The OAL and the headspace as determined by your sizing die are completely unrelated to each other. Forget OAL it is an utter waste of time and is essentially a pointless measurement.
My first attempt reloading .308 is pissing me off
- Thread starter Outcast
- Start date
The OAL and the headspace as determined by your sizing die are completely unrelated to each other. Forget OAL it is an utter waste of time and is essentially a pointless measurement.
shotgunjoe
CGN Regular
- Location
- winnipeg mb
As someone else suggested check bullet diameter, another thing is possibly not enough lube inside the neck of the case. Winchester brass unless it is mil spec should not have a crimp on the primer pocket, the inconsistency in primer seating is due to inconsistency in the brass from manufacturing.
With respect to the primers, I'll bet the pocket is just dirty. I use a Lee primer pocket cleaner and it is a night and day difference for seating with my RCBS hand primer. It's an extra, dirty step but, IMO, worth it.
Outcast
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Well after trying to get this to work, ensuring everything is correct and set up as it should be, I came to realize life is too short. Primer pocket issues, sizing issues, seating and crimping no crimping BS. Fire sale on .308 reloading crap coming up. For the amount of .308 I shoot, lifes too short. Thanks all for the help and suggestions.
I've always found the best solution when faced with a problem is to just give up and go away in a huff. I'm sure that is how we got to the moon.
Isn't there a saying, "When the going gets tough the tough give up and go home?"
My thoughts exactly.
Outcast
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
You should put that on a t-shirt, make ya rich.
07blackwater
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Port Coquitlam, BC
Give up early, give up often.
I am baffled at why anyone would want to reload someone else's once fired brass?
IF you buy a bag of NEW Win. Brass for 28 bucks you can reload it probably 6X?
What are you really saving, besides the money your saving will just be spent on Advil or Tylenol.
OR
I would buy a crap load of factory ammo like PRVI @ 13.50/box and shoot it and save the brass. That works out to around $37/ 50 rounds.
PRVI brass is fine to reload.
IF you buy a bag of NEW Win. Brass for 28 bucks you can reload it probably 6X?
What are you really saving, besides the money your saving will just be spent on Advil or Tylenol.
OR
I would buy a crap load of factory ammo like PRVI @ 13.50/box and shoot it and save the brass. That works out to around $37/ 50 rounds.
PRVI brass is fine to reload.
Yep there is nobody I respect more than someone who can just give up at the first sign of difficulty.
Anything worth doing is worth giving up on .......
Get new brass and do full length sizing after firing. Is this brass you've fired or got from someone. I'm awlays suspicious of anything of anything to do with reloading unless I've taken out of the package myself. There are a lot of goofy (read - 'dangerous') reloading practices out there IMHO.
Can't we let Darwin play just a little while longer?!
Too bad... loading .308 has been perhaps the easiest and least fussy of any of the loading I have ever done!! IMHO the issues started with using the once-fired brass, though that was mitigatable. If he'd just got new brass... Has got to make you wonder though how he's reloading his .223.
I know the OP said he gave up.... I had similar trouble doing .223 when i first started reloading it.
1)is the de-capping pin set properly? 1/4 inch out of the bottom of the die?
2) what is your overall brass length - does it need a trim?
3) Don't flame me for this OP, but were you using the right priming tool/ primer seater?
I had a HELL of a time with .204.... primers falling out of the safety prime, then not seating properly.
Turns out I still had large rifle safety prime and seater instead of small. f**k.
labeled them. it's all good now.
1)is the de-capping pin set properly? 1/4 inch out of the bottom of the die?
2) what is your overall brass length - does it need a trim?
3) Don't flame me for this OP, but were you using the right priming tool/ primer seater?
I had a HELL of a time with .204.... primers falling out of the safety prime, then not seating properly.
Turns out I still had large rifle safety prime and seater instead of small. f**k.
labeled them. it's all good now.
Outcast.
The reason many folks reload, is to take control of their own ammo .... gain the benefits that can only be had by one's personal tuning efforts.
The reloading artform is not for everyone, ... some just don't feel the patience or the mindset needed to enjoy this persuit of high precision.
Don't even suggest it is about economy.
If this be you, no worries, all is good, plenty of good factory box ammo out there these days. A good shot using factory match stuff may well outdo a mediocre shot with tuned handloads, In My Considered Opinion.
It is all about why you shoot.
Here is the but. (There is always a 'but'.
)A good, wind-savvy, shot ... with tuned handloads, ... is unlikely to be outdone by any shot, using factory ammo.
And that is why I sweat out handloadings many and inevitable head-scratching moments.
After 40 years, here is where I'm at.
<" It's all about the dies.">
Redding Body Die. (most any brass can be made to fit right)
Lee Collet Die. (set up "over center") to 2 thou. neck tension.
Redding/Forster BR seater. (with the collet, runout is mostly GONE)
Pick the right bullet/powder/seating/primer combo... get yer drop/wind dope together .... and you'll be amazed how far out you can lace a cigarette pack.
Edit: BTW, forget crimping ... unless handgun or heavy-recoil rifle rounds.
