Regarding the cleaning rod approach, I have done this, but marked the cleaning rod by clamping two of the spring-steel paper clips (the ones that are a U-shaped piece of spring steel with the wire 'handles' that you use for prying apart the jaws. I had some small ones (less than a half inch long) and they worked well (had to carefully get them to grip the rounded rod without falling off). First I measured to the bolt face and applied the clip and then I put in the bullet and measured again, applied the clip and used calipers to measure distance between the 2 clips (taking care NOT to move the clips in the process). I would repeat this a few times to get a consistent length. My sense is that this approach would be more sensitive and repeatable than marking the rod.
The commercial bullet measure device is either Hornady or Stoney Point (was one and became the other, IIRC). Some people make their own by drilling a case and using a tap to thread it. Apparently it is some odd-ball thread, not common in North America, but the correct tap can be bought fairly cheaply on-line if you know the exact specs.
Cheers
Therion
The third is the most primitive....take a cleaning rod...insert from muzzle with tape a loaded cartridge length at muzzle end, touch bolt face, sharpie mark on tape at muzzle...take your projectile, drop it in the chamber, lightly tap to engage lands----repeat measurement with rod from muzzle end to touch projectile, again mark. The distance between your two pen marks on the tape is your maximum overall. Pretty crude, right?[/QUOTE]
