ammo checker/gauge?

[hillbillydruggist]

I am confused again, ammo checker? headspace gauge? combo? I watched some youtube vids and I am still confused. I just want to make sure my reloads will feed properly and I need to know if the empties need to be trimmed.
examples would be great!

thanks again!

 

[Rsadams]

The hornady headspace comparator measures case head to the shoulder ogive , so you can see how much you're pushing the shoulder back on your brass and set up you die to do the minimum bump... The case gauges act as a chamber and let you check your loaded ammo to make sure it's sized correctly.... Trying to make this as easy as possible , the case gauge does a few more things such as showing you if your rounds are to long and you can check headspace by how deep in falls into the gauge....

On rifle I check each round for length , case head separation etc before loading.. I also trim each one to the same length in both pistol and rifle brass.... Of course pistol you only have to do once... Useing the Wilson case gauges I know if the rounds drop in , they will function , you can do the same thing by pulling the barrel , I find the gauges easer... I know what length or COAL the seating die is seat up for so I honestly don't use the gauge for that , because the loading manual told me what to seat it at and what the max COAL is... Since I use the same bullets everytime I don't have to adjust my die settings for pistol....

I assume you're talking about pistol rounds.... With rifle , they have to be trimmed and checked everytime , well maybe not trimmed everytime... Buy a Wilson case gauge for a pistol like 9mm , .45 or whatever and you will figure it out fast... I at least spot check a few on my 9mm loads with the gauge everytime but once you're sizing and seating die is setup you are pretty much good to go if you use the same bullets everytime , change bullets you will have to adjust seating depths... Actually very very easy to use I think your just overwhelmed with info...

I hate auto correct , I always have to come back and edit... Sorry , I fixed a few things , so it's easer t read...

 

[Webster]

I am confused again, ammo checker? headspace gauge? combo? I watched some youtube vids and I am still confused. I just want to make sure my reloads will feed properly and I need to know if the empties need to be trimmed.
examples would be great!

thanks again!

You didn't say you were having trouble feeding ammo. You said you just wanted to make sure???
For 45 years I never used a gauge. If the rifle is chambered properly and the die is adjusted properly you should not have a problem. If a sized empty case chambers you are OK. Shoulder bump gauges are cheap. If a sized case doesn’t chamber I would look at shoulder bump. Try screwing the die down in small increments till it chambers. You only need 1 case to do most of this. Is the die adjusted so it touches the shell holder? This would be the max sizing you can get with your die. Try adjusting the die with the method of sizing just enough so that the bolt closes the last half of travel with almost no effort.

When people on this website answer your post take in consideration what you are using your rifle for (casual shooting, casual BR, varmint, serious comp). People answering questions on this webisite range from beginning reloaders to Hall of Fame National Champions. What a shooter does to prep ammo for serious 1000 yd. comp is not necessary for 300-400 yard varmint hunting. 3/4" groups at 100 yrds will kill a lot of varmints.

 

[Rsadams]

Webster is correct , there's more than one way to do just about everything... About the only case gauge I use alot is for auto loading pistol like 9mm ,.45 etc... I have one for .223 I use in the AR platform rifles but with the headspace comparator I measure the brass fired out of that rifle and set the sizing die up to bump the shoulder back .003... Once that is done they are going to function and your brass will live longer especially in a bolt gun were you are doing the same but bumping it back .001-.002.

Like he said if you set your dies up per the instructions it will WAY oversize the brass on rifle... They do this to make sure it will function in every gun and they get tired of answering the phone... I have a set of Lee .223 dies that if set up per the instructions will bump the shoulder .007... I ruined 200 once fired LC brass when I was new with them because I didn't know any better.... I just tossed them in the recycling bin when I found them a year later and started measuring them , I had forgotten about them and found them bagged in a box...

Reloading is safe and easy , just take your time and read everything you can... You never master it you only get better...

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Wilson case gage

 

[K22]

I've used Wilson Gages for years - they are a quick, simple and excellent tool to check for proper sizing of rifle bottle neck cases if you follow their directions. Their instructions are very clear on how to use them.

You can, but I don't, use them to check trim length. For trim length I measure sized cases with a caliper set at the max. cartridge length then use as go / no go gauge. This is fast and simple.

 

[Milo 2.0]

I am confused again, ammo checker? headspace gauge? combo? I watched some youtube vids and I am still confused. I just want to make sure my reloads will feed properly and I need to know if the empties need to be trimmed.
examples would be great!

thanks again!

It'd really help if you said just what you are loading for. For most rifles your chamber is ultimately the gauge, with a few goodies to aid the process. Trimming, even though part of the total package, kind of a separate deal.

I doubt I will ever load bulk handgun ammo again, I do not shoot enough today. But after one bad experience, if I did, my ammo would get ran through a shockbottle hundo guage.
https://benstoegerproshop.com/reloading/case-gauges/

 

[TheOtherZilla]

I use one of these when the need hits me.. Mainly for 223. Small rifle model

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0UWEXY/?tag=accuratescom-20

 

[JFrank]

Wilson case gauges are simple and inexpensive " caliber specific

I am confused again, ammo checker? headspace gauge? combo? I watched some youtube vids and I am still confused. I just want to make sure my reloads will feed properly and I need to know if the empties need to be trimmed.
examples would be great!

thanks again!