I Made a Short video

[urbanrifleman]

I see this discussed so much. This is by far the best way IMHO. Also the easiest, fastest and cheapest.

 

[Tesoro]

I see this discussed so much. This is by far the best way IMHO. Also the easiest, fastest and cheapest.

Until someone invented this!

 

[RustyInBend]

I've always used the Hornady headspace tool and modified cases from Copper Creek ... and that combination has (a) worked great, and (b) been very simple and quick. If it ain't broke, I'm probably not motivated to fix it. This "split case" method is interesting, but doesn't feel "easier" ... but everyone has to do what works for them.

Copper Creek Modified Cases – Copper Creek Cartridge Co.

coppercreekcartridgeco.com

 

[Old Navy]

I have used the Hornady tool for many years and have developed the feel for properly finding the touch. I recently bought a .22BR barrel and measured all the bullets I planned to shoot. I wrote that on the inside of the flap on each box. I always wanted to try the Wheeler method and finally have a action that it would work on. Checked the same bullets with Alex's method and the results are below.

Hornady Wheeler
80 SMK 1.753 1.744
77 SMK 1.735 1.725
60 TMK 1.735 1.726
80.5 Ber 1.741 1.733

 

[rlporter507]

those numbers look good to me. with the hornady tool the bullet touches in the rifling a little, at least the way i do it. and the wheeler way is just touching to a little off when the bolt drops. I like the idea of eric's way you really dont need to know where the touch is, but i do it anyway. and then use his way to chase it.

 

[ShtrRdy]

I use the Wheeler method. I have one of the Hornady tools but the bullet is into the lands before feel it touching.

 

[bozo699]

I started off in life using urbanriflemans method then to the Hornaday style tool, I occasionally still use both but mostly since about 2010ish have used the Wheeler method , for me it’s by far the most accurate but they all have there place. Thanks for sharing your short video urbanrifleman
Wayne

 

[TTE]

With control feed actions (which most of my rifle are) the Hornady tool is easiest.

 

[SeabeeKen]

For the Hornady tool to be accurate you would have to make that case from one fired in your chamber. I did this for a while before going back to the way Brad mentions. It seemed more accurate because I'm taking a case fired in my rife and pushing it into position with my bolt to my HS dimension, then its accurate

 

[JEFFPPC]

Best advice in the video was the bullet depth in the neck. That's way you need a throating teamed to make it easy.

 

[vonb]

Bradley,
How do you get the shell out without disturbing the "in the lands measurement"? It seems like the bullet would pull back out upon case removal.

 

[Old Navy]

Bradley,
How do you get the shell out without disturbing the "in the lands measurement"? It seems like the bullet would pull back out upon case removal.

I use a wood dowel.

 

[Chris Edmondson]

I use the Hornady tool with their modified cases, it's simple and fast but may have accuracy limitations to the extent that the modified case may not be perfectly representative of a fired case.

The cheat sheet below, implements a few simple calculations to adjust the modified case reading by subtracting the modified case's base-to-shoulder dimension from a fired case's base-to-shoulder dimension. The algebraic expressions in parenthesis refer to spreadsheet row numbers on the left side.

I've found it gets me close enough without making my own modified case, or pulling my bolt apart, YMMV. I may be wrong but I think Eric Cortina first published this.

 

[bozo699]

It seems to me people really over complicate this arbitrary number
Wayne

 

[Evlshnngns]

It seems to me people really over complicate this arbitrary number
Wayne

Amen. The gun likes what it likes.

I see this discussed so much. This is by far the best way IMHO. Also the easiest, fastest and cheapest.

I got this method off johnnyreloadingbench on youtube when I started in reloading. Works great.

 

[One Eye Pete]

When it comes to finding a touch point you have to keep in mind you aren’t exactly pushing a solid object up against a hard square physical stop. What you are doing is pushing a cone into a cone and one of the cones has a fairly soft surface so repeatedly getting the exact same number can be difficult. I personally think the Wheeler method is the best because what you are actually measuring is the point at which the extraction cam no longer has to exert any force, to extract, a bullet that is tightly seated into the case, from the chamber. The split case method also works just fine as long as you can get repeatable results with it.
When all is said and done the touch point is simply a reference point and when I load I normally stay at least +/- .005 away from it. For that matter the “hard jam” point is another arbitrary reference point that you don’t want to get to close to when you load.