Bolt handle hard to move

kurt

kurt

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The gun is one of my 223 wssm's I have never had the problem before and figured out I have to bump the shoulder back by setting my sizing die as close as possible to the shell holder in the press. If this is wrong someone correct me. This is a brand new gun to me. my next problem is I have sized,trimmed,cleaned,primed 125 cases and loaded 40 to sight in with but realized they were tight so I didnt pull the trigger, but can close the bolt but it is tight. Is it safe to shoot these rounds and bump the shoulder back more on the next time sizing. Or do I pull all the bullets and resize before shooting. Can I resize and deprime with a live primer in the case? Thanks to all in advance.

Kurt

Also this brass came withe gun and has been fired, is neck sizing impossible if I am having these problems?
 
"...neck sizing impossible..." No, but you'd have to full length resize 'em first anyway. Neck sizing is only for brass that was fired out of the same rifle. If you didn't FL resize your brass, that's why they're tight.
"...sizing die as close as possible..." The bottom of the die should just kiss the shell holder when the ram is all the way up.
"...Can I resize..." Yep, but take the decapping pin out. If you ever find you've primed a case with the primer upside down(it happens to everybody), you can gently pop it out with your sizer die. The operative word is 'gently'. Takes a fairly hard whack to set off a primer anyway.
 
kurt said:
The gun is one of my 223 wssm's I have never had the problem before and figured out I have to bump the shoulder back by setting my sizing die as close as possible to the shell holder in the press. If this is wrong someone correct me. This is a brand new gun to me.
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Kurt, my experience has been to start with the shellholder touching the bottom of the die. Check for fit in your chamber and if it is too tight, then turn the die down just a bit and continue this way until the case fits without too much trouble. You usually need all of the play taken out of the press linkages for the short mags. Due to the design, the brass is usually more difficult to re-size. I like to set the shoulder back about 0.002", no more.

[/QUOTE]my next problem is I have sized,trimmed,cleaned,primed 125 cases and loaded 40 to sight in with but realized they were tight so I didnt pull the trigger, but can close the bolt but it is tight. Is it safe to shoot these rounds and bump the shoulder back more on the next time sizing. Or do I pull all the bullets and resize before shooting. Can I resize and deprime with a live primer in the case? Thanks to all in advance.[/QUOTE]

If you can close the bolt without too much force, you should be able to shoot the rounds just fine. Just bump the shoulder back a bit more next time.

[/QUOTE]Also this brass came withe gun and has been fired, is neck sizing impossible if I am having these problems? [/QUOTE]

It is very possible that you will have the same problem or a harder to close bolt if you only neck size these cases.

Make sure that your cases are trimmed to the proper length

The above is what has worked for me. YMMV.

:)
 
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Get a Redding body die and run your loaded rounds through them, problem solved. I run 3 different .308's all with match chambers. While 2 of them will chamber neck sized ammo loaded for any of the three, one will only chamber neck sized ammo fired from that rifle. If I run the loaded rounds through the body die everything fits all 3 rifles. For less than $25 it sure saves allot of headaches the night before a match.
 
Try to chamber a resized case prior to seating a bullet. If the round chambers easily your problem relates to the bullet. If the unloaded round is difficult to chamber after full length resizing and after ensuring that the shell holder is in firm contact with the die, your shell holder is too thick, and you can choose to get a machinist to make the shell holder a little thinner or to shorten up the resizing die. We are talking very small adjustments here, probably on the order of .004".
 
I agree with Boomer. Follow those steps and you should be able to determine where your problem lies. I have often pulled bullets, emptied the powder, backed off my decapper, and F/L resized primed cases. Just go easy and you will be fine. As they say on Mythbusters waiver...don't try this at home...EVER! Now I am safe, since obviously only a fool would do as I do. (Try it, it'll work)
 
Thanks to all for the advice I bought a hammer type puller and does it ever suck but it gets the job done. I bumped back the shoulder and they are good now. Lesson learned when loading for a new rifle test chamber a case and then seat a bullet in an empty case and chamber that. Thanks again.

Kurt
 
kurt said:
Thanks to all for the advice I bought a hammer type puller and does it ever suck but it gets the job done. I bumped back the shoulder and they are good now. Lesson learned when loading for a new rifle test chamber a case and then seat a bullet in an empty case and chamber that. Thanks again.

Kurt
Click to expand...

Actually they can work just fine. Couple of tricks to them. First, don't even bother with that crappy little split aluminum shell-holder with the O-ring. Use a regular shell holder from your press. Get a chunk of clean dry straight cut firewood (birch is best - it's hard) and rap the puller on the cut end of the firewood. Just stand the wood on end on a solid floor. The bullet reacts to the lack of bounce. Even crimped factory ammo separates easily.
 
Bullet Puller Mod

sbtennex said:
.... First, don't even bother with that crappy little split aluminum shell-holder with the O-ring. Use a regular shell holder from your press. ...
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Thanks for that little time saver for my RCBS hammer! Never heard of that shortcut before - I use a Dillon 550, so I don't have those shell-holders kicking around (but WSS does for just a few bucks). And it sure beats trying to fit the round into the split aluminum/o-ring (and trying to find a replacement o-ring).

Apologies for the hijack.
 
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