rookie reloading mistake

S

slowbullet

New member
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Can someone help me please?

I am new to reloading, and currently attempting to manufacture my first loads.

I am trying to load a .25-06rem with 120gr psp bullets. These loads are for my Remington 700.

Max OAL for the cartridge is 3.250". I am seating the bullets to 3.239" OAL. Currently, I cannot chamber a dummy round. I seated a dummy round to 3.100" OAL, and the round still would not chamber.

Any ideas? Anyone? Besides my incompetence. Did I not chamfer the rounds enough? Is it because I didn't crimp them?

Any help is much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
new brass? fired and resized brass? or just fired in another rifle?

remove the bullet and try to chamber a full length sized brass (shell), than figure out the AOL and sit the bullet, chamber the dummy....and let us know
K
 
All brass was fired from the rifle. I did a full length resizing. Cases trimmed .010" shorter OAL. If the resizing is wrong, can I resize them all again? Trimmed brass will not chamber.
 
Start at the beginning.


1. Confirm that your dies and your rifle are for the same calibre. Check all dies individually; shipping mistakes are not unknown.



2. Confirm length of cases is at or below maximum, 2.494". (All measurements are SAAMI data, http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/publications/download/206.pdf)

If longer, then problem may be overly long brass. Trim to just below max length, try again.

If case length is within standards, go to #3.



3. Examine cases for unusual bulges, etc that may indicate improper setup or technique.

If yes, your problem is probably improperly-adjusted dies. Redo following instruction slip.

If not, go to #4.



4. Attempt to chamber a resized unloaded case.

If it won't chamber, problem is probably with brass. Adjust FL resizing die IAW instruction slip, resize and try again, ensuring that your ram is getting all the way home. If this doesn't solve the problem, then try another brand of die.

If it will chamber, problem is probably not with brass; move to #5.



5. Using resized, uncharged, unprimed case, load with same bullet, but set bullet considerably shorter.

If it will chamber, problem is probably with bullet being set too long.

If it will not chamber, move to #6.



6. Check diameter of loaded neck (0.290" max).

If it is over 0.290", check your bullet diameter (0.2575"). If greater than that, be happy it wouldn't chamber because it would have blown the rifle apart. Try again with proper bullets.

If loaded neck diameter is over 0.290" but bullet diameter is 0.2575", problem may be with unusually thick neck walls. Max neck wall thickness should be 0.0163". Try a different type of brass or turn down outside of case neck.

If it is under 0.290", move to #7.



7. I would at this stage of the game be tempted to take the rifle to the gunsmith and get him to make and measure a casting of the rifle's chamber. It could be that some critical dimension is off. It could even be that it's chambered for another round entirely, perhaps a .25-06 variant.
 
Maybe the neck has been pushed back too far, and the should has a bit of a bulge to it. Try laying a round on a dead flat surface like a pane of glass. Look for light gap along the case body.
 
First make sure the unfired undersized chamber, could that be the mistake? I know it is like being told to turn a computer off when calling tech support but you need to start at the beginning. Compare the unresized to a FL case are there major differences? If you are only shooting that ammo from the same rifle consider neck sizing as the cases are then fire formed to that rifles chamber. FL if the ammo goes into multiple rifles. Where is the FL case hanging up? Are you able to push the bolt forward or is it during lock down? Can you encourage it to close then look for the shiny spot on the casing showing where it was worked? Measure the bullets ensure they are the right size.

COL is important when changing rifles but if you only own one of that caliber you can customize the ammo even more. When seating I try to get my bullets just off the lands. I make up a dummy round as you did, I don't crimp and smoke the bullet in a candle the bullet is seated very long. I close the bolt slowly as there is some resistance. The chamber pushes the bullet back into the case. I then place the round into my bullet seating die and close it you can then screw down the adjustment until the seater is flush then open and give a quarter turn more. Voilà seating just off the lands. Now check they fit in the magazine and perfecto!
 
Crimping bullets

tootall said:
Maybe the neck has been pushed back too far, and the should has a bit of a bulge to it. Try laying a round on a dead flat surface like a pane of glass. Look for light gap along the case body.
Click to expand...

Good advice from some more experienced reloaders. I will expound a bit on bulged necks.

This is usually caused by the reloader when improperly setting the seating die. Seating dies are usually a bit oversized in the body/neck area and the critical dimensions are in the neck and seating area.

If the seating die is set too low, in an attempt to crimp the bullet in the case, then the whole cartridge is pushed forward and it buckles right at the shoulder area, pushing the neck backwards.

Many novice reloaders think you have to screw the seating die down close to the shell holder like the full length die. You do not. Also, in most cases, there is no reason to crimp the bullets as there is lots of neck tension to hold them in the case.

Take a case that has been fired in the rifle. Then, full length resize it and see if it will go into the chamber. If it does, then without loading a primer or powder, put a bullet in it, and seat the bullet into the case. Then try loading this dummy round into the rifle.

If it goes, you are all right. If it does not go, back off your seating die about 1/2 turn and make another dummy round as above. If it goes, your problem is solved. If it does not go, then back the seating die off another 1/2 turn and try again.
.
 
"...Did I not chamfer the rounds enough..." Hi. That's for the inside of the case mouth. Eases bullet seating. And just a wee bit. You need to deburr the outside too, but neither has any effect on chambering. Only done after trimming too.
Check the case lengths. Max is 2.494". Trim as required to 2.484" and chamfer and deburr.
Sounds like the dies may not be set up properly. Your dies should be set up so the shell holder just kisses the bottom of the die with the ram all the way up.
You can size 'em again. Just take out the expander/decapper rod. However, if like tootall says, there is a bulge on the shoulder(usually means the die is down too far), you may not be able to get the cases into the die. Happens to everybody.
 
Every now and then a shell holder is made out of spec, I've got a small collection of those now, even a Redding that wasn't cut properly. If the shell holder is too high, the shoulder of the case cannot be set back for enough clearance to ensure easy chambering. The correct height should be about .125." If your shell holder is too high you can trim it down to the correct height if you are careful and go slow. Also ensure your shell holder is the correct number for your cartridge; the fact that it apparently holds the brass in the correct manner isn't always enough.

X2 on Sunray's observation of chamfering and de-burring the case mouths.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom