? on cartridge headspace gauges.

[rms2005]

Hey all, I have been reading here for some time and found pretty much and answer here that i would need but i am clueless here, I have a new 25-06 and want a cartridge headspace gauge to set up my dies right, well looking at lyman they only make 5 different ones so this tells me there has to be some interchange. Will the 30-06 gauge work for the 25-06?
This is the one I am looking at.
Lyman Case Length Headspace Gage 30-06 Springfield - MidwayUSA

I have not measured anything yet casue the weather here is crappy but I loaded some the other day and shot them yesterday using published min loads and the primers on the 2 I shot were trying to flaten out already is the main reason I want this. I double checked the charges in the other loads and they were infact 46gr as published.
thanks in advance.

 

[britz]

With a headspace guage like this your basically measuring the distance from the taper on the shoulder/neck to the base of the cartridge. I believe it is referred to as the datumn line. I believe the 30-06 will work just fine for the 25-06 or any of the 06 family of cartridges. Now, if you take your measurements and information and try to duplicate them w/ a different headspace guage, it won't work. You keep track of your data w/ the specific guage you used to come up w/ the data.

What I do is take a few fired cartridges that I feel the bolt lift a little hard on and measure those cases. When I set up my sizing die I will set them to resize the cases a couple thou shorter than what causes a sticky bolt. The idea is to simply push the shoulders of the case back a couple thousandths to ensure proper chambering. No need to push shoulders back much farther than that since it will only cause the case to stretch more than needed and it doesn't help accuracy any either.

Hope this helps.
Mark.

also, just reread the last part of your question... Some rifles simply won't handle much over the minimum charge. Seating on the lands will also increase pressure. Certain primers brands will flatten a little easier than others too. But when primers flatten the charge is plenty heavy. I really don't know if a small amount of excessive headspace will cause excessive pressure. I'd look to trying a different powder. Also, depending on what brand powder your using you may want to look at hodgdon's site since they do publish the pressures that their test rifles had w/ the load published. Every rifle behaves a little differently depending on how the chamber was cut and so on but it is a guide.

Have you looked at multiple load manuals for your charge inforation? I have found one manual might list the starting load the same as another manual will list the max!

 

[rms2005]

ok, yes the load I have found published in 2 manuals and it is within a 10th or two from other bullets in the same weight. It is a new gun and I was gonna try and work up the load for it for accuracy so I was seating to the recomended in 2 manuals on the two rounds I fired.they are not completely flattened but dont look right. I thought maybe I had the die mis adjusted a lil bit since the load is good with new rem brass.
the load was rem brass, winchester primers,46 grains of reloader 19 pushing a 115gr nosler B-tip.
U know, now that I look at them away from the range, they really dont look all that bad.

 

[J E Custom]

ok, yes the load I have found published in 2 manuals and it is within a 10th or two from other bullets in the same weight. It is a new gun and I was gonna try and work up the load for it for accuracy so I was seating to the recomended in 2 manuals on the two rounds I fired.they are not completely flattened but dont look right. I thought maybe I had the die mis adjusted a lil bit since the load is good with new rem brass.
the load was rem brass, winchester primers,46 grains of reloader 19 pushing a 115gr nosler B-tip.
U know, now that I look at them away from the range, they really dont look all that bad.

Those two cases look fine (No pressure) and you can load up at .02 grains at a time and
when the primers start to flatten or bolt lift is harder than normal STOP !! and back of 1/2
grain.

Also the 3006 headspace gauge will work unless your 2506 is a wildcat/ AI.

If you want to check with Manson precision reamers or PTG they will confirm the head space
gauge issue.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Mikecr]

Doesn't look like bad flatening to me. Nor wiping of the case head..
As far as HS measuring, it is relative to your gun/chamber. So just measure it yourself with calipers and any gizzy that works. Keep records and gizzy with cartridge for the life of the barrel.
You can use a piece of brakeline or something else indicating off the shoulder for a gizzy. Or you can forget a gizzy alltogether and use Redding's competition shellholder set for adjustment.

Anyway..
Measure a snug bolt turn case, adjust body die to bump it 1/2thou, rechamber with a sense for improved bolt turn. Repeat. Don't go more than 2thou.
If needed, remove the firing pin for better testing.

 

[rms2005]

thanks for the replies, like I said I guess after looking at them again they dont look to bad. I am just a nervous newbie to metalic reloading. even though I follow everything precisely and double check everthing I still get nervous.Oh well, better safe than sorry.

 

[britz]

thanks for the replies, like I said I guess after looking at them again they dont look to bad. I am just a nervous newbie to metalic reloading. even though I follow everything precisely and double check everthing I still get nervous.Oh well, better safe than sorry.

absolutely! always better to ask a question than to get hurt.

 

[rms2005]

figured I would share my findings today, bought some 100 gr noslers and a hornady case headspace gauge I figured I would look for the oal for this rifle with the 100 and 115gr b-tips. So, measuring with a fired case and a painted bullet and chambering it and measuring as well as using a cleaning rod through the muzzle and marking it with and without a bullet I found that 3.208 was on the lands, and I was goin by the book when I loaded those the other day at an oal of 3.250. dunno if that is enough to raise the pressure substantially or not, guess I shoulda measured the oal for the rifle to begin with.