I use the Hoover meplat trimmer and find it much like using the Wilson case trimmer. If you do not absolutely apply the same amount of pressure to holding the bullet and turning the handle (or power screwdriver pressure), the trim to lengths can vary by .005" or more. My question is: what is an acceptable OAL variance above .000" where exceeding this number basically negates doing any trimming/tipping in the first place?
Meplat Acceptable OAL Variance
- Thread starter PMA3
- Start date
Agree that the Hoover looks real easy to use.
I use a MCR (Montour Custom Rifle) meplat trimmer that controls the bullet depth by contact with the ogive. I find that the chips from trimming will often migrate into this contact area and I get varying OAL's after trimming. To cure this I either blow out the tool between bullets or use a q-tip to sweep out the chips.
Takes an extra moment but the results are more exact.
As for the effect on accuracy due to OAL variations? .005" is a pretty small amount. If worried about it you might just consider sorting the OAL's after trimming and match them by lengths into shooting batches.
I use a MCR (Montour Custom Rifle) meplat trimmer that controls the bullet depth by contact with the ogive. I find that the chips from trimming will often migrate into this contact area and I get varying OAL's after trimming. To cure this I either blow out the tool between bullets or use a q-tip to sweep out the chips.
Takes an extra moment but the results are more exact.
As for the effect on accuracy due to OAL variations? .005" is a pretty small amount. If worried about it you might just consider sorting the OAL's after trimming and match them by lengths into shooting batches.
amlevin,
The Hoover also controls bullet depth by the ogive. Totally agree that taking care of the chips is a step in the direction of more consistency. I like to do 500 bullets at one time and I know it is harder to be consistent over this many bullets versus, say, doing 40 at one time for a match. I do caliper measure each one after trimming and have sorted different length groups within each .001" bearing surface increment....a PITA.
I would like to be able to just set up the trimmer and do 500 at one sitting without measuring each one. If a .005" variance won't effect target impact (vertical) at a 1000 yards, I think I could hold that tolerance, even using the power adapter and screwdriver. I'm trying to verify that the .005" number is acceptable on the target.
The Hoover also controls bullet depth by the ogive. Totally agree that taking care of the chips is a step in the direction of more consistency. I like to do 500 bullets at one time and I know it is harder to be consistent over this many bullets versus, say, doing 40 at one time for a match. I do caliper measure each one after trimming and have sorted different length groups within each .001" bearing surface increment....a PITA.
I would like to be able to just set up the trimmer and do 500 at one sitting without measuring each one. If a .005" variance won't effect target impact (vertical) at a 1000 yards, I think I could hold that tolerance, even using the power adapter and screwdriver. I'm trying to verify that the .005" number is acceptable on the target.
I spoke to John Hoover this afternoon and his extensive testing of the trimmer, before production, pointed in the direction that more than a .001" variance would not yield acceptable results for 1000 yard BR if mixed together with the ones that are .000"-.001". If there is an OAL change AFTER TRIMMING, it is more than likely in the boat tail measurement. I noticed when I weighed 500 Bergers on a GD503 that quite a few were tilted when placed on the weigh plate. I now believe that BULLET PREP CAN DRIVE YOU CRAZY!
PMA3 said:
Some are crazy BEFORE they start. I know one shooter that used to take the jackets, place them in a collet setup, then bore them out with a small boring bar just to make sure that the walls were absolutely uniform.
Only then did he proceed to make them into bullets.
At some point it gets to be worse than picking fly poop out of ground pepper.
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