Finding your lands (video)

[fguffey]

Guess I'll add a firing pin removal tool to my order from Sinclair and try this. I am using the Hornady tool on my new "wildcat" and was having some problems finding the lands. Hopefully this will help me.

I have the Hornady tool, I do not use it but I have it JIC. I do not remove the firing pin, it is like using head space gage, I do not fire head space gages and that brings us to the firing pin; I do not fire rifles without firing pins I fire with firing pins so I leave the firing pin in the bolt. That brings us to the bullet hold, I want all the bullet hold I can get; all the bullet hold I can get allows me to use the case with bullet to set up the seating die.

F. Guffey

 

[JRS]

Maybe a stupid question, but is it really necessary to remove the firing pin if using an unprimed case to find a seating depth?

 

[Alex Wheeler]

You remove the firing pin so you can feel the bullet stick in the lands. This method will only work with pin removed. Some guys color the bullet when doing this to see the marks disappear as well. When the mark disappear you will no longer get the click, I find it quicker and more reliable to go by the click.

 

[rardoin]

Maybe a stupid question, but is it really necessary to remove the firing pin if using an unprimed case to find a seating depth?

Removing the firing pin is not so the pin will not 'touch the base' of the case'primer...it is to remove the cocking resistance that the fire control mechanism produces that will alter the feel of the bullet engaging the lands.

 

[fguffey]

Maybe a stupid question, but is it really necessary to remove the firing pin if using an unprimed case to find a seating depth?

At about that point it starts to make no sense, shred the neck of the case to reduce bullet hold and then remove the firing pin. I want all the bullet hold I can get. If you have a safety on the bolt; use it.

F. Guffey

 

[LHSmith]

At about that point it starts to make no sense, shred the neck of the case to reduce bullet hold and then remove the firing pin. I want all the bullet hold I can get. If you have a safety on the bolt; use it.

F. Guffey

Safety on bolts are typically found on military actions. FWIW most competition BR guns have NO safety whatsoever. Re: bullet hold- -by truing the necks and using bushing dies one has another means to fine tune a load. Assuming you understand "tuning". In shortrange BR, targets are measured to the 0.0001" in group shooting, in score shooting obliterating a 1/16 moa dot 25 times out of 25 targets for record is the ultimate goal. Needless to say we must aim and shoot small.....extremely small and turned necks are absolutely required to get there. If you think otherwise, come out to a match and prove your point.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

You guys have lost me, bullet hold doesnt matter for this method. We are not trying to find jam, only touch.

 

[LHSmith]

You guys have lost me, bullet hold doesnt matter for this method. We are not trying to find jam, only touch.

Sorry, I just couldn't take another " I want all the bullet hold I can get" 4x in one thread pushed me over the edge. He must think were hard of hearing or something.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Got it

 

[fguffey]

He must think were hard of hearing or something.

When finding the distance from the lands to the bolt the bolt face I want all the bullet hold I can get. There is a reason, with bullet hold I can transfer the dimensions of the chamber to the seating die.

Hard of hearing? I did not say that.

F. Guffey

 

[fguffey]

You guys have lost me, bullet hold doesn't matter for this method. We are not trying to find jam, only touch.

Alex, try to jam the bullet into the rifling then remove the case with the loose neck. There is a chance the bullet will remain stuck in the rifling. Jam and touch; I prefer to touch the rifling with the bullet.

And then there is the running start, I am the fan of bullet jump, I want my bullets to have the running start. There is nothing entertaining about placing the bullet into the rifling for me.

F. Guffey

 

[dmoran]

 

[nmkid]

Well, I was going to order the necessary tools from Sinclair today and I remembered some old posts on the Internet about this procedure. Waited for my grandson to get home from school and I went at it. It all went perfect!! I had loaded some rounds going off of my Hornady tool. Using the described method in this post I was .050 off the lands!! Here I was thinking I was about .010-.015 off. I'm reloading some more and starting at .010 off. Measured 6 times and it was soooo close each time I was really amazed at the accuracy.

 

[kountryboy2]

Alex,
thanks for posting the video. I found it very helpful.

 

[6MMsteve]

 

[nmkid]

Extremely helpful. I have even directed friends on other forums to watch it. Great job.

 

[RenoMD]

Dragging this up from the past b/c it's an awesome video....

Could this method be done accurately using a piece of 6mmBR brass in a 6mm dasher chamber? I ask b/c if one doesn't have any fired dasher cases, isn't the principal the same, and wouldn't it work since the dimensions of the body of the brass case are the same (except for the shoulder angle)?

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I have done it with unformed br brass, works fine. Like Tom said you should be hooking the case on the extractor anyhow or the extractor will push the case forward and foul up the measurement anyhow.

 

[RenoMD]

Ah excellent, thank you for the speedy replies guys! This info helps quite a bit...

 

[Intheshop]

Ironically,was watching some of AW's videos yesterday....then saw this post today.

Shooting cast with nose sized bore riders,weeell up into the throat/leade.Swaging (bumping) the nose,altering the "fit" turns mediocrity into bragging groups in some guns,like flipping a lite switch.Process that with jacketed bullets anyway you want.

Thanks for the videos,and keep your fingers out of the belt grinders!Not that I would know anything about that?Just sayin.