rod is again inserted to the bullet tip. Another collar is tightened against the muzzle. Measure is then taken between the collars, and a reference cartridge is built to match resulting touching OAL.
Cartridge base to ogive(CBTO) would then be measured off that touching OAL reference round.
No case needed.

Or the reloader could drill the primer pocket/flash hold out on a fire formed case then neck size the case to get all the bullet hold he could get and be done with it. And then there has to be a reason for ‘all the bullet hold I can get’.


F. Guffey