How STUPID am I??

[killswitharrows]

OK I'm just getting way too excited to reload!

I have everything BUT calipers. What I did was took my brand new Remington brass and just ran the mouths through my resizing die. Then I put a small champher in the mouth of each case.

After all that I made a dummy round with a Hornady 300gr HP-XTP. I seated it at the deepest crimping ring. Finally, I used my LFCD to put a crimp on it. I did this dummy round to see if the COL would be too long. It cycled through the 444P with ease!! I felt no tention when the bolt locked. (That's good right? Only cast bullet should land the ogive of the bullet on the rifling - right? :? )

I did this all without CALIPERS.

WAS THAT STUPID SINCE I COULDN'T MEASURE THE COL? DID I WASTE ALL THAT TIME?

*Is putting a champher on the brass wasting time? The die after all flares the case.

** My youngest (6yrs) loves beeing with me when I skin my catch after checking my traps. It looks like she will be spending a lot of lime in the reloading room as well!!

[big medicine]

To be honest I usually seat the bullet at the canular and call it good. If it feeds through the rifle you are in business. as long as you are consistant and work your loads up for where you have your dies set that is what matters.

[Magnum88C]

Production bullets USUALLY (all of them in my experience, but some may not, so. . .) place the cannelure at the correct point to crimp and maintain proper OAL. Another way is to put a foctory round in the seating die and use it to set the depth.

But "good enough" calipers are available for under $20, I'd get a set ASAP.

I don't know if you can seat too deep by using the cannelure, as long as you aren't toying with near maximum loads your method will work OK.

[killswitharrows]

Calipers are in the mail. I don't expect them till Monday/Tuesday.

[Starrbow]

When getting COL seat the bullet and check in your rifle for cycling and chambering, then when it is correct is the time to crimp and repeat cycle/chamber test.
A champher is not needed with a Lee Fctory Crimp Die (LFCD).

A lot of bullets for the 44mag will not have the crimp groove in the right place for the 444, thats why a LFCD is so important.
.................................................. ......................................Marko

[WyoStillhunter]

You are cleared for take-off.