Hard time finding the lands

guntech said:
Read this a couple of times... it's pretty simple. Been doing this since the 70's.

Use a cleaning rod with a flat tip from the muzzle and the back of a pencil or something similar from the rear to push just the bullet forward against the lands, hold the cleaning rod right up to the tip of the bullet while the bullet is held forward.

Then wrap masking tape around the rod indicating the end of the barrel.

Then remove the bullet, and with the firing pin removed, close the bolt.

Place the rod tip against the bolt face.

Wrap masking tape around the rod indicating the end of the barrel.

Now measure the difference of the two tape marks - that is the OAL of a round touchng the rifling.
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That's usually the method I use, though I do own the tools to check it the other way. - dan
 
For those of us who do not really want to spend money on "made-in-China" stuff - the procedure described is also what I use now. It is also described in the Woodleigh Reloading Manual - might have also been in some earlier Nosler manuals and some John Barsness articles. Yes, probably not "dead nuts" accurate, but neither are bullets - even from the same box - if you are looking to be 30-ish or so thou off the lands, the actual bullet dimension and measuring differences probably go away or are insignificant - useless you are a world class competitive shooter. Everyone needs an excuse for a miss or larger than 1" group, though, from their store-bought or ex-milsurp rifle and gear.

There are / were many "no special tools" ways to "find the lands" - I used to Jiffy Marker a bullet - try it in the chamber - increase OAL - until I saw land marks - then back off until no marks - up to the reloader how close to get with his gear.
 
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Potashminer said:
For those of us who do not really want to spend money on "made-in-China" stuff - the procedure described is also what I use now. It is also described in the Woodleigh Reloading Manual - might have also been in some earlier Nosler manuals and some John Barsness articles. Yes, probably not "dead nuts" accurate, but neither are bullets - even from the same box - if you are looking to be 30-ish or so thou off the lands, the actual bullet dimension and measuring differences probably go away or are insignificant - useless you are a world class competitive shooter. Everyone needs an excuse for a miss or larger than 1" group, though, from their store-bought or ex-milsurp rifle and gear.

There are / were many "no special tools" ways to "find the lands" - I used to Jiffy Marker a bullet - try it in the chamber - increase OAL - until I saw land marks - then back off until no marks - up to the reloader how close to get with his gear.
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You don’t length aort your bullets? I thought everybody was doing that.
 
Bustercluck said:
You don’t length aort your bullets? I thought everybody was doing that.
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No - I had never heard of that - I do not compete - maybe someone to whom a couple thou in group size makes a difference would sort bullets by length, but I have never done so. And there is over all length and length to ogive - which is done by "everyone"? - how does one know that the tool has the exact same size as your rifle chamber's ogive?
 
Lands Schmands!!!

The Howa mini is designed around the AR length.
Start by loading rounds to 2.26 and allow for more jump for mono bullets.
My Howa Mini, in 6.5 Grendel, shoots a lot of bullets very well and a couple poorly.
Virtually all of them at 2.26 except Barnes Tac-TX which I load to 2.25.
 
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