Poor Mans Head Space Gauge and The Rich Guy Approach

[stoner51 2]

So I found this thread a few weeks ago. I was going to buy the Hornady set I already have the comparator seating set. I really only load 223 and 6.8 well not 6.8 yet but it's coming. The rest are bolt guns so it doesn't matter.

Anyway this is what I came up with. Does this look like it will do the trick?

This is my measurements of loaded vs fired http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/14/52754bd73c01c3405fd73deae2c2020e.jpg[/img

So this tells me I'm pushing the shoulder back too much by about .004 or so.

This first pic is to make sure my measurements are from the right area

 

Thanks for saving me $35

 

Steve

 

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Edited November 14, 2015 by stoner51

[stoner51 2]

For some reason the sized isn't showing up

 

This is sized

 

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Edited November 14, 2015 by stoner51

[GLShooter 3,234]

As long as you have a,reference point on the shoulder to compare with you are home free. It's all relative. When you start doing wildcats it is all comparison.

 

I'm glad it save you some money.

 

Greg

[Flesh Wound 6,592]

Awesome thread. I have the tools to do that. I also have that OAL gage. And I also have the tap to drill and thread cases for that tool... If any of youse need cases to fit lemme know.

[ewallover 840]

Outstanding post, even I get it!

[GLShooter 3,234]

The hardest part is finding a case to fit over the neck and still not get way down on the shoulder. 

 

Greg 

[alpo 1,289]

Old post but still good. 

[srjdsmith 511]

So, when you’re talking about “bumping the shoulder”, you’re talking about ‘only’ bumping it what it needs to chamber easily, not pushing it as far toward the rim as when the shell holder touches the mouth of the resizing die?

 

If you adjust the resizing die as in the die’s instructions, you get maximum “shoulder bumping” right? So this gives you less shoulder bumping, therefore less wear and tear on cases? So, do I just do trial and error (like .25 ACP) or what’s the empty case recommendation for .223? I don’t think this matters as much for my current rifle, but if I’m going to build and load with a little bit of precision in mind, I might want to be more deliberate.

Edited May 30, 2019 by srjdsmith

[GLShooter 3,234]

You want o work the brass as little as possible on reloading and firing. ).003-0.004 shoulder bump is perfect for an AR rifle in 90% of it's uses.

 

Any case that goes over the neck without ending up way out near the shoulder will be GTG. A 25 is a might be too small, I'll have to look. A 30 caliber would be a far better choice.

 

Yes die to the SH means maximum shoulder movement, bump, and that is not always good.

 

Greg

 

OK I moved about 25 pounds of various things and got my box of fired 25 ACP out. Checking against several brands of 223 brass fired in a couple of different barrels I found I could not get a 25 ACP case over the necks.  Based on that you'll need to go up to something bigger. A 6.5 Grendel would work or its ilk as would a 6.8 SPC/270 Winchester. Any of the 30's as I've mentioned. A cool one I just grabbed was 30 Luger but those aren't real common..LOL  Ideally of you had to pick one a 32 Long Colt or 32 Winchester might be the ticket as he Hornady insert is a 330 for the 223 case so you would be almost dead nuts on that.

[towtruck 4,963]

Check your plumbing drawer....there are brass compression fittings that work really well on .223 sized cases....ask me how I know     

1 hour ago, srjdsmith said:

So, when you’re talking about “bumping the shoulder”, you’re talking about ‘only’ bumping it what it needs to chamber easily, not pushing it as far toward the rim as when the shell holder touches the mouth of the resizing die?

 

If you adjust the resizing die as in the die’s instructions, you get maximum “shoulder bumping” right? So this gives you less shoulder bumping, therefore less wear and tear on cases? So, do I just do trial and error (like .25 ACP) or what’s the empty case recommendation for .223? I don’t think this matters as much for my current rifle, but if I’m going to build and load with a little bit of precision in mind, I might want to be more deliberate.

 

[GLShooter 3,234]

32 minutes ago, towtruck said:

Check your plumbing drawer....there are brass compression fittings that work really well on .223 sized cases....ask me how I know     

 

 

Yeah I have a plumbing drawer that's for sure..

 

I have little boxes of odd ball stuff that I don't load for, yet, setting around if I need to wing it.  I bought the Hornady set up for HS once I figured consistency was available in a nicely pre-packaged product.   I also have about half a dozen of the more accurate RCBS Case Micrometers for all  the major case sizes. That being said one of those costs  as much as the whole Hornady set up but they have been around far longer than the Hornady. They are pretty versatile too if you can cogitate work around.

 

Greg

[srjdsmith 511]

Check your plumbing drawer....there are brass compression fittings that work really well on .223 sized cases....ask me how I know     
 

Wife: HOW did you get kicked out of Menard’s, again?
Me: Well, I was walking around fitting an empty shell casing into fittings in the plumbing department...


John

”Remember, no matter where you go, there you are.” -Buckaroo Banzai

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[GLShooter 3,234]

2 hours ago, srjdsmith said:

 

Wife: HOW did you get kicked out of Menard’s, again?
Me: Well, I was walking around fitting an empty shell casing into fittings in the plumbing department...


John

”Remember, no matter where you go, there you are.” -Buckaroo Banzai

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

 

Actually I did just that at Home Depot when I got my 458 SOCOM and didn't have a way to measure the shoulders. I picked up a fitting that would work and then bought a 420 Hornady inset and had George open it up to 0.500 for me.

 

Greg

 

I jsut added to my above post on the viability of using a 25 ACP case.