Hornady Lock-n-Load OAL guage problem

[Elkslayer1]

I just purchased a Hornady Lock-n-Load Oal guage with a modified case for my 7MM Rem Mag ( Wetherby Vanguard Sub-Moa ). I cannot get a reliable reading! The case seems to set out ( with 168 berger just going into the case at the boattail ) and when it is shoved in hard the 168 berger is in the case right at where the ogive/ caliber hits. Ie: it does not hit anywhere that you could seat the bullet or give you a warm cushy on where the lands actually are.

I also purchased a bullet comparator for my Hornady caliper.

Just to make sure that I was doing everything right, I pulled out my wifes winchester 300 wsm shooting 190 vlds and checked it. Her vld is at .100 off the lands and everything looks fine. Her gun shoots sub 1/2" groups all the time.

So, I resorted back to the split case method with black sharpie marker and came out with this for my 7MM Rem Mag:

Mag box max length: 3.5150
Overall ( base of case to tip of 168 vld): 3.490 touching lands
Length with bullet comparator : 2.790 touching lands

What gives with the wetherby?????

 

[MSLRHunter]

Are you saying that when you push the bullet out of the case to contact the rifling that there is not enough bullet left in the case to reliably seat the bullet? If so, that simply means that you have some of that famous weatherby freebore. In that case I would just seat the bullets out as far as I could and go from there. I have heard of rifles that had excessive freebore and were unable to be loaded to the rifling.

 

[fj40mojo]

I think MSLRHunter is on to something. I've heard (never experienced) that Weatherby's tend to have a generous amount of free bore. I modify my own fire formed cases, run some sand paper on a little mandrel to open up the case mouth to the point that the bullets easily slip in and out of the case. After drilling and tapping the case I use a cleaning rod carefully inserted from the muzzle end to aid in getting a feel for when I'm touching the lands and gently snug the brass set screw down (I'm afraid that if I over tighten the set screw I will dimple the cheap *** plastic rod and skew all future readings), then gently withdraw the entire assembly from the breach. Take multiple measurements and average your results.

Her vld is at .100 off the lands

That's quite a jump!