Finding lands using Hornady LnL

[tabascoz28]

I've been reloading for years, usually just concentrated on making consistent bullets with powder down the the .02 grains and consistent bullet depth.

Just got a Forster micrometer for seating and have been trying to get the hornady ogive measuring tool to work correctly.

The question is, how do you feel for the lands and grooves? I watched a video where the guy was very careful about barely tapping the rod at the end to feel the bullet to just barely touch the lands. But I feel 1 friction point and 1 full stop on my rifle. Savage FCP 10 308 using Nosler RDF 175 grains.

The full stop happens .1 inches in further. The friction point makes my bullet oal about 2.8" and the full stop makes my bullet oal 2.9". I know there's fine adjustments to be made later but I just need to know where to start. Lyman 50th says with a SMK it should be 2.8"

I've been loading my bullets to 2.8" for a very long time with about 1moa results, sometimes better, just trying to squeeze every last bit out of my semi budget rifle. Thanks in advance.

[tabascoz28]

The reason I ask is that some other bullets don't have that friction point and I know some bullets are just super long.

[baih777]

Measure your mag. How long of a cartridge will it take.
Most likely you can only use 2.80
Unless you are using a AICS mag. They have a mag for 2.95

[baih777]

When i use the hornady OAL guage. I just push till the bullet makes contact.

[tabascoz28]

My mag can take about 2.950 yes.
My real question is have people felt a little bit of friction before the full stop. Is the full stop the lands or is the light friction the lands? The friction is basically the force of pulling/pushing a sheet of paper through the middle of a stack of paper.

[OpenSightsOnly]

My mag can take about 2.950 yes.
My real question is have people felt a little bit of friction before the full stop. Is the full stop the lands or is the light friction the lands? The friction is basically the force of pulling/pushing a sheet of paper through the middle of a stack of paper.

For me, its always a full stop and that means bullet's ogive touched the lands.

Do a test, use a black sharpie on a test bullet. If you feel that friction, pull the bullet and see if the black sharpie is gone. If so, then that's the bullet's ogive.

[baih777]

For me, its always a full stop and that means bullet's ogive touched the lands.

Do a test, use a black sharpie on a test bullet. If you feel that friction, pull the bullet and see if the black sharpie is gone. If so, then that's the bullet's ogive.

^^^^^^^^^sharpie

[tabascoz28]

For me, its always a full stop and that means bullet's ogive touched the lands.

Do a test, use a black sharpie on a test bullet. If you feel that friction, pull the bullet and see if the black sharpie is gone. If so, then that's the bullet's ogive.

1 for full stop. I ended up making 5 sets of bullets moving back from the lands .010 at a time. Hope all this was worth it. ha ha

[J-cat]

There is no way in hell you can push the bullet .100” into the rifling with only hand pressure. So yes, it will be the full stop at 2.900” COAL.

[tabascoz28]

Thank you, I'm getting some good verification here. The guy in the vid made it look like if I just barely touch it, those would be the lands...

[fguffey]

The question is, how do you feel for the lands and grooves? I watched a video where the guy was very careful about barely tapping the rod at the end to feel the bullet to just barely touch the lands. But I feel 1 friction point and 1 full stop on my rifle. Savage FCP 10 308 using Nosler RDF 175 grains.

All that is required: There are very few reloars that knew how to load before the Internet; back then it only required a few shop skills.

Just got a Forster micrometer for seating and have been trying to get the Hornady ogive measuring tool to work correctly.

To understand is to be able to do all of this work without the tools.

F. Guffey