Using own brass for Hornady lock n load

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

i dont really see a point with these tools ..following erosion maybe .. once you have a full head spaced shouldered peice of brass that is sized to match your chamber. make a dummy with it and keep seating deeper till you bolt closes like ya did to find the max 0 bumped crush fit shoulder

ydanroh tricks

It's not meant for chasing the Lands. This tool properly used is for getting your seating depth and working up you load on a new rifle. After that you don't use it again unless you want to see how much it has eroded. You can measure and know exactly where the bullet is in relationship to lands/groves. After much shooting the distance with the bullet to L/G will increase due to erosion and there is no need to chase that.
The method you are mentioning has been used for as long as I can remember and before any type of measuring tools were made. It's a tried and trued method, but you have to know what you are doing. The issue with this method is that if you don't know what you are doing you could be jamming bullets too far into the lands and then cause overpressure.
Thanks

 

[Tulsa Reiner]

What company (s) will tap your brass for use with the Hornady lock and load gauge?
I've found Copper Creek does but I know I found others in the past. Now I can't find them via google. Any reviews are appreciated.
Thanks

Go to Hornady's website. They have detailed instructions for sending in two pieces of your fired brass, and they'll do it for $15, which includes return shipping. I had mine back in 10 days from the day I mailed it. Excellent service.

 

[parshal]

If anyone in the Denver area wants this done I'll do it for free as well. I'm in Parker.

 

[Scythe]

This is not a Hi Jack, I think the question applies to OPs needs and anyone else reading OPs thread.

Go to Hornady's website. They have detailed instructions for sending in two pieces of your fired brass, and they'll do it for $15, which includes return shipping. I had mine back in 10 days from the day I mailed it. Excellent service.

I looked at the link when Mike21 posted it, now two of you have so I'm going ask why does Hornady make the comment below?

not deprimed or resized

I was searching for a source also. I have 3 calibers, 7SAUM, 338SS and 6.5CM, I was going to email Unknown Munitions about the possibility of getting it done and I have reached out to Vaughn Precision from YT because he mentioned doing it in an old YT video.

 

[skipglo]

What company (s) will tap your brass for use with the Hornady lock and load gauge?
I've found Copper Creek does but I know I found others in the past. Now I can't find them via google. Any reviews are appreciated.
Thanks

You only need one tap...it's extremely easy to do. Have you used a stuck case puller! Same principle. Drill a hole in the primer pocket...run in the tap and you are done!

 

[skipglo]

it's a letter size drill bit , "L" . the tap is a 5/16 - 36 . it's a very easy job .

The hardest thing to do here on this site is read all the posts before commenting...I really need to try......WELL DONE!

 

[arch408]

I'm old school, so I don't really see a need for that "tool". I have a friend who is some what of a perfectionist, and he modified his cases on a collet lathe. I don't see why it couldn't be done with a drill or drill press. The bit should follow the original hole. Be as it my, I simply take a fired case from my rifle and squeeze the neck slightly with a pair of pliers so it will hold the bullet. Insert the bullet into neck only far enough so that it will stay. Chamber the case and close the bolt the bullet will be pushed into the case and that will be the maximum C.O.A.L. with that particular bullet. Carefully measure so as to not change the bullet seating. and record that length. Now you can change your seating depth precisely and find the C.O.A.L. that gives you the best accuracy. Nowmake a

 

[arch408]

I'm old school, so I don't really see a need for that "tool". I have a friend who is some what of a perfectionist, and he modified his cases on a collet lathe. I don't see why it couldn't be done with a drill or drill press. The bit should follow the original hole. Be as it my, I simply take a fired case from my rifle and squeeze the neck slightly with a pair of pliers so it will hold the bullet. Insert the bullet into neck only far enough so that it will stay. Chamber the case and close the bolt the bullet will be pushed into the case and that will be the maximum C.O.A.L. with that particular bullet. Carefully measure so as to not change the bullet seating. and record that length. Now you can change your seating depth precisely and find the C.O.A.L. that gives you the best accuracy. Make a dummy round with the Maximum C.O.A.L. and save it. Keep in mind that not all bullet ogives are the same, so when you change bullets, you might have find the maximum for those bullets.

 

[waspocrew]

I'm old school, so I don't really see a need for that "tool". I have a friend who is some what of a perfectionist, and he modified his cases on a collet lathe. I don't see why it couldn't be done with a drill or drill press. The bit should follow the original hole. Be as it my, I simply take a fired case from my rifle and squeeze the neck slightly with a pair of pliers so it will hold the bullet. Insert the bullet into neck only far enough so that it will stay. Chamber the case and close the bolt the bullet will be pushed into the case and that will be the maximum C.O.A.L. with that particular bullet. Carefully measure so as to not change the bullet seating. and record that length. Now you can change your seating depth precisely and find the C.O.A.L. that gives you the best accuracy. Nowmake a

Plenty of ways to skin a cat - I've tried this method but felt that when jamming the bullets into the rifling, you run the risk of them pulling out of the case when extracting.

I've also seen another method, which has been posted by Alex Wheeler (if I recall correctly). It takes more time, but seems very repeatable. I've yet to try, but will likely do so in the future.

The Hornady tool is fairly simple as well, but even slight variance in pressure might influence your measurements. You definitely go off of "feel".

To the OP, I've made my own cases with the drill bit and tap listed previously. I practiced on some "odds n' ends" brass I had laying around and then made the actual case gauges for my 6.5 Sherman and 22-250 AI. Seemed to work out just fine.

 

[Rosebud]

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What company (s) will tap your brass for use with the Hornady lock and load gauge?
I've found Copper Creek does but I know I found others in the past. Now I can't find them via google. Any reviews are appreciated.
Thanks

anyone know the thread size for the tap , I've tried5\16 x32 . which doesn't work.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

It's a 5/16 X 36. You probably won't find at big box stores or even hardware. Amazon has them. I put a post out several months ago with a link.

 

[Don Titus]

What company (s) will tap your brass for use with the Hornady lock and load gauge?
I've found Copper Creek does but I know I found others in the past. Now I can't find them via google. Any reviews are appreciated.
Thanks

Hornady will do it for $15; takes about 2 weeks for the turnaround I had them tap and thread a Petersen case for my WM.

 

[Rosebud]

It's a 5/16 X 36. You probably won't find at big box stores or even hardware. Amazon has them. I put a post out several months ago with a link.

Thanks, I'll look into it.

 

[Rosebud]

We cut out a chunk of old bicycle tire to wrap around the case to protect it in a vice, knock out the old primer with a punch and drill out the case on a drill press. Easy as can be. I just missed the thread pattern. Hornadys rod would only thread on about a 1\16 inch. Now that I know the tap pattern I can make all I need.