Weird max OAL length reading on my gasser

[captnmo]

I just bought a Hornady OAL gauge and seemed to successfully measure the max OAL to the lands with a 175SMK on my Savage 10FCP. About 2.82 or so.

Then I did the same on my GAP-10 and get a max OAL touching the lands at 2.772 with the ogive at 2.186. Book max OAL is 2.800 for the 175 gr.

I was shooting FGMM 168 gr just fine the other day and measured those. I got a COAL of 2.797 and 2.222 to the ogive on those.

So the first assumption is if I'm measuring correctly. If I am, than the FGMM was .036 past the lands. What sort of issues will I have shooting a round buried that far into the lands?

Second question is, could this just be a tight chamber as it is a custom build and is that acceptable?

Third question, what other methods do you suggest for measuring to the lands? I'm not too happy with the Hornady OAL gauge because it's difficult to get the modified case straight between the calipers because the case has to be held by the gauge itself. Maybe I'm just being picky, but that does make a few thousandths inch difference.

 

[hdbiker1]

Re: Weird max OAL length reading on my gasser

A quick way to recheck would be to chamber a round and then gently unload to check for land marks on the bullet to see if you really are into the lands at all.

 

[captnmo]

Re: Weird max OAL length reading on my gasser

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: hdbiker1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A quick way to recheck would be to chamber a round and then gently unload to check for land marks on the bullet to see if you really are into the lands at all. </div></div>

Thanks! I'm going to try that.

 

[thespecialist]

Re: Weird max OAL length reading on my gasser

Take a sized, deprimed case and split the neck on each side down to the shoulder with a dremel. Start a bullet into the case mouth by hand and then insert it into the chamber. Gently close the bolt to finish seating the bullet into the case, then open the bolt slowly to extract the round. Do this 10 times, throw out any measurements that are obviously off. Make sure you use the same bullet every time also.

That's the best method I have found for measuring the distance to the lands in my rifles. The split case neck gives enough tension to hold the bullet to get an accurate measurement, but not so much that you can't remove the bullet by hand.

 

[CLICKBANGBANG]

Re: Weird max OAL length reading on my gasser

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: hdbiker1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A quick way to recheck would be to chamber a round and then gently unload to check for land marks on the bullet to see if you really are into the lands at all. </div></div>

I like to put an even coat of Sharpie first. Helps to show the length of the land marks.