One of the most important steps in precision reloading is learning how to find the lands in your rifle. The “lands” are the point in your barrel where the rifling begins to engage the bullet—and knowing exactly where that is can have a huge impact on your accuracy.
There are several proven methods shooters use to measure this point:
- Using a Hornady Overall Length Gauge with a modified case
- Stripping the bolt assembly and carefully seating a dummy round until there’s no drag on bolt closure
- Soft seating a bullet in a slit-neck case and letting the chamber push it back for a measurement
Each method has pros and cons, and sometimes results can be misleading. That’s why many shooters prefer a more hands-on approach:
The Cleaning Rod Method
Seat a bullet long, chamber it, and use a cleaning rod from the muzzle end to apply pressure on the bullet’s tip. If you feel resistance, the bullet is contacting the lands. Adjust your seating depth gradually—retesting each time—until there’s no resistance. This simple feel-based method, when paired with properly sized brass and a clean chamber, can provide very reliable results.
This technique takes a little experience to recognize what you’re feeling, but once you’re fully off the lands, the difference is clear—there will be no resistance on the cleaning rod at all.
Pro Tips to Keep in Mind
- Always start seating longer than you think you’ll need, then work shorter in small steps.
- Make sure your brass is sized small enough so that any resistance you feel isn’t coming from the case rubbing against the chamber.
- Your chamber and throat must be completely clean—any carbon or fouling can create false resistance and throw off your measurement.
- Every bullet design will measure differently—so always re-check when switching bullets.
Want to dive deeper into this process? We’ve got a podcast episode coming next week that breaks down this topic in detail. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don’t miss it!