peterk123
NES Member
I use an LE Wilson for my 308. Is the Hornady gauge/comparator set as good or should I stick with Wilson? I would need a couple of them, which is why I'm asking about Hornady.
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Sizing/shoulder gauge question
- Thread starter peterk123
- Start date
Hornady makes nice stuff, I have had no issues with their products. Well, except some of their dies get surface rust very easily. But, doesn't affect their performance, just an eye sore.
The Hornady set is universal, and you can cheaply add the set of bullet comparators too.
The nice thing about the Hornady (also the RCBS Precision Mic) is that you're making a measurement, so if you ever have to make ammo for a weird chamber, you can do it.
I'll give you an example:
I have two rifles chambered in 7mm Remington Magnum - a Savage 111 Hunter and a T/C Contender. The shoulder on the fired brass from the Savage is a full 0.020" longer than the cases that come out of the Contender (which is closer to factory ammo). If I used a gage, I'd be loading everything short enough to fit the Contender, and unecessarily stretching the crap out of my cases in the Savage. Instead, I can use the Hornady head space comparator to measure the Savage brass and set the sizing die to only push the shoulder back 0.002" to 0.003". Those rounds will be too long for the T/C, but they won't stretch in the Savage.
The nice thing about the Hornady (also the RCBS Precision Mic) is that you're making a measurement, so if you ever have to make ammo for a weird chamber, you can do it.
I'll give you an example:
I have two rifles chambered in 7mm Remington Magnum - a Savage 111 Hunter and a T/C Contender. The shoulder on the fired brass from the Savage is a full 0.020" longer than the cases that come out of the Contender (which is closer to factory ammo). If I used a gage, I'd be loading everything short enough to fit the Contender, and unecessarily stretching the crap out of my cases in the Savage. Instead, I can use the Hornady head space comparator to measure the Savage brass and set the sizing die to only push the shoulder back 0.002" to 0.003". Those rounds will be too long for the T/C, but they won't stretch in the Savage.
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peterk123
NES Member
I ordered the hornady headspace comparator. Read up on it and understand how it works. It's slick, and honestly I never thought about not needing to stretch brass more than you have to. But it makes a lot of sense now. They also have gauges to measure from the ogive. Is it worth getting as well? I think I'm going to be somewhat limited to what my magazine will accept, so not sure if it will help me. I guess it would provide more accurate overall length measurements?
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You only need an ogive comparator if you plan to track/ measure your seating depth based on engagement in the rifling, if that’s not your plan, you don’t need it.