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runout....where to measure?

gcoulsey

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 27, 2010
408
1
46
Lincolnshire England UK
hey chaps,

in regards to bullet runout, where is the best place to measure?

at the ogive? or i think i read somewhere it should be close to the brass.. ??

also, when everyone is posting their 'average runout' measurements, is that TOTAL or ACTUAL runout as a general rule?

i seem to be averaging about .001" TOTAL now im using new redding dies, and i take the measurement from just below the ogive area (towards the brass)
is this the best area/technique?

thanks, giles
smile.gif
 
Re: runout....where to measure?

On my Berger VLD's I measure right on the very end of the bearing surface before it turns into the ogive. For numbers I take the total run out and then with a fine point marker write it on the bullet's surface. The bullets are then sorted in my MTM cartridge box. Here was a breakdown of a batch of 60 I took to our recent tactical match.

5=0 thou runout
14-1 thou
26=2 thou
13=3 thou
2=4 thou

Use the 0's and 1's for stuff over 600 yds.

Alan
 
Re: runout....where to measure?

Start with the purpose of measuring run-out at all; making the most consistant possible reload. That elimanates any methods of minimizing the numbers simply by the way they are taken!

My shop made gage supports the cartridges on the extractor groove and at the furthest possible part of the bullet jacket. I position my dial indicator immediately on the jacket in front of the case mouth, that way I can get the largest swing on the dial and not be affected by case imperfections. If your gage supports the cartridge on the case only then (if it were mine) gage off the bullet as near the front of the jacket as possible for the highest possible number.

How we state the run out is "true" or Total Indicated Run-out. TIR wil be twice the true run-out. Some folks use TIR, some make the correction. I don't care, all I want is to correct the causes and make my gage show zero! At that point it doesn't matter how it's stated but accomplishing that with any regularity is very difficult.

Some appear to average the run-out but that seems self defeating, at least to me. I mean, if I can get most of my ammo straight it will make the occasional bad ones seem much better than they are, and that's the only point of an average. I have to fire them all, not "on average", but one straight or bent round at a time.
 
Re: runout....where to measure?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: gfunkUK</div><div class="ubbcode-body">hey chaps,

in regards to bullet runout, where is the best place to measure?

at the ogive? or i think i read somewhere it should be close to the brass.. ??

also, when everyone is posting their 'average runout' measurements, is that TOTAL or ACTUAL runout as a general rule?

i seem to be averaging about .001" TOTAL now im using new redding dies, and i take the measurement from just below the ogive area (towards the brass)
is this the best area/technique?

thanks, giles
smile.gif
</div></div>

Hi Giles,
You should check runout in at least 2 places.
You're trying to find out if the bullet is cocked in the neck. If you only check in 1 place you can't see a cocked condition.


John
smile.gif
 
Re: runout....where to measure?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: John F</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: gfunkUK</div><div class="ubbcode-body">hey chaps,

in regards to bullet runout, where is the best place to measure?

at the ogive? or i think i read somewhere it should be close to the brass.. ??

also, when everyone is posting their 'average runout' measurements, is that TOTAL or ACTUAL runout as a general rule?

i seem to be averaging about .001" TOTAL now im using new redding dies, and i take the measurement from just below the ogive area (towards the brass)
is this the best area/technique?

thanks, giles
smile.gif
</div></div>

Hi Giles,
You should check runout in at least 2 places.
You're trying to find out if the bullet is cocked in the neck. If you only check in 1 place you can't see a cocked condition.


John
smile.gif
</div></div>

i hadnt realised that! but yes, makes perfect sense,
thanks!