This is unbelieveably f-ing irritating

Just to make sure, when you mention "scuffing" on the primer, do you mean tiny light scratches from machining burrs on the firing pin hole in the bolt? I just want to make sure the primers are seated deep enough.
 
A spray can have lay out bluing; will help you check for interference fits, showing scuff marks on the finish product. If you’re using a full length case die with a primer punch with the right sized neck rod, it should be very close.
I suspect you’re doing a lot more then neck sizing the case in the second operation distorting the dimension of brass, in a go then a no go situation.
Hope that helps.


Driller
 
Yes it is normal for the bolt to close with slightly more force with some reloaded ammo.....BUT make sure you have not mushroomed the shoulder of the case by ramming your resizing die too far with too much force...
####, I think that's what it is. I think there is a VERY SLIGHT bulge on the cases on the bottom of the shoulder...

What would have caused this? are they still ok to fire? I have almost 80 of the f'n things.

I barely noticed it, the bulges are so slight. Some are bulged more than others. After chambering them the first time, they chamber easier the second.
 
You achieved what you were trying to achieve. Do you know exactly what you were trying for? LOL

It sounds to me like you've sized your brass to a solid 'interference fit'.
 
So if I had to guess, I would guess that this happened because the top of the case doesn't have enough support as the neck is being sized. I would guess that if I had ran the shells into the die a little further, the die would have squeezed the top of the case in more.

I suppose that this is the reason for neck sizing with an actual neck sizing die (although I could see this same thing happening with certain types of neck sizing die).

So, the big question. Is it still safe to shoot?

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I think there is a VERY SLIGHT bulge on the cases on the bottom of the shoulder...

What would have caused this? are they still ok to fire?


I barely noticed it, the bulges are so slight. Some are bulged more than others. After chambering them the first time, they chamber easier the second.

You probably have the seating die set too far down in the press. This will slightly crimp the mouth of the case into the bullet. If there is no cannelure or crimp groove there for the case mouth to crimp into, it will push back on the case and bulge the shoulder.

Just turn the die out half a turn and try another round.

Ted
 
Are you crimping? If so, having the body of the seating die screwed too far down will cause "mushroomed" shoulders. This shouldn't happen if you have the die body backed off to seat only.

This is why I like to use separate crimp dies on my Dillon RL550. It makes it easier to fine tune both operations when they are performed by separate dies and is no extra work with a progressive press.
 
I wasn't trying to crimp. I'm using RCBS dies. Having the seating die down to far sounds like it could be the problem. I actually backed it out before doing the batch because it crushed on of my sizing dummy rounds. I wish I had noticed this sooner. The brass looked great coming out of the sizing die.

Anyway, if they are safe to shoot, I will be shooting them all.

Any accuracy problem predictions? There doesn't seem to be any run out in the bullets. They look perfectly straight.
 
If I didn't know what I had just been told to look for on that round, I wouldn't have noticed anything wrong with it. Go ahead and fire them, it's not like the case is creased or weakened. Be more careful next go round. All of my 22-250 rounds feel fairly tight when chambering. For a bolt gun, it's not the largest concern, it'll make your brass last for a long time. I haven't lost a single piece due to anything other than being a big lummox with the press.
 
.... I just made a brass tumbler out of a bucket and an old windshield wiper motor... you think I'm gonna spend $85 clams on a Concentricity gauge? lol
 
Wally, as others have said you MAY have your seating die too low, but those rounds appear just fine. FYI, you could lower your sizing die if you want, you are presently only sizing about half the neck.

If it is not from the seating die, the reason you are finding those rounds tight to chamber is because you are only partially sizing the brass. I partial neck size or neck size all my reloads, including rounds for my No. 1's; they are ALL tight to chamber, this is because the shoulder has not been bumped back.

If factory or full length sized rounds are tight to chamber, then you have an issue. Partial/neck sized ammo should be somewhat difficult to chamber.
 
If you're only neck-sizing, the body will expand and the shoulder will move forward after a few firings, causing the loaded cartridge to have a snug fit when chambering. It's completely safe, and accurate, if not a little impractical for hunting ammunition.
 
Here's an idea for future loads. Get yourself a proper bushing neck sizing die.

I have, in the past, done partial neck sizing with a FL die, but it is not the same. If you feel resistance when chamber, who knows where the shoulder is lining the bullet up in relation to the bore. Bullet runout will not matter at this point if the shoulder is causing the bullet to be sitting canted to the rifling.
 
There's two possible conditions happening here, one of which is possibly hazardous.

1. The bullet is biting into the rifling - this is not a good thing with jacketed bullets. You need to seat the bullet so it will be a couple thousands out from the lands.

2. The cartridge shoulder is bottoming out in the chamber - this is called a "crush fit" and a little bit is a good thing. But if closing the bolt is deforming or collapsing the cartridge in the shoulder/neck area you need to make adjustments.

You need to determine where the loaded cartridge is meeting resistance, then go from there. Have fun. terry
 
.... I just made a brass tumbler out of a bucket and an old windshield wiper motor... you think I'm gonna spend $85 clams on a Concentricity gauge? lol

Good stuff. I made my first tumbler from a PVC pipe and a motor out of a humidifier. Worked like a charm and cost nothing except a bit of time and some ingenuity.

i wouldn't worry too much about a concentricity gauge, unless you are into max precision shooting like benchrest or very long range stuff. You can roughly check run-out by rolling the cartridge on a flat surface - if the bullet tip has any noticeable wobble, you might need to check your seating technique.
 
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