Rifle reloading questions

[jerm8352]

Hey, i have a couple of rifle reloading questions.

I recently reloaded a batch of 30-06 cartridges. I have reloaded this caliber and bullet combo before with no problems before. However, this time some of the cartridges would not chamber. If I tried to chamber them, took them out then really jammed the bolt in they would chamber. I have not had this problem before and all the brass had onky been shit with factory loads in the same rifle. What is going on here?


My other question is about neck sizing as opposed to full length sizing. Is it worth the extra money to get neck sizer dies or do you just adjust the full length dies? Also, how do you adjust the full length dies to only neck size?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

You don't really say how you loaded them.

My own personal procedures is to keep my brass segregated into lots and in separate containers. I used large plastic, open mouth jugs that are about 1 gallon size. I label them MY BRASS & UNSIZED BRASS and if I have multiple rifles of the same caliber, l also add which rifle the brass is for. I keep all brass that I have shot in a particular rifle in it's own set of containers.

The MY BRASS container has only brass that has been shot in that rifle. The UNSIZED container has brass from another rifle or unknown source.

Procedure with MY BRASS- It will be neck sized only for the life of the brass as long as it is used in the same rifle all the time.
Procedure with UNSIZED BRASS-It will be full length sized before it is shot in any rifle. Once it is reloaded and shot in a particular rifle , it goes in the MY BRASS container for THE particular rifle that it was shot in.

As far as dies go, I use a neck sizer 99% of the time. The full length dies is used only once, just prior to the brass being loaded for a rifle for the first time. After it is "fire formed" for a particular rifle, it is always neck sized only from then on. Once a die has been adjusted and the lock ring set, I never change the adjustment as long as I have no reason too.

The other thing I do (as a double check) is to chamber every round I have reloaded in the rifle I have reloaded it for. This ensures you won't have a problem in the field when hunting. I also store reloaded ammo in plastic boxes that are labeled with the load data, rifle it is to be used in and date loaded. Once you get into a habit of doing your own procedure, it is pretty easy.

Another thing...if you really want to get into reloading technicalities, lots of shooters/reloaders I know, separate their brass by manufacturer and set up a method to keep track of how many times a piece of brass has been reloaded. Depending on your loads, brass can have a limited life.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Also, how do you adjust the full length dies to only neck size?

Thanks in advance!

Didn't answer this question...sorry. I don't! Dies are cheap and I used separate sizing dies.

 

[Musket Man]

Good advice CC!

You need to figure out where they are to tight and why they wont or are hard to chamber. Have you checked case detentions, case length, combined over all length, ect. Are you using the same bullets you used before? My first guess would be your bullets are seated out to far or the case is to long.

 

[jerm8352]

Sorry about leaving out info. The cartridges are all the same brand and all have only been shot in my rifle. I shot them once, full length resized them. (Probably shouldnt have done that but I am a newbie) trimmed them all to a uniform length and then primed, charged and seated a bullet. I used all the same components but some chamber easily and some do not. How do I find out what the problem is?

Thank you for all the help.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

MM is correct. If you have a set of calipers, measure OAL of the bad rounds. Also check diameter at the base, length of neck. Cases are made of brass and under pressure tend to grow in length under pressure. the only place the "displaced" brass has to go is the neck...which gets longer and can make the bolt hard to close on it. About every 5 loadings or so, I check oal and trip if needed.

You can also have a problem if the bullet is not seated deep enough. I keep a "master" I use to check the seating die adjustment once in awhile. That's why it is important to chamber each round prior to using it for hunting. You sure don't want one not to chamber correctly went you need it to.

 

[Musket Man]

Check the case and bullet of 1 that wont chamber for marks where it is tight in the chamber. You can also mark on the bullet and case with a sharpie to see where its tight easier.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

My guess is that if the brass has only been shot one time and they were factory loads that the problem is your overall length. Check all your brass and bullets for marks as already suggested, but I'd bet it's a length problem and you'll see marks up near the tip of the bullet where you were probably jamming the tips into the lands with that excess bolt pressure you said it took to close the bolt. That should never be done as it's either a sign of a case that needs more reworking, or an overall length problem. The latter can be corrected by just turning your seating die down a little bit and running the batch back through to seat the bullets a little deeper into the brass. I do basicly the exact same procedures as CC mentioned, but I only use one manufacturer's brass and have one set of Forster dies that I use for both full length and neck sizing. To do neck sizing only I just back off the die about the thickness of a nickel from the full size depth setting. Eventually if you shoot a brass casing enough with only neck sizing you'll need to do a full length resizing and that will vary with how close to max you're loading them. Also, you really shouldn't have needed to do any trimming after they were only shot that one time, as usually brass will stay within trim specs for at least a few firings before trimming is necessary.

 

[WapitiBob]

Sounds like the ogive of the bullet is hitting the rifling (bullet seated long), or the shoulder isn't getting bumped back quite enough. You can smoke the shoulder of the brass with a candle flame then chamber the EMPTY brass. Use the smoke to set your die length also. You want to just touch the smoke for a cpl thou bump. Sinclair comparator body with shoulder and ogive inserts will be your friend for knowing where you are and maintaining those specs.

You can use a full length die to neck size only or use it to bump the shoulder and neck size by getting a die for a different cartridge that has body clearance but the same caliber and shoulder angle, provided it's made. I use a 7mm Rem Mag to bump and neck size for 7STW.
The problem with full length sizing fired brass is the die, when set low enough to size ahead of the base, will bump the shoulder back maybe .010" or more. This will cause excess expansion/contraction of the brass.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

The problem with full length sizing fired brass is the die, when set low enough to size ahead of the base, will bump the shoulder back maybe .010" or more. This will cause excess expansion/contraction of the brass.

My Dad insisted on FL sizing every round, every time in his 30-06. It did exactly what you are talking about and he pulled the head and part of the brass off....left a pretty good sized piece of brass in the chamber after he fired a round. We were in the backcountry on a wilderness, horseback deer hunt and we didn't have anything to get the piece of brass out of the chamber. Gun out of commission for the rest of the hunt! Just sayin.................

 

[WapitiBob]

I have belted brass and it's a pain in the butt. New brass will stretch over .010" in my chamber on the first firing. I've let the smoke out of quite a few pieces of brass and it'll scar your chamber.

 

[alaska2go]

Sounds like the ogive of the bullet is hitting the rifling (bullet seated long), or the shoulder isn't getting bumped back quite enough. You can smoke the shoulder of the brass with a candle flame then chamber the EMPTY brass. Use the smoke to set your die length also. You want to just touch the smoke for a cpl thou bump. Sinclair comparator body with shoulder and ogive inserts will be your friend for knowing where you are and maintaining those specs.

You can use a full length die to neck size only or use it to bump the shoulder and neck size by getting a die for a different cartridge that has body clearance but the same caliber and shoulder angle, provided it's made. I use a 7mm Rem Mag to bump and neck size for 7STW.
The problem with full length sizing fired brass is the die, when set low enough to size ahead of the base, will bump the shoulder back maybe .010" or more. This will cause excess expansion/contraction of the brass.

This sounds like the problem you are having. I will also add that on your seating die it has a crimper and not properly set it will roll the shoulder on the brass .

 

[jerm8352]

I checked the col and it is fine. All the cases were trimmed to the "trim to length" specified in the lyman reloading handbook. Still not sure on the problem. Do I just shoot all the trimmed cases and then reload without trimming and full length resizing( a mistake I will not duplicate for the 300 wm and 223 cases I have waiting to be reloaded)? Thanks for all the help.

 

[WapitiBob]

I'm not talking a trimmed case, I'm talking about the distance the bullet ogive sticks out of the brass. If a cartridge won't chamber, 99% of the time the ogive is into the lands, or the shoulder is against the front chamber wall. There really isn't much else that can keep a non belted case from chambering.
The other 1% is from an expanded case but this primarily happens with belted magnum cases. Your full length sizing should have taken care of it. Belted cases are a problem because you need to drop the sizer all the way down to the belt and that usually bumps the shoulder back too far.

 

[Musket Man]

C.O.L can vary some with different bullets and different guns can take a different COL. Also dimensions factory ammo is loaded to can be different then whats in the books. Example: Hornady book gives a COL for a 22-250 of 2.350. The Lyman book gives a COL for a 55gr v-max of 2.345 (my Hornady book is to old to have a v-max in it). If I measure a factory loaded Hornady 55gr v-max it measures 2.330. If you have some factory ammo measure it and see what you come up with. You could also try seating the bullets in rounds that wont chamber a few thousandths deeper and see if it fixes the problem. Can you find any difference in any measurements in the ones that will chamber and the ones that wont? Assuming your FL die is made to the correct dimensions and they are not severely worn I would think it would be a length issue. What gun, bullets, ect do you have?

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Are there any interference marks (Shiny spot that have rubbed 0n the barrel or chamber) on the case or bullet that would indicate where your problem is?

 

[jerm8352]

I do not see any visible marks but I will check again. I am loading 30-06 rounds using federal brass and 180 grain nosler partitions and ballistic silvertips. Thank you all so much

 

[Musket Man]

I do not see any visible marks but I will check again. I am loading 30-06 rounds using federal brass and 180 grain nosler partitions and ballistic silvertips. Thank you all so much

Is it only 1 of those bullets you are having the issue with?

 

[jerm8352]

No, its both, thats why I am so confused

 

[Musket Man]

Do you have any factory loaded ammo you can measure and compare to what you reloaded? You could also try an empty case after you resize it in the chamber to see if it is an issue with case size. Are you sure your caliper is accurate?