A typical example of this is center punching neck plate holes.  A while ago I found an interesting set of “Expanding Transfer Punches” that work very well for this type of job.

The punches have sliding center punch inside an adjustable guide which sits flush against the work until the point is driven with a tap from a hammer. Here I am using the center punch to mark drilling holes for a neck plate.

The set I have were sold under the brand name “Ralmikes” which was a dealer that rebranded tools from other manufacturers. If you are lucky you may find a set on Ebay but they are available new from several manufacturers.

You can get a set from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/influencer-ceefa7bf/list/3D70HH9OVQILU?ref_=aipsflist_aipsfinfluencer-ceefa7bf