measuring with bullet tips ?`

[RichAllen]

I learned quickly that you can't use the tip of the bullet to measure OAL.

I've a had a few boxes of 155 and 168 SMK's that had very accurate bullet tips but the last few batch's I've bought have varying lengths around the diameter.

Sinclairs sells this a tip cutter that gives you an even surface on your tips but is that necessary?

I've been measuring from the ogive to the base using a hornady product. taking a few measurements, the COAL varies from 2.802 - 2.811.


Rich

 

[mikecr]

Sinclair offers a NUT for measuring OAL off the ogives that works pretty good. It may be similar to what you're using.

You're right about errors from measuring off bullet tips. Won't work.

 

[WhelenMan]

A 0.010 variance from bullet to bullet in so called "match" bullets seems to be what I'm finding as a newcomer also. I'm using a measuring tool from the muzzle end and usually measure 10 different bullets. Then I take the average. If I'm lucky one of my bullets will be dead on that average. If not I add or subtract a thousandth or two to account for that bullets length when seating. I set my die using that specific bullet and dimension only and then the others will have their ogives reasonably close depending on the variances from bullet to bullet. That way I'm relying only on the throat of the rifle and the seating dies seating face. There's enough variance there without even getting into the noses.