Reloading Series, Episode 4: Finding Your Max OAL/COAL

[@EagleEyeShooting]

Awesome tip for finding that OAL and agree with what you mentioned about the Hornady case OAL. Awesome video 🤙👍

[@hawkeyeammosmithing]

Eagle Eye Shooting thanks man.

[@tomcooke6670]

I like this way the best. Thanks very much. Some people do 5he jam method. I am a bit skeptical of this method

[@michaelranalli9316]

Nice video. I have questions about your brass before you start your bullet seating. First, are you shoulder bumping your already fired brass back, and if so how far and what are you using to measure your bump? For instance, could you use a Hornady Headspace gauge, measure your shoulder and bump it back and check it again in your Hornady headspace gauge until you get for instance say .002? Secondly, after you do the bullet seating process you just demonstrated in your video, after you get your measurement, are you backing off the lands (seating the bullet a little deeper) , and if so, how far? Again nice video. I've been thinking about getting the OAL gauge and the Headspace gauge, but i,m leaning towards just the headspace gauge only for shoulder bumping purposes and your war for OAL and seating the bullet a little deeper.

[@hawkeyeammosmithing]

Yes, this brass, and any brass you’re using for this method, should be sized however you size you brass prior to loading and shooting. I size to .002” shoulder bump, and recommend that for most everyone for the most consistent and reliable results. You can absolutely use a Hornady headspace comparator tool. And yes, in the video I’m showing you how to find your maximum OAL. So, once you find that measurement, you’d then subtract from it how far you want to be off your lands. I prefer to be no closer than .015” and will typically go with either .020” off my lands, or to my max length my magazine allows for. Does this help answer your questions?

[@michaelranalli9316]

Hawkeye Gunsmithing Yes, thank you very much. I have a friend who is trying to talk me into neck sizing only vs shoulder bumping. I’m not real comfortable just neck sizing because 1) I’ve never done it and 2) from everything I’ve read that goes against everything in regards to headspaceing. Am I correct or not? I’ve also seen a couple videos where people are doing it similar to you without disassembling there bolt, and other videos where the majority are doing like you and disassembling the bolt. By the way, my friend that I was referring to does not disassemble his bolt...I just see the majority doing it your way.

[@hawkeyeammosmithing]

Michael Ranalli it’s best to bump shoulders for absolute reliability and consistency. If you only neck size, you’ll end up needing to bump eventually, and now you’re no longer consistent. That’s one. The other is that if you ever shoot in the rain or in a dirty environment, you can can moisture or debris between the case and your chamber and cause it to kit chamber. Water does not compress. Dirt/debris will imprint itself into the case when fired, if it does chamber. Bumping just .002” will provide consistency all the time, every time, and it will provide reliability. Neck sizing only is an old school method and based on a flawed philosophy that it creates a more consistent result when chambering and firing. In reality, bumping shoulders just .002” allows for that same consistency. When the firing pin hit the primer, it’ll seat the case fully against the shoulder of your chamber, providing the same scenario as only neck sizing would. The case and bullet will be centered perfectly as a result of the conical shape of the shoulder as the case seats itself. Plus, .002” is only half the thickness of a sheet of paper. It’s really not much at all. It’s simply enough to gain reliability in chambering and maintain consistency. People need to realize this and just give up the neck sizing only. There’s no gain to it, really. And as far as doing the method in this video with a stripped bolt vs a non stripped... it’s best to do it with a stripped so that you don’t have the ejector pushing the case forward creating false indications. Not every bolt has the ability to remove the ejector easily. If you can, I recommend doing it. Removing the firing pin and spring is best as well.