I need a little guidance on how to best determine the maximum cartridge length in my new gun. I was planning to use one of the Hornady tools with a modified case, but I simply can't find the .260 Rem modified case in stock ANYWHERE, which kind of eliminates that option. As such, I'm looking for alternative methods to figure out how long I can seat the bullet before it touches the lands.
I actually don't have a lot of experience with this particular process, since my last rifle had a maximum magazine length that was right at SAAMI spec for the bullets I was using... I never experimented with longer seating depths on that rifle, simply because it would have turned the gun into a single-shot rifle. My new AI has a bit more magazine clearance, but I don't want to load long without knowing when I'm hitting the lands.
I tried coloring the tip of a bullet with a marker and seating at various depths (including some that were barely in the case mouth), but I didn't notice any discernible marks on the bullet like I was hoping for (so, that method sort of fell short of expectations).
Any thoughts?
I actually don't have a lot of experience with this particular process, since my last rifle had a maximum magazine length that was right at SAAMI spec for the bullets I was using... I never experimented with longer seating depths on that rifle, simply because it would have turned the gun into a single-shot rifle. My new AI has a bit more magazine clearance, but I don't want to load long without knowing when I'm hitting the lands.
I tried coloring the tip of a bullet with a marker and seating at various depths (including some that were barely in the case mouth), but I didn't notice any discernible marks on the bullet like I was hoping for (so, that method sort of fell short of expectations).
Any thoughts?