Using COAL guage with tight neck

[bkondeff]

Bought a rifle that is apparently a tight necked chamber. Problem is, when I go to use my Hornady COAL guage with their modified case, the neck is too wide to fit. Other's must deal with this.

Do you neck turn the case down? I don't have a neck turner and went to all the retail outlets in Boise and no one else does either.

I have tried and do not like most of the other approaches that are the altenative to using the Hornady cases.

Unfortunately I also do not have any form of Bushing dies that might work either.

Any other ideas.

 

[BountyHunter]

Most tight necked guns are marked on the side of the barrel what the neck is IF they are really tight necked.

Before you jump to that conclusion, will a loaded factory round fit in the chamber?

If yes, then not tight neck and you have a problem with the modified case not fitting your chamber which would not be unusual.

If the loaded round will not then you have issues to try and determine what the neck diameter actually is. Your smith can do a cerrosafe cast as long as they follow the instructions exactly.

What caliber are you talking about anyway.

If you know the neck, then you can have someone else turn on case, use a dremel to cut a slot down the neck and then just seat a bullet long. Take the firing pin out of the bolt and just slowly chamber the bullet and pull out slowly. Measure the marks on the bullet. Chances are they will be from .030 to .050 and go from there. You can use a candle to soot the bullet or use a black magic marker to make the marks easier to see.

If you have a magazine gun, your COAL is limited by your mag so start and max mag length and go backwards.

 

[bkondeff]

Got it. Tighter than comparator case, but not "tight necked". Still same problem. Really want to get this case to work. I may have to send one of mine to be tapped, but I really don't have the time.

So far I've simply seated SAAMI to be careful and still have some great groups including .5 moa TSX, but want to tighten em up, ideally the bergers.

 

[dok7mm]

Please take the time. A case fired in your chamber will give you a more accurate measure with your OAL gauge. It's a weird tap size and I gave mine to a local smith. Also, you can measure your fired case neck and add .001" to get a close idea of true chamber neck diameter. If it's tighter than SAMMI spec for caliber, you need to know and if it's within specs --- call Hornady for a replacement.

 

[bkondeff]

Got it figured out. Used a fine file to take .001" off outside and cleaned that up with steel wool. Found out I was seating bullets .020" into lands on Bergers. I'll back them off and try the Berger recommendations and see if my horizontal spread shrinks.