Best headspace gauge

[tacsniper0888]

Hey guys I'm in the process of buying a set of headspace gauges for head spacing my .338 win mag project. I'm new to the long range and custom rifle realm. I'm going to purchase a go, no-go, and a field gauge. What do you guys recommend from personal experience to be the best, most accurate and easy to use on the market? I want to buy all from the same manufacturer as I have been warned against mixing manufacturers due to what is referred to as tolerance stacking. The bolt I'm using in my Remington 700 is the one piece bolt body from PT&G. Should I use their gauges? I'm also going to use the go gauge to set up my full length resizing die to keep from overworking my brass. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.

 

[rifle 57]

Hey guys I'm in the process of buying a set of headspace gauges for head spacing my .338 win mag project. I'm new to the long range and custom rifle realm. I'm going to purchase a go, no-go, and a field gauge. What do you guys recommend from personal experience to be the best, most accurate and easy to use on the market? I want to buy all from the same manufacturer as I have been warned against mixing manufacturers due to what is referred to as tolerance stacking. The bolt I'm using in my Remington 700 is the one piece bolt body from PT&G. Should I use their gauges? I'm also going to use the go gauge to set up my full length resizing die to keep from overworking my brass. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.

tac sniper
Is this rifle a factory rifle with a factory chamber that you are going to use the PTG bolt on? Or is it a rifle that you are going to re barrel and then install a new bolt at the same time? Either way the bolt will have to be head spaced properly. If a gunsmith is doing the work for you I would use the same brand of gauges that he used. Any of the reamer makers gauges will work fine. If I were you I would get a neck sizer only die to size your fired brass with.

 

[rifle 57]

tac sniper
Is this rifle a factory rifle with a factory chamber that you are going to use the PTG bolt on? Or is it a rifle that you are going to re barrel and then install a new bolt at the same time? Either way the bolt will have to be head spaced properly. If a gunsmith is doing the work for you I would use the same brand of gauges that he used. Any of the reamer makers gauges will work fine. If I were you I would get a neck sizer only die to size your fired brass with.

Well I just now saw your earlier post on this project and that you are doing the work yourself. If the bolt has to much head space the barrel will need to be set back any way, and I am shure you already know that. Unless you have a lathe you might just as well send it to a gunsmith and get it done corectly.

 

[rscott5028]

They're all pretty well of equal quality and ease of use. PTG is plenty good.

Wildcats would be more of an issue than standard calibers as to who to use and I think someone pointed out that using the HS gauge from the same reamer mfg that you used for chambering might help. But, it still shouldn't be too much of an issue.

A field gauge is not normally required for a simple rebarrel.

Remove your ejector/extractor from the bolt head. Bolt should close with slight feel on the go-gauge. No-go should not close.

Using the go-guage to set up your dies will not necessarily minimize overworking your brass.

A better method regarding die setup is to use a tool such as the Hornady headspace adapters that mount on a set of calipers. ...or, the RCBS case mic. With these tools, you measure the distance from case head to the datum line on the shoulder of your fired brass, and then measure after sizing to ensure you are only bumping the shoulders back .001-.002".

-- richard

 

[J E Custom]

I also recomend using the same headspace gauge manufacture as the chamber reamer.

It may not be an issue but it works for me. I use all of the reamer manufactures and order
the headspace gauge at the same time (A go gauge is all that's nessary for a new build)
The no go gauge and the field are nessary sometimes for checking a used rifle to see if it is
safe to shoot or for setting up a gas gun head space by swapping bolts.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Hired Gun]

Most of the headspace gauges are pretty close but there is only one best. They are made at JGS. They also cost the most but they are the only one to pass military test standards. I try to use them whenever I can no matter who made the reamer. It also helps that they give me hand delivery and on site support when needed.

 

[rlwilson]

Not to horn in but this is a question I have concerning Head space gauge, I orded a 30-06 AI gauge from PTG and this is what they said should work for a 6.5-06 AI build, also had them build reamer, got the reamer in a month and it took 4 months to get gauge and when it gets here it appears to be standard 30-06, will an AI gauge go in a standard chamber? this one will and it looks like a 17 deg shoulder not the 40 deg, I have layed it out on a drawing and it sure looks like a standard match, Thanks for any help.

 

[Hired Gun]

The AI version is .004" shorter than the standard version. Yes, it will fit in a standard chamber with room to spare. On the gauge it should say somewhere "-.004"

 

[rlwilson]

Thanks I will look , it still looks like a 17 degree shoulder?

 

[J E Custom]

Thanks I will look , it still looks like a 17 degree shoulder?

Most, if not all AIs use the parent Head space gauges. They headspace on the shoulder neck
junction and will have the parent shoulder angle.

This is so that you can safely fire form brass in the new AI chamber.

The only one that is different is the 280AI by Nosler (There was no SAMMI standard, and they
created there own different in order to sell there ammo) the older 280AIs were the same as the parent case.

In fact it is best to use the parent case head space gauge.

J E CUSTOM

 

[rlwilson]

Thanks for the info been great help.

 

[Hired Gun]

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