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Set Sizing Die With "GO Gauge"??

The die may or may not allow you to completely close on the shell holder with the GO Gage inserted.

If you were to check a variety of FL size dies, you would find that they are not all the same. In my lifetime, the vast majority of them have been below the Go Gage dimensions.

So for example, if you placed a piece of over sized brass in a typical die, and then sized it by closing the die onto the shell holder, you would end up with something on the order of a -0.002 - -0.004" on the shoulder datum just depending on the brand and sample of die.

If you were try on a GO Gage, the equivalent length of 0.000" would not allow that die to close.

That said, having the Go Gage changes your comparative readings to absolute if you reference the tools to the gage.

If you stick a Go Gage into the RCBS MIC gage or the Whidden Case Gage, they would typically read zero. If you stick the Go Gage in your Hornady (Stoney Point) comparator tools and zero them on the gage instead of a sample case, the readings would be referenced to the SAAMI value within a mil or so.

I still encourage rookies to buy the gages for calibers they will be dedicated to in the long term. They help debug chambers, dies, brass, and questions on shoulder datum length with respect to sizing. Can you fake it without them, yes. Are they a good value if you are down this rabbit hole for the long run, yes. YMMV.
 
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I must be missing something here, but how do you know that the go-gauge is the exact as your chamber? I have always only trusted the chamber, not the gauge.
Absolutely! The FIRED CASE should be chamber size and using my gauge the reading on a fired case is -5! If there is any 'bumping' to be done....it'll start from that reading!
 
I don’t know why I’m replying to a 5 year old thread but....
Semi Auto?
Full length resize till you REALLY know what you're doing!
Case to long, bolt won't close all the way, round goes off "out of battery"? :eek: :eek:

Bolt gun?
Will a piece of your fired brass re chamber without excessive bolt closing resistance?
Neck size, re load and go shooting. Once that piece of brass starts to get snug on bolt closing, resize "just enough" that the bolt closes easy. NOW you can start measuring.
Measure your chamber and know how long it "actually" is.
It isn't rocket science so don't make more out of than really needed. KISS! ;)
 
If you have a Go gage, or maybe a No-go would be even better, it would make for easy initial setup but then you would have to complete the setting however you normally do that. If your shell holder won't allow you to adjust the die down to the gage it's probably too tall for your combination of chamber/die/shell holder and the shell holder should be faced off .010 - .020, easiest way to solve this problem. Hope this helps someone.
 

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