Accurate way to check OAL to rifling?

[Z32MadMan]

Is there an accurate way to test exactly how long of an OAL it takes to hit the rifling of a particular pistol?

Also, this is a reloading newb question, but how does the profile of the bullet affect OAL? For instace if you have a round nose bullet and a flatter nose, will setting them to the same OAL affect distance to rifling or bullet depth in the case ect?

[calishootr]

In a word, yes, different bullet profiles will need different bullet seating depths to achieve the same overall seating depth...ie. a roundnose will have to be seated in the case deeper than a trunecated cone style bullet for the same OAL, what this also does is change case capacity, and more importantly chamber pressures, if you change bullet styles you will more than likely have to change powder charges as well, and an old school way of testing OAL is to take a majic marker to your loaded round and gently drop it into the chamber of a barrel that has been taken out ofthe gun, if it is too long, 1. theround will extend past the barrel hood, 2. if the ogive ofthe bullet is such that it clears the barrel hood ok, then you look for rifling marks scraped off majic marker on the bullet and seat deeper till you dont see them anymore, then you have cleared the rifling hope that helps

[uscbigdawg]

RCBS or Stoney Point OAL gauge.

Rich

[Chris]

Here's a neat trick to make an OAL gauge from your own components. Its very easy and accurate too.

http://accurateshooter.wordpress.com/2009/...to-lands-gauge/

[G-ManBart]

Why not just make a casting of the chamber/leade/beginning of the rifling with Cerosafe (sp?) and measure it that way? R,

[GrumpyOne]

I put a very light coat of dark grease on the projectile, then slide it into the chamber. If it touches, it will smudge the grease, so make it shorter until there is minimal clearance to the lands and grooves, or until the grease is no longer being smudged.

[kildar]

If you're shooting lead it's not too difficult to look for the marks the rifling will impress on the bullet telling you you're seated out too far for that particular bullet profile.