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Old May 30, 2010, 01:47 PM   #1
whit
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Join Date: April 5, 2010
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OAL

I am a new reloader and find alot of good information form this forum. Be in Calif and in the condor region i have to use no lead bullets. Also being a new gun owner of a Marlin Xl-7 270 and trying to get this gun dial in is a learnig experience. I been using a Nosler 130 gr. e-tip bullet with RL-22 57 gr. recomended from a Nosler rep. I have reading about the OAL of this bullet and a head space of .060 compared to som lead bullets at .010 or less.
I want to know what tools i need to get a good OAl. The Hornady tool looks like a good setup but if read about the OAL they say to use a fired case form the gun your testing. Then there is the Sinclair tools for doing this but some people think is is harher to use . So if anybody can help me i would appreicated .Thanks Whit
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Old May 30, 2010, 04:36 PM   #2
Unclenick
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With the Hornady tool you will get a distance from the case head to the part of the ogive on the bullet that touches the lands. Reduce your result by 0.060 and seat your bullets until they read that reduced number. I don't know what cartridge overall length that will be because I don't know the length of that bullet's ogive. It doesn't matter if you use the gauge, go by it instead of by COL (OAL, COAL), though you are welcome to measure one.

Using a case from your gun improves the accuracy of the measurement if you are going to neck size your cases instead of full length resizing them, but for the Hornady gauge you'd need to drill out a fired case and tap it with their special 7/16-36 tap (I think I'm recalling that correctly) you can get them, but this is much bother. What you do instead is buy the Hornady case comparator adapter for their comparator tool head. Measure the length of your case ready to reload. Measure the length of the test case that your got for the Hornady gauge. Your case will be a little longer. Just add the difference in the lengths to your ogive measurement number and use it when setting up the seating die.

A less precise method is to take a fired case you have sized the neck on and split its neck with a sharp fine tooth hacksaw blade. Set one of your bullets into the split neck, but sticking way out. Putsh this dummy cartridge into the rifle chamber with your thumb as far as it will go. Push it out slowly with a cleaning rod. Measure the COL without disturbing the bullet position. Use an 0.060" shorter number for adjusting your seating die for your loaded rounds.

The reason I say the above is less precise is just that bullets usually have small differences in lengths. Also, you can get slight movement between the two. But it won't be much.
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