Reloading hicup

[Jdd2035]

Ok, I've started to reload my own ammo and it's been interesting. I've gotten to where I'm not crushing the brass and or flattening the shoulder. Now like one or two out of twenty bullets loaded fall into the brass. I'm following the directions in the books and paper work in the dye's but the bullet is loose enough in the neck to fall in. What is happening?

IF you want to know what I'm reloading is a 30-06 Springfield with 165 Grain Hornady ballistic tips.

 

[JimP]

Sounds like the sizing die isn't adjusted properly.

That is unless the bullets are undersized. Do you have a micrometer to measure the bullets?

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

What kind of dies do you have? Jim is right, sounds like an adjustment problem to me.

 

[Jdd2035]

I'm using RCBS dye's and my micrometer is showing the proper .308 in size.

 

[JimP]

I have to admit that after reloading thousands or rounds I have never ran into that type of problem.

The sizing die will slightly under size the neck of the case and then when you pull the case out of the die the expander ball will size it just under the desired diameter to hold the bullet. But just happening with one or two bullets is very strange.

You might want to contact RCBS customer service and see what they have to say. They might want you to send a sized case to them so that they can check it out.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I'm using RCBS dye's and my micrometer is showing the proper .308 in size.

What are you measuring? I feel the same as Jim, never ran into this type of problem with a rifle die set. Straight rifle and pistol cases, yes I have seen this problem. But this is with a 3 die set and one die puts a bellmouth expanded case mouth that is usually crimped into a grove in the bullet.

Strange indeed.

 

[Jdd2035]

I really think it's operator error. I think I'm not turning the sizing dye down enough when I'm pushing out the spent primers.

 

[JimP]

You want to at least fully size the neck of the case just to hold the bullets.

A easy way to tell how much is being sized is to take a lighted candle and smoke the neck of the case and then run it through the sizing die. You should be able to tell how far into the die that the case is going and can stop before it reaches the shoulder of the case.

Neck sizing is usually fine for target shooting but for a hunting round I at least bump the shoulder back a little and then chamber each and every round that I plan on taking hunting so that I don't end up with a round that will not load when that buck or bull of a lifetime walks out of the woods.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I was thinking about this last night and have a question... Bullets. What kind, were they new when you got them (box sealed), etc. I would measure the diameter of the bullets that seem to be too small. I know a guy who tried to load .303 British in a 30-06 and had similar problems as they are a tad smaller.

Just a thought................

 

[Tim McCoy]

I know a guy who tried to load .303 British in a 30-06 and had similar problems as they are a tad smaller.

Interesting, I'd have thought the larger diameter bullet the .303 Brit takes would have been a tight fit, if at all. He must have had things way out of whack.

 

[Jdd2035]

Thanks guys I think I got it figured out. I appreciate all of the advice.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Tell us what you did to solve the problem.

 

[bdan68]

Interesting, I'd have thought the larger diameter bullet the .303 Brit takes would have been a tight fit, if at all. He must have had things way out of whack.

But the 30/06 uses .308 caliber bullets.

 

[Jdd2035]

Tell us what you did to solve the problem.

I found out that some of my brass was just a few thousandths of an inch longer than other and that was messing with my neck resizing. Once I got every thing shaved down every thing is fitting quite nicely.

 

[Tim McCoy]

But the 30/06 uses .308 caliber bullets.

Why yes it does indeed, and the .303 Brit usually uses .312 bullets. The .303 Brit is a .303 measurement to the lands, not to the grooves. That labeling was used on cartridges in some cases, usually in Eurpoe. Ergo my confusion as to how bad things would have to be out of whack for so called 303 Brit bullets to not be tight in a 30-06 case, it should be the opposite. They ought to be tight, if true 303 bullets were used, at least as I understand SAAMI specs. Look it up, as in all things, I could be wrong, but doubt it in this case.

Cartridges and calibers, with their associated names can be funny things... Why does the 404 Jeffery use a .423 diameter bullet? There are more, like the 303 British, using a bullet diameter bigger than it's name, or say in pistols, the 38 Special, using a bullet diameter smaller than it's name seems to suggest.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

Being new to reloading can be daunting.

1) Consider getting a Hornady Lock-N-Load Headspace Kit. Measure several fired cases to get an average length to the datum line (mid shoulder). Follow directions for the resizing die in reference to how far you thread down the die. Goal is to bump the shoulder 0.001-0.002 thousands (for hunting rounds) which will also ensure the case neck is being pushed into the die enough to correctly resize the neck.

2) Measure the case neck with several loaded dummy rounds (no powder) using unfired brass or resized brass. After you resize the brass I would expect the neck to measure 0.001-0.002 smaller which should provide appropriate neck tension when seating the bullet. Consider bad die or a bad batch of bullets both of which I think would be unlikely.

I use Redding Competition Bushing Dies so I'll let the RCBS guys chime in. Either way the neck should be just a little smaller after resizing. If you don't have a mentor to help you in person I would definitely call RCBS if you still have issues.

 

[JimP]

You really don't need to go to the expense of new equipment or special dies.

A properly adjusted sizing die will do just fine, but I don't think that you whole problem is solved by just trimming the cases. Even a over length case will be sized completely and even if you are just neck sizing the neck will be sized completely if adjusted properly.

Now if you are running it head spacing issues then other things need to be addressed.

 

[Jdd2035]

Thank you all for so much advice! I appreciate every bit of it.