comparator/OAL?

[whopperstopper]

Have read some about the use of a Comparator for overall length. I shoot mainly Ballistic tip ammo and was told this would help for OAL.Would this be a worthwhile purchase?

[toosensitive]

Absolutely! Great for bolt action rifles. Mine measures base to tip of bullet. I believe the more accurate comparators measure ogive of the bullet. You will be surprised to see just how much free bore the manufactures use. I shoot for about .020" free bore. But that's just me. Accuracy and repeatability will be your guide at the range. Some cartridges I can't mess with since the extended length would create clearance problems from clips/feed ramps. You would need measurements for each caliber, bullet weight and type. If you have multiple rifles of the same caliber, you will need to identify which ammo goes with which firearm. Record keeping is absolutely essential.

[whopperstopper]

Thanx, I was looking at the Ogive Comparator in the Cabelas Shooting Magazine and I believe it was a Hornady product.

[deadeye]

when getting down to the ultimate accuracy a comparator is the only way,also helps while seating different bullet weights to the approx depth on the ogive. the tips on bullets vary, just look at sierra's,i also use the nut looking comparator but the hornady one will work also. i always handfeed on bolt guns
www.sinclairintl.com/.aspx/cid=5591/Caliber_1005=6+mm/Products/Bullet_Comparators

[alphaburnt]

Most production rifles have such a long leade or "throat" before the bullet engages the rifling, it can be tricky to load " x" distance from the lands. The best thing to do is to load your ammo just short enough to fit in the mag well and still make sure you have 2/3 to a full bullet diameter seated in the neck. Even then go to a safe area and check to see the cartridges function smoothly and your bolt closes without a lot of pressure. Of course having a precise OAL gauge would be nice too.

[dannoboone]

I make full use of Sinclair's bullet comparator, along with Hornady's
OAL gauges.

It gripes me that I cannot load to within .020-.015 of the lands in
a Rem 788 due to magazine length restrictions. I have a sick
feeling that the same will be true in a Marlin XS7 in 7mm-08 that
I just picked up.

My three Savage VLP's have long enough magazines that I've
found no bullet length restrictions. Whether it be Berger VLD's
or Hornady V-Max's, there is plenty of magazine length. Same
wit a Montana Rifle Co. Model 1999.

[Deleted]

I like to do it the way my dad taught me. I drop the bullet I'll be using point first into the empty chamber. I then tap it lightly just enough to hold it in place by the rifling. Then I measure the distance from the point of the bullet to the end of the barrel with a cleaning rod with a flat jag on the end. I put a straight edge across the muzzle end so a precise measurement can be made on the rod. I then take the bullet out and measure again from the boltface to the muzzle end using the same straight edge. Make a mark at that point and then measure the distance with my calipers. If a thin precise mark is made you can come up a close OAL from boltface to rifling at your bullets ogive. Set your seating die to allow for the clearance you prefer and your set..... My dad learned this from somebody but he called it his "Okie" engineering. ;D
Zen

[alphaburnt]

It would be good to know, on loaded ammunition, the bullet comparator measurement for each bullet. This could effect accuracy, if the ogive differs on the bullets much. I think this is what it is for. You cannot feasibly adjust for this, you would be running your bullet seater in and out a thousandth here and there. Buy good bullets and hope for the best. Packers are trying to take this one!