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Hornady Comparator

2K views 13 replies 9 participants last post by  jwdurf 
#1 ·
#3 ·
I've had one of the Bullet Comparators since it was made by Stoney Point and have yet to find a really good use for it. If your using it to determine how long to load your ammo, the Modified Case OAL Gauge and a Sinclair Nut works much better to determine how close to the lands to seat your bullets.
 
#4 ·
#5 ·
Now I remember a good use for the Bullet Comparator. Use the 6MM insert to check and sort your .22 rim fire ammunition for rim thickness. Rim fires supposed to improve their accuracy if they are segregated by rim thickness. Precision Shooting had a few small articles about doing this and it according to the article, resulted in an improvement in accuracy, especially for the BR 50 bunch.
 
#7 ·
I've had one of the Bullet Comparators since it was made by Stoney Point and have yet to find a really good use for it. If your using it to determine how long to load your ammo, the Modified Case OAL Gauge and a Sinclair Nut works much better to determine how close to the lands to seat your bullets.
I need to retract my initial comments about the Bullet Comparator. Tonight I was loading some ammo for my 6.5x55 and discovered the Sinclair nut doesn't have a hole for the .26 caliber. So i dug out the Stoney Point Bullet Comparator, and set it up on a pair of dial calipers to check my distance to the leade on the barrel. I think it may be easier or at least as easy to get the same results as the Sinclair nut.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I have both but use the Headspace Comparator the most. I measure a factory loaded round and then refer to that data when sizing and bumping the shoulder back a few thousandths for my bolt gun ammo. For my semi's, I again measure a factory round and bump the shoulder back to the factory measurement. The Bullet Comparator is good for seating bullets to the same length based on the ogive rather that the bullet tip as that can vary. I also bought the anvil as it makes the measurements much more accurate. The base for both is the same, so I just bought the inserts for the Bullet Comparator for my calibers.
 
#10 ·
I have both but use the Headspace Comparator the most.

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I also bought the anvil as it makes the measurements much more accurate. The base for both is the same, so I just bought the inserts for the Bullet Comparator for my calibers.
Exact same situation. Headspace comparator is great, and I use the anvil base as well.
 
#11 · (Edited)
I have never used one of these tools and cannot imagine one reason for their being other than the maker making money on it. If your talking about distance to the lands I think your being overly critical. We are talking thousand's of an inch! If you want to be .004 off but end up .005 off, what will happen? And let's say it does work, how far in do you turn the seating die to get .001"? I know guy's that swear up and down that .001" can make a huge difference. Never talked to anyone the could get me to believe that. In a bench rest rifle maybe but, there's a lot to be done with the gun before you get anywhere near that point. I get the bullet set back just off the lands and easy to do without that tool.

I don't know if this is the same thing or not, it doesn't run on a caliper. I have an RCBS Precision Mic for 25-06. Friend got it for me years ago. Haven't found one good use for it, not even sure I'm using it right. It is suppose tomake you able to set your FL sized die for the correct headspace. Claims you need to set the sizer die per maker's instructions, duh! I don't set dies like that, haven't in years!

It says find the best bullet seating depth for your rifle. Other than beinb just off the lands I have never bought into that jump being all that critical. Admittedly I have never loaded a bullet other than just off the lands. I sure don't need a measuring device to do that.

I have pretty much always been able to get my rifle's to shoot even better than I really needed. I don't care for a rifle that won't go one inch or less every time. All of my rifles will do that except my 6.5x06, 25x06,and 243. They all better it by a good deal. Why do I need to know all these measurement's? When I get my seating die dialed in, easy to do, I lock it in place and that die is deticated to that rifle. Same with the FL die!

It's more important to have the dies set to the rifle you ate loading for than to know all those number's! Near as I can tell, this tool might measure the distance from the bolt face to the lands but when your done, you don't have a distance to the land but rather into the lands, the bullet will be touching!
 
#14 ·
Everyone to their own form of insanity as my Dad said.

We all reload for our own purposes and reasons. I enjoy taking methodical steps and precision measurements as I reload, it's part of why I enjoy reloading as a hobby. I like being able to precisely measure, understand and repeat results. That said, I use my Hornaday comparator all the time, it's consistent and accurate.
 
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