Any one else make their own seating depth test cases?

[wboregon]

When I first started up I learned this little trick, I like to take what ever case I'm loading for, take 1 size it, and then I split the neck with a hack saw to just above the shoulder, clean up the inside and outside with some files and sand paper and then run them back through a sizing die.

This gives me a case that I can push a bullet into by hand, but also gives me enough resistance that I normally don't have to extract to many bullets out of my barrel with a rod. Also I normally lube the ogive of my bullet with some hoppes or what ever is handy just to make sure it release when I extract the case.

I know this can be done with slightly over sized neck bushing, but this still hasn't failed me in anything I've every reloaded for, any one doing the same?

 

[Canhunter35]

I also do the same. Cheap method of measuring your lands. I use a little cutting wheel on my dremel to split the neck

 

[J E Custom]

Another way to have a bullet seating gauge for different bullets.

When I buy new brass, I always do a case prep on all of them. first i size them, turn them. trim them all to the same length then weight sort them to get case volume.

I sort them to batches of less than 1 grain. normally Out of 100 cases I end up with 3 or 4 that are to heavy or light and don't fall within the batch limits. These are the cases I use for bullet seating gauges. (I call them dummy Cases)And I will chose the bullets i will be using and seat them to just touch the lands. different bullets will have different COAL so I mark the bullet weight and style/brand on the "UN primed case. these will go in my die set and are used to set the dies to desired seating depths if I use more than one bullet in this cartridge for different purposes. I use them to find the maximum length and then remove the gauge case. After removing the gauge case the depth i want can set by turning the bullet seating mic. down to get the desired seating depth.

I don't want to use a case that Is way Off in volume to the rest of the cases i will be using, so this is a good way to use them. To prevent the bullets from moving I remove the expander ball and just size the case. (This gives it a realy tight fit).

J E CUSTOM

 

[wboregon]

Another way to have a bullet seating gauge for different bullets.

When I buy new brass, I always do a case prep on all of them. first i size them, turn them. trim them all to the same length then weight sort them to get case volume.

I sort them to batches of less than 1 grain. normally Out of 100 cases I end up with 3 or 4 that are to heavy or light and don't fall within the batch limits. These are the cases I use for bullet seating gauges. (I call them dummy Cases)And I will chose the bullets i will be using and seat them to just touch the lands. different bullets will have different COAL so I mark the bullet weight and style/brand on the "UN primed case. these will go in my die set and are used to set the dies to desired seating depths if I use more than one bullet in this cartridge for different purposes. I use them to find the maximum length and then remove the gauge case. After removing the gauge case the depth i want can set by turning the bullet seating mic. down to get the desired seating depth.

I don't want to use a case that Is way Off in volume to the rest of the cases i will be using, so this is a good way to use them. To prevent the bullets from moving I remove the expander ball and just size the case. (This gives it a realy tight fit).

J E CUSTOM

Also a great life hack, I've got dummy rounds for everything I load, really make setting my seating dies back up a breeze

 

[N2TRKYS]

I bought an OAL gauge and quickly returned it. I've had better luck with a pencil and a cleaning rod than anything else. Although, I don't chase the lands cause I want my rounds to load into my magazine.

 

[MagnumManiac]

When I first started up I learned this little trick, I like to take what ever case I'm loading for, take 1 size it, and then I split the neck with a hack saw to just above the shoulder, clean up the inside and outside with some files and sand paper and then run them back through a sizing die.

This gives me a case that I can push a bullet into by hand, but also gives me enough resistance that I normally don't have to extract to many bullets out of my barrel with a rod. Also I normally lube the ogive of my bullet with some hoppes or what ever is handy just to make sure it release when I extract the case.

I know this can be done with slightly over sized neck bushing, but this still hasn't failed me in anything I've every reloaded for, any one doing the same?

I've been doing this same thing, with a dremel, for more than 25 years now. With the right amount of tension, the measurement is very repeatable, which is why I like it.
I also modified a case and turned up a brass bullet 'plug' so I could screw in the brass rod to simulate bullet jam, but this didn't always work the way I wanted, it would get stuck and I would have to drop brass rods down the bore to push them out, then the 'nose' of my brass plug would get dinged and booger up my measurements. They now collect dust.

Cheers.