Compressed loads and a hot truck....

T

thepitchedlink

Regular
Super GunNutz
Rating - 100%
255   0   0
Location
Lumby Town!!
So I loaded 20 rounds for my BLR 358 and headed to the range...got delayed and made it to shoot several hours later. At the range some of the rounds would'nt chamber, or really the action would not close completely. The action would then not open and after giving it a good hard pull, out came the case and a steady stream of powder!! Bullets still stuck in the chamber. This happened with 3 rounds.
I was shooting 225 Sierras, 48 and 49 grains of Varget in trimmed Win cases.
It only happened with the 49g loads which feel slightly compressed when loading. COAL is 2.785 After getting back and examining the remaining loads the 49's are longer then any of the others....so did sitting in the truck get them hot enough to move the bullets out? They were not crimped
 
I doubt expansion from heat would push a bullet out from it's set seating depth. From your report I'd say your OAL was too long and the bullet was pushed into the rifling. Hard to close bolt = bullet getting into the rifling and upon extraction the bullet stayed tight and you pulled the casing free.

So double check your seating depth (OAL) and trim length of your brass. You may have measured wrong and your OAL is out of wack.

Have you used this particular bullet before or is it something you just tried. If it is a new type of bullet for your rifle the taper compared to other 225 gr bullets may be different, thus the contact with the rifling. You may have to get a new seating depth for this style of bullet. Also watch for pressure if you are close to a compressed load.
 
M77 said:
I doubt expansion from heat would push a bullet out from it's set seating depth. From your report I'd say your OAL was too long and the bullet was pushed into the rifling. Hard to close bolt = bullet getting into the rifling and upon extraction the bullet stayed tight and you pulled the casing free.

So double check your seating depth (OAL) and trim length of your brass. You may have measured wrong and your OAL is out of wack.

Have you used this particular bullet before or is it something you just tried. If it is a new type of bullet for your rifle the taper compared to other 225 gr bullets may be different, thus the contact with the rifling. You may have to get a new seating depth for this style of bullet. Also watch for pressure if you are close to a compressed load.
Click to expand...

Yep. +1. This is a text book over all length too long problem.
 
Ya, I know it's a OAL problem, the quiestion is did the heat change my OAL.
I trimmed 20 cases, then I loaded 20 rounds with 225g Sierras, just like I have for the last 150 rounds.
I set my seat die with my dummy round to 2.785 and started loading, 10 with 48g, 10 with 49...I only stopped loading to change the setting on the scale.
The 48s chambered and fired and the 49's stuck in the lands.

So did I really do something different between loading the 48s and 49s or could a few hours in a truck on a 25 degree day push those bullets out 30 or 40 thou? Lots of other people must let there gear sit in cars and get hot, so does it happen to others or just me?
 
I frequently have to adjust my seating die when doing load development, in order to maintain the same OAL with compressed loads. Otherwise the powder resists compression and the bullet isn't seated as deeply as I want it.

Make sure your necks are being sized properly is the other thing to check for: anneal after a couple of firings, and if you use collet dies make sure you're using enough force to size the neck completely.
 
Sticking Cartridges and Bulets

Well, the boys covered in in the Overall Length department, which, I would agree, sounds most probable.

Another cause could be neck tension. If too light, the bullets are not gripped firmly enough, and the compressed powder could push them forward slightly.

You state that "some" of the bullets would do this. Which ones? You are using a BLR. Did the first one fit o.k., and some subsequent ones did not? If so, the recoil of the rifle might move the bullet ahead slightly when it is in the magazine.

Were the bullets crimped? If just neck sized and not crimped, the bullet could move ahead a bit.

Did you change or use a different bullet, or even a different lot number from the same manufacturer? The point of contact with the rifling can vary with bullet types. A streamlined spitzer bullet can usually be set out farther than a round nosed bullet, even if the OAL is the same setting on the dies. Changing from a spitzer to a round nose can jam a bullet into the rifling.

My Hornady loading manual gives an OAL for the .358 Winchester from 2.730 to 2.780. Since you are loading to 2.785......5 thou. doesn't sound like much but it is a bit over.

Now the above is a possibility. The probability is OAL.
 
Last edited:
are you mesureing each round after you seat the bullets? I always check everyone after i seat it just incase something didn't work properly
 
If you want to see if your bullets are being pushed out, use a jiffy marker and colour the bullet and neck.

Leave overnight, and if the bullet has moved, it will be apparent.
 
I've had bullets move forward after time on compressed loads. It usually happens shortly after loading. I suggest you load a few, wait an hour or so, and measure.
I can see where the case, expanded by the heat might let that happen a bit more easily. Didn't happen on all cases, probably due to neck tension not being the same for all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom