headspace measurements vs only over all length

[cc56]

So I am new to reloading 223. The first few batches I did only OAL on 223 and trimmed as needed after resizing. Then I realized I was missing headspace measurements and started to check a few to make sure they were in spec.

How many people do not check headspace?

Does anyone just check a few cases with headspace then OAL for the rest?

Thanks

[Mot Mi]

I check every 10 loaded as its easy and fast since I am not loading on the progressive. If you're just check OAL I don't see any reason really to check headspace unless you really have a tight barrel (match grade)

[jkgts1]

Funny, I loaded 500 rnds of 223 for one of my ARs which had a 5.56 chamber, tested rnds in the rifle before I made all those, worked fine. Forgot my other AR has a 223 wylde chamber. Well not all those 500 rnds chambered in the wylde chamber. Scratched my head for a few weeks before i remembered they were chambered different. So, i went through and checked every rnd ad separated what would fire in which rifle. PITA! But my screw up. So, now I'm more cautious, learn from my mistake. Check the rnds till you feel comfortable that you press is consistent. Good luck.

[reckoner]

I gauge every case after sizing/trimming with a Lyman case gauge. Not sure if this is overkill or not.

[klewan]

The Sheridan case gauge is the one you want. It's cut with a chambering reamer at the minimum dimension. So if it fits in the Sheridan, it's really, really, likely to fit in your gun. Lyman and Wilson and other gauges don't check all the dimensions of your reloads, Sheridan is the only one I know that will. EGW is another like the Sheridan. It takes some real searching and reading to figure out which of the gauges measures what, it's not obvious....

[Fjold]

Funny, I loaded 500 rnds of 223 for one of my ARs which had a 5.56 chamber, tested rnds in the rifle before I made all those, worked fine. Forgot my other AR has a 223 wylde chamber. Well not all those 500 rnds chambered in the wylde chamber. Scratched my head for a few weeks before i remembered they were chambered different. So, i went through and checked every rnd ad separated what would fire in which rifle. PITA! But my screw up. So, now I'm more cautious, learn from my mistake. Check the rnds till you feel comfortable that you press is consistent. Good luck.

The 5.56 NATO and the Wylde have the same headspace measurement.

[micro911]

I use Foster's headspace gauge to see exactly what my headspace size is. Then for gas guns, I full length size to the headspace size and trim, and for bolt guns, I neck size for the chamber and trim. Usually for bolt guns, I rarely have to trim after every resize.

For gas guns, I seat the bullet to the maximum length that my magazine will take. For bolt guns, I seat out to .005"-010" from the rifling for single load.

[Jeff213]

I usually just load everything to 2.260 OAL and it works. I don't use super heavy bullets, usually between 50 and 69 gr.

[bohoki]

i load them to magazine max

[bigedp51]

I'm loading for two AR15 rifles and a bolt action Savage .223, I measure the fired length and adjust the dies for proper shoulder bump.

Fired length from AR15



Same case with .003 shoulder bump.



Your AR15 type rifle will have larger diameter chambers and longer headspace settings than a .223 and a Wilson type case gauge will not let you measure the fired length. The case below fired in a AR15 is too "FAT" to drop into the gauge.



Bottom line the Hornady Cartridges Case Headspace Gauge pictured above tells your more, and you only need one gauge for all calibers.

[J-cat]

I don't check headspace on every round because I know exactly how much my Redding competition shell holders bump the shoulder.

[bigedp51]

I don't check headspace on every round because I know exactly how much my Redding competition shell holders bump the shoulder.

J-cat, I know what your saying because I also use the Redding shell holders "BUT"!!!

That depends on the brand and age of brass, annealing, the spring back rate of the brass and also why the Redding shell holders have five sizes.

So "exactly" has a plus and minus due to brass spring back. And I still drop every round in my Wilson gauge to double check everything.

[J-cat]

And then what? Are you going to readjust your die and resize that case again until you get them all the same? -.001" or -.002" or -.000" is not going to affect the accuracy of your load. Case neck tension has a far greater effect.

Brass spring back certainly occurs, but there's only so much. If you bump your shoulder .002", it will accommodate all levels of brass spring back even if you only anneal every five reloads.

[Metal God]

Head space is a measurement inside the chamber . It is the length from the datum of the chambers shoulder to the closed bolt face . There is no official name for the measurement on the case that measures the length of the case from the datum of the shoulder to the case head . That being said it is commonly known as the case headspace . So head space and case headspace are two different things measuring two different things .

OAL is the measurement from the tip of the bullet to the case head and has nothing to do with either headspaces . You can have a 223/5.56 cartridge with an OAL of 2.220 ( fits in mag easy ) and a case headspace of 1.675 and it will never chamber in your rifle . On the other hand you can use a 77gr smk loaded to an OAL of 2.310 ( never will fit in a mag ) in a case having a case headspace of 1.666 and it will chamber in any 5.56 or 223 Wylde chamber .

bigedp51 has IMHO one of the best ways to measure your case headspace . Just remember when using a comparator . It's just that , a tool to compare one case to another . The Hornady case headspase gages do NOT measure the actual size of the case . Mine measure my 308 GO gage 10 thousandths short and that explained why I had to size my cases below SAAMI minimum . I didn't really but my comparator had me thinking I was .

As for never checking your case headspace because you have your die set perfect or you use comp shell holders . FWIW I've been in the middle of sizing cases and while checking every case headspase I was getting a difference of .007 from what I was wanting and what I would get . These were shorter and it was not many . i think I had 20 cases out of 400 that for what ever reason sized .004 below SAAMI minimum . My thought is they did not have the same elasticity as all the others and did not spring back as much . I put those aside . No need to temped case head separation

[J-cat]

We're using competition shell holders?