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"seems like most folks get around a 2.85-2.95 on their distance to lands. i am using the gage correctly. I do not have a comparator. At 2.74, the distance is...."
You do not have a comparator but you used a Hornady gage so I will assume you have a Hornady dial caliper.
Off the lands? The 2.800 + or - a few is not off the lands, the 2.800 is the minimum length, finding maximum overall length is up to you some use the 'bullet and dowel' some use the case that looks like a squid, it has a shredded neck, some spend $40.00 or so dollars with RCBS, I drill the flash hole/primer pocket out to a diameter that will accommodate a cleaning rod. I size a case, seat a bullet below the minimum length, chamber the round with out the bolt installed then use a cleaning rod to push the bullet out until it contact the the lands, then remove the bullet/case and call it a transfer for maximum overall length.
After removing the test case/transfer I install it in a shell holder, before raising the ram I raise the seater stem in the die and back off the die lock nut. After partially installing the die, I raise the ram, once the ram is at the top I lower the seater die until it lightly contacts the mouth of the case, after contact I back the die out, reloaders choice) then secure the die to the press by tightening the lock nut on the die. After securing the die to the press I lower the seater stem until it contacts the bullet, once the seater stem/plug contacts the bullet secure the stem to the die with the stem lock nut, that's it! the die is adjusted to seat the bullet to the lands "SORTA" head space is not included because the the case was seated against the shoulder and head space is measured from the bolt face.
Starting over like tomorrow is a new day is up to the reloader, If I am loading for one chamber and I am seating the bullet off the land and I have a off the lands rather than start over every day I save the transfer test case so when I load that particular bullet I use it to set up the seater die to zero off the lands, if I choose to back the bullet off .020 thousands, I use the dial caliper to measure the height of the stem above the seater gage, the height of the stem is zero, to seat the bullet off the lands .020 thousands, I lower the stem .020 thousands, no Horandy ogive tool, no RCBS tool, no comparator.
Yes there is a difference between the distance from the bullet nose back to the round contact area where the bullet touches the lands, for most of my life that is the difference between paying .25 cents a bullet and paying 1.00 dollar a bullet, in the old days everything was relative, bullets did not cost as much then as to day but I had less money to spend.
This method could be time consuming if you purchase bullets in bulk/small lots like 5 at a time but if you purchase bullets 500 to 1,000 at a time, place the transfer/test case in the box with the bullets and use it to zero the seater die. If you think factory, commercial loads, new ammo is a good thing you can match the overall length by using one to to set-up the seater die. Again if you want to play with moving the bullet out, use the height gage/dial caliper to zero the stem then make adjustments.
F. Guffey
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