SmallCaliberCentral

Any suggestions on a concentricity gage?

I have used a Sinclair #09-175 for about 5 years and it has worked good. I did upgrade to a digital indicator about a year ago and find it easier to read.

Steve
Take a look at the new Hornady model. I just picked one up and I like the fact that you can adjust the bullet to minimize the wobble of the bullet.

22 Mag

Steve....I've been using one of Darrell Holland's concentricity gauges now for over ten years, and it has given perfect accurate service. Very accurate, easy to use and read, and will last a lifetime. The price is more than reasonable too.



I find it distressing that a manufacturer would make a concentricity device and add on a "fix it" station. This tells me that they expect you to produce so much faulty ammunition (excissive TIR), that you actually have a 'repair station'. Why not find out what's causing the excessive TIR in the first place and fix it?! It's usually traced to die alignment in the press, and is easy to remedy to achieve minimal or zero TIR.

(For any newbies among us, "TIR" is machine shop speak for "Total Indicated Runout", or "wobble" from the centerline.)

Rick in Oregon

Just so you know most of the bullets I handload on my Redding dies come out to be less than +/- 0.0015 on either of my concentricity gauges. Even with the cheaper reloading dies I use for my hunting rounds; RCBS, LEE, the runout is less than 0.005 and most of the time less than 0.003. It is nice to be able to "touch up" the ones out above 0.003 and bring them into line. I like them at 0.002 or under.

22 Mag

22 Mag wrote:It is nice to be able to "touch up" the ones out above 0.003 and bring them into line. I like them at 0.002 or under.

Me too, and I'll admit that it would be nice to be able to 'touch-up' hunting rounds loaded on my old standard RCBS dies for the larger hunting calibers. Sounds like a project in the wings to me. Thanks, good point.

I have read some writers say tweaking the poor runout cases is a good thing, to me it is the opposite. They make for good fouler rounds....


Curious if anyone has tested the theory, go ahead and shoot the .003+ runout ammo for group, and also shoot some that you fixed with the tweak tool... same day, same conditions, maybe even at the same time, alternate between ammo / targets. I suspect the answer is, you won't see a difference on a hunting gun, hunting rest, etc. Maybe a bench gun decked out would see a pattern .....


My standard is, continue to fine tune load tecnique until you determine the cause of poor runout, and try and stop it, vs fix it after finished reloading.... Just saying.... I have been known to partially seat a bullet, rotate case and keep dinking until I resolve the issue... or go nuts trying...lol


BTW, I made a 4 ball system, similar to the red one above. Well worth purchasing one if you like to play.


Allen