C.o.l

This method requires a case drilled and tapped to screw into it, which last time I checked required an odd sizing so make it difficult to do it yourself. A pain for oddball rounds not commonly used for N.A. hunting.
https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/ammunition_st_precisely_200809/100192

or
Dremel a slit on a sacrificial case. Place your intended bullet just into neck. Insert case and bullet into chamber and close the action.
Result is your maximum length.
Now ways how to measure.
https://www.precisionreloading.com/cart.php#!l=HN&i=B234
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012906288
https://enoughgun.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10863
 
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I use appropriately sized for the caliber drill rod and a couple drill stop collars. Run the rod down the barrel until it touches bolt face with the rifle cocked. Put both collars on the rod and slide them down til they touch the muzzle. Lock the set screw on the outside one. Pull the rod back aways and remove the bolt. Put a bullet in the chamber and shove it ahead until it touches the lands with your version of what touching the lands means to you. A pencil or pen makes a good pusher. While holding the bullet in place ease the rod back in until it touches the bullet tip. Set the second stop collar. The distance between the stop collars is the length to lands with that exact bullet. Write the number down with the pencil; loosen the inside collar and push the bullet out. Repeat for all the bullets you want to check. You could do ten in the time it took me to type this with my thumbs; and it doesn’t take specialized equipment. The rods are handy to have around stuck cases and such.
 
For the first 40 years I did the old fashioned way. I seated a bullet long and chambered it. The rifling would mark the bullet.

I would turn the seater stem down and seat another bullet and chamber it. I kept doing this until chambering did not leave a mark.

Them I would back the stem out a quarter turn (which is about 12 thou) and seat and chamber. From these 2 bullets I would make a calculation of and note the OAL that touched the riifling.

Then I would take all the "long" rounds and seat them to whatever OAL I wanted - typically 20 thou off the rifling.
 
Dogleg said:
I use appropriately sized for the caliber drill rod and a couple drill stop collars. Run the rod down the barrel until it touches bolt face with the rifle cocked. Put both collars on the rod and slide them down til they touch the muzzle. Lock the set screw on the outside one. Pull the rod back aways and remove the bolt. Put a bullet in the chamber and shove it ahead until it touches the lands with your version of what touching the lands means to you. A pencil or pen makes a good pusher. While holding the bullet in place ease the rod back in until it touches the bullet tip. Set the second stop collar. The distance between the stop collars is the length to lands with that exact bullet. Write the number down with the pencil; loosen the inside collar and push the bullet out. Repeat for all the bullets you want to check. You could do ten in the time it took me to type this with my thumbs; and it doesn’t take specialized equipment. The rods are handy to have around stuck cases and such.
Click to expand...

That's pretty much how I do it too. Simply used a few items I had laying around the shop. - dan
 
I just insert a wood dowel (you could use a cleaning rod) through the muzzle and push it against the bolt face, mark the dowel (I add a bit of electrical tape and run a knife along the muzzle). I put a bullet in a case (I use a fired case so it's loose) and push it all the way in so the bullet seats in the case.. I push the dowel in until I can feel the bullet (gently), I mark again at the muzzle.. The distance between the two marks is your length for that bullet in that riffle.

Then I realize that ammunition this long doesn't fit my magazine. Just happened to me last week :p
 
I neck size a case about 1/8th of an inch and seat the bullet long. Chamber the round and let the rifling push the bullet back. Then eject the round and put it back into the press. With the round all the way into the seating die I turn the seating stem down until I feel it touch the bullet. Then turn the seating stem down another .020" and call it done.
 
The tap required for threading a case is available from KBC. True it's an odd ball but the company selling the expensive prepared cases want you to buy their product. I now make my own cases for checking OAL.
 
I take an empty case and seat a bullet into it deliberatly going long. I color the bullet with a jiffy marker and then chamber it. I seat the bullet a little deeper each time and when the rifling no longer marks the marking, I have a depth.
 
I'm an a$$hole. Didn't like that thread pitch. Re taped to my preferred method. Be careful. Si thin on the hornady thing. I found it to be less useful then intentionally designed. The max mag length is my limit for go to.
 
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