hornadys lock and load guage

romex2121

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Mar 13, 2009
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ive got a question about the hornady lock and load guage,,,the modified case in 30/06 (my rifle) is shorter than my trimed cases,, how can i get an accurite reading this way???? hornady says it can make cases that are to my rifles dimintions if i send them two fired un trimed cases and $11.00 plus return envolope and shipping,, anybody know what size the threads are in the modified case????
 
The OAL should be the same since the distance from the base of the modified cartridge to the olgive is a constant. Therefore, minor differences in the case length will not alter the OAL.
 
Actually the major problem is the distance from the shoulder to the bolt face, not the OAL of the brass. The gage will headspace differently then ammo you custom fit to your chamber. The best case to use is one fired in your chamber. The difference though is very small and in either case won`t cause enough variation to worry about. The gage is only meant to give you a starting lgt to load to, and it does that well.
 
The two gauges that were made by Stoney Point and now sold by Hornady are used to measure two different things. The comparators measures on the bullet ogive and the headspace gauges measure on the datum line on the shoulder, used when setting your FL die or compare different brass. Neither of them measure the case neck length therefore the difference in OAL of the case has no bearing on your measurements.Rick.
 
He's talking about the overall length guage setup, which is different from the comparator/headspace bushing setup. In this case, the key dimension is, as Ol' Joe said, shoulder length. I'll have to hunt around a bit, but I know I have the correct tap size somewhere in some notes of mine. I've never used it, but I know the thread size. It's obscure, that's for sure. Will try to post it when I get time. If you're really after the best measurement, tapping your own case is the way to go.
 
romex2121":19rwjwon said:
ive got a question about the hornady lock and load guage,,,the modified case in 30/06 (my rifle) is shorter than my trimed cases,, how can i get an accurite reading this way???? hornady says it can make cases that are to my rifles dimintions if i send them two fired un trimed cases and $11.00 plus return envolope and shipping,, anybody know what size the threads are in the modified case????

Trim length isn't that critical as headspace is set about midpoint on the .30-06 case shoulder. If you're loading and neck sizing your brass, depending on how tight ot loose of a chamber your gun has, using a case from your gun can make a big difference in COL.

The thread on the modified cases is 5/16 x 36P and it's pretty easy to drill and thread a case. $11 is a bargain from Hornady, but sometimes when you're in a hurry it's tough to wait. Enco carries the tap www.use-enco.com. The cost is a few bucks and they last indefinately.
 
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