What is the maximum overall length that my 22-250 should be - head to tip of bullet?

What is the name of the tool used to measure the greatest length from the head to the widest point of the bullet - not the tip?

Once i have this guage, how do i determine the correct length for my rifle?

Thanks!

The SAAMI max OAL for the .22-250 is 2.350" per Speer.

To measure from the base of the cartridge to the point where the bullet will engage the rifling, you need a gage like the Sinclair which I believe is called a 'comparator' or something like that. Basically it looks like a big 6-sided nut with different sized holes drilled through each face. You slip it over the bullet using the proper hole and measure from the opposite side of the nut to the base of the cartridge. This number won't represent the OAL of the cartridge, but just an arbitrary number that tells how deep one bullet is seated vs. another.

To establish the max length, seat a bullet just barely started in a case. Don't need to resize the case, just dent on side of the case mouth a little. Use the bolt of the rifle to force the bullet into the case all of the way. When you take it back out of the gun (if the bullet doesn't stick in the bore which sometimes happens) then that's the max length you can load that bullet for your gun.

I always seat 0.020" deeper than that measurement to start with, if the rounds will feed through the magazine at that point. If not sometimes you have to go a little deeper.

You can also get the RCBS "Precision Mic" which works a little differently but does basically the same thing. It has a dummy 'round' of sorts which you use to find the maximum length, rather than use an actual cartridge and bullet.

I have a couple of the Precision Mic tools and they work well. I also used an old nut and drilled a quarter-inch hole in one side to make a crude tool along the lines of the Sinclair for my .25 cal rifles. It actually works pretty good.

I appreciate your information. I set this last set of bullets at 2.392'' and they loaded fine in my gun, however i haven't shot them. If they load does that mean they'll shoot? I'm not planning to shoot them at that length until I find out what the max length is. It just confused me a little when the masx length in the book is the 2.350 you mentioned. I guess I desperately need a headspace gauge and the other one that you mentioned the "comparator". A few of my earlier rounds (1 out of 20) would not load, or the bolt was "tight" when locking. Is this from not enough head space?

The SAAMI max OAL for the .22-250 is 2.350" per Speer.

To measure from the base of the cartridge to the point where the bullet will engage the rifling, you need a gage like the Sinclair which I believe is called a 'comparator' or something like that. Basically it looks like a big 6-sided nut with different sized holes drilled through each face. You slip it over the bullet using the proper hole and measure from the opposite side of the nut to the base of the cartridge. This number won't represent the OAL of the cartridge, but just an arbitrary number that tells how deep one bullet is seated vs. another.

To establish the max length, seat a bullet just barely started in a case. Don't need to resize the case, just dent on side of the case mouth a little. Use the bolt of the rifle to force the bullet into the case all of the way. When you take it back out of the gun (if the bullet doesn't stick in the bore which sometimes happens) then that's the max length you can load that bullet for your gun.

I always seat 0.020" deeper than that measurement to start with, if the rounds will feed through the magazine at that point. If not sometimes you have to go a little deeper.

You can also get the RCBS "Precision Mic" which works a little differently but does basically the same thing. It has a dummy 'round' of sorts which you use to find the maximum length, rather than use an actual cartridge and bullet.

I have a couple of the Precision Mic tools and they work well. I also used an old nut and drilled a quarter-inch hole in one side to make a crude tool along the lines of the Sinclair for my .25 cal rifles. It actually works pretty good.

Hard to diagnose the problem from here. :)

Anyway, look at the bullets. If there are any shiny marks on them from contacting the rifling (look especially at the one that chambered hard), then you need to seat a little deeper.

Don't worry about going over the SAAMI max if the rounds will chamber OK and you have some clearance to the rifling. It's not a big deal and people do it all the time.

Since you don't have the comparator tool yet, try just making up a dummy round extra-long, then use the bolt to seat the bullet. This will give you a good idea of the max possible length for that bullet, in your gun. Then load a bit shorter.

Another advantage of the RCBS tool is that you can use it to set up your sizing die so that the case shoulder is not set back much during resizing. Gets a little more life out of your brass.