Headspace question

[Alabama556]

I was reading the sticky above and saw the part that deals with the headspace gauge and how to determine how much to bump the shoulder for long range shooting.

My normal process is to take new brass and shoot it in my particular gun. I then take the empty once fired case and start bumping the case with the full length die until it will fit in my gun with a little pressure. I then tighten the set screw on my die and use this length every time I resize cases.

For someone who just hunts and reloads for fun is this acceptable? I only shoot the reloads in my bolt action guns and I only have 1 gun in each caliber so each die is set for a particular gun.

I do other prep for my cases but my question above is just about the headspace.

Thanks for your input.

Emris
Birmingham, Alabama

 

[elfster1234]

Just spend the 20 dollars and get the hornady headspace gauge so you are not guessing and you know for sure 100%

 

[nuclear_shooter]

Just spend the 20 dollars and get the hornady headspace gauge so you are not guessing and you know for sure 100%

This is what I did. No regrets.

 

[Alabama556]

Thanks guys. What size bushing do I need for a 300 wby?

 

[nuclear_shooter]

I belive its the .420 one, thats what my 300 win mag uses. They should list what calibers it works for when you buy it.

 

[427Cobra]

Egraham you did old school, this method is simple and effective, BUT I recommend the FPA(firing pin assembly) and the Ejector be removed, this ensures no undo pressure is being put on the case, a properly bumped shoulder with those two removed will have slight resistance on the bolt handle about half way down. I personally like measuring and setting my FL dies, another money saving tip is to use pistol cases as HSG(head space gauge) a 40 cal case can be used as a HSG for the 308 family of cartridges, the datum(point at which the measurement is taken) is .400 in diameter, a fired 40sw or 10mm is close enough to work.

 

[Fuzzball]

"For someone who just hunts and reloads for fun is this acceptable?"

Yes. That's the way it was commonly done for decades before the various shoulder measuring gimmicks came along and most people still do it that way. It's possible you might get another reload out of your cases if you carefully used a measuring device but that's no certainty.

 

[Victor N TN]

I do the exact same thing. But I do check it with the Stony Point measuring device. If I turn the die until the bolt (minus the firing pin assembly) handle drops about 1/3rd of the way down, I'm moving the shoulder approximately .002" If you leave the firing pin assembly in the bolt the spring will not let the bolt handle drop on it's on. You do NOT want the bolt handle to just drop to the bottom. You need to feel it tighten up as the bolt handle goes down.

 

[Victor N TN]

I'm sorry. I just noticed I almost duped another poster.