So here's the deal: I bought a lot of once-fired brass (actually Nickel, some FC but most are Winchester) for my rifle on the EE (Tikka T3 - 300WSM). I resized 50 of them using my Lee FL sizing die, but now they don't fit in the chamber. On some of them, I can't close the bolt at all, on some others I can close the bolt, but it's very difficult. Factory ammos and snap caps are totally fine.
First culprit was the OAL, so I pushed the bullet further, until it made no sense. Then I just pushed the bullet all the way in the case(bullet was seated in a case without powder or primer so wasn't a problem), so I was actually trying to load a casing at that point. Still impossible to close the bolt.
Then I thought I had not trimmed them short enough, so I re-trimmed a few of them to 2.090 (trim-to-length is 2.090, and max trim length is 2.100). Still wouldn't fit. So I trimmed one of them to a complete nonsense of 1.97, and it still wouldn't fit. But at least at this point it's 100% clear that nether the OAL or the trim length are the problem.
At this point I was almost completely out of ideas, so I just used a blue marker and I completely painted one of the casing that would let the bolt close if I forced it, and see where the paint would chip. Turns out there seems to be some kind of bulge on the casings. About 0.337 inches from the bottom of the casing, I measure a diameter of 0.555'' with a caliper, while the factory ammos are 0.545'' at the same place.
Turns out that 0.555'' is SAAMI's base diameter for a 300WSM, so in theory the re-sized brass should fit in a rifle. In practice though I suppose my chamber is tight as a virgin, and the dies are not re-sizing sufficiently, while factory ammos are sized to fit into everything.
So can anyone who reloads 300wsm measure the diameter of the brass after resizing just 0.337 inches above the bottom and tell me what they get, and which type of dies you use? If anyone measures something in the 0.545'' area I'll be totally happy to buy the same brand of dies, at least on FL die.
Or if anyone has a more clever idea than buying new dies, I'm all ears.
First culprit was the OAL, so I pushed the bullet further, until it made no sense. Then I just pushed the bullet all the way in the case(bullet was seated in a case without powder or primer so wasn't a problem), so I was actually trying to load a casing at that point. Still impossible to close the bolt.
Then I thought I had not trimmed them short enough, so I re-trimmed a few of them to 2.090 (trim-to-length is 2.090, and max trim length is 2.100). Still wouldn't fit. So I trimmed one of them to a complete nonsense of 1.97, and it still wouldn't fit. But at least at this point it's 100% clear that nether the OAL or the trim length are the problem.
At this point I was almost completely out of ideas, so I just used a blue marker and I completely painted one of the casing that would let the bolt close if I forced it, and see where the paint would chip. Turns out there seems to be some kind of bulge on the casings. About 0.337 inches from the bottom of the casing, I measure a diameter of 0.555'' with a caliper, while the factory ammos are 0.545'' at the same place.
Turns out that 0.555'' is SAAMI's base diameter for a 300WSM, so in theory the re-sized brass should fit in a rifle. In practice though I suppose my chamber is tight as a virgin, and the dies are not re-sizing sufficiently, while factory ammos are sized to fit into everything.
So can anyone who reloads 300wsm measure the diameter of the brass after resizing just 0.337 inches above the bottom and tell me what they get, and which type of dies you use? If anyone measures something in the 0.545'' area I'll be totally happy to buy the same brand of dies, at least on FL die.
Or if anyone has a more clever idea than buying new dies, I'm all ears.
