Reloading issues
- Thread starter Ken hofer
- Start date
Sounds like an issue with the expander or bullet size.
What is the diameter of the neck expander and the bullet diameter?
First time reloading with these dies and or these bullets?
After resizing without the expander ball in the die, what is the casemouth diameter?
Is it hard to shove a bullet in the case neck?
What is the diameter of the neck expander and the bullet diameter?
First time reloading with these dies and or these bullets?
After resizing without the expander ball in the die, what is the casemouth diameter?
Is it hard to shove a bullet in the case neck?
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I am pretty sure in the Lee Reloading book, they recommended .002" " stretch" when seating bullets - so resized inside of case mouth to be .002" smaller than the bullet that gets seated - to ensure sufficient case mouth "grip" on the bullet. Sounds like whatever system that you are using is not getting your case mouths small enough. Not sure what caliber that the Lee book was discussing - Ruger 204 is pretty small - but would think would still want and need that "grab" - inside of case mouth smaller than the bullet, before seating it. I never reloaded any of those - but I do not think you want bullet to move by simple "tapping" on it??
Generally speaking, the goal is to resize the case so that the inside neck diameter of the resized case is .002 - .003" less than the bullet diameter in order to provide proper neck tension on the bullet. Depending on what type of resizing die you are using you need to re-read the instructions and adjust the die accordingly and/or change the bushing or expander in the die.
What type of bullets are you using? Some boat-tails just don't much of a cylindrical portion, and depending or where it ends up in the neck there might not be much to grip on. Line up one of your loaded rounds with a bare bullet and see what it looks like. 300 Wins were known for that when loaded close to factory length; to the extent that Nosler made two different Partitions. The Protected Point had the lead point flattened so the main body of the bullet was moved forward to where the neck could get a grip on it. The first time time I came across a bullet holding problem was a friend's 308 Norma that the Sierras BTs he was trying to load basically fell into the case. Fixed that one by loading 100 Hornady Interlock flat bases.
I've had trouble with TSXs, those were cured by taking .001" off the expander ball.
One of the most baffling was a friend's custom STW that couldn't hold 180 Berger VLDs, with I've used a lot in other rifles. I ended up buying it from him along with his components, dies and neck turned brass at the "friend price". That one had me puzzled because I had 3 sets of dies, one with the expander turned down, and one with enough bushings that putting a crazy amount on squeeze on the necks was possible. It didn't matter how small the necks were, a fully seated bullet could be shoved into the case with my fingers. I tried annealling (because you have to try something) but eventually got around to opening a new box of a different lot of the same bullets from my stash. End of problem. Turns out that the bullets had a barely discernable taper to them, and once they were seated past a certain depth they got looser the deeper they were seated. The offending bullets worked just fine in my 7-300 Win.
I've had trouble with TSXs, those were cured by taking .001" off the expander ball.
One of the most baffling was a friend's custom STW that couldn't hold 180 Berger VLDs, with I've used a lot in other rifles. I ended up buying it from him along with his components, dies and neck turned brass at the "friend price". That one had me puzzled because I had 3 sets of dies, one with the expander turned down, and one with enough bushings that putting a crazy amount on squeeze on the necks was possible. It didn't matter how small the necks were, a fully seated bullet could be shoved into the case with my fingers. I tried annealling (because you have to try something) but eventually got around to opening a new box of a different lot of the same bullets from my stash. End of problem. Turns out that the bullets had a barely discernable taper to them, and once they were seated past a certain depth they got looser the deeper they were seated. The offending bullets worked just fine in my 7-300 Win.
Ken- you figure this out yet? The problem you have is definitely not enough neck tension, probably on the brass side.
When you say "tap"- how much force are you putting on there? Neck tension alone doesn't provide major holding force- of that is needed (like Tube mags) then a crimp is typically added. Wouldn't be expecting this problem on a .204 Roger though.
When you say "tap"- how much force are you putting on there? Neck tension alone doesn't provide major holding force- of that is needed (like Tube mags) then a crimp is typically added. Wouldn't be expecting this problem on a .204 Roger though.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
If you are using RCBS dies, is like I have here. I think the part that you are referring to is the decapping pin expander ball, or similar name. Maybe worth your while to measure the diameter of the one that works, versus the diameter of your initial one. As described above, your die body is going to smush the case neck too small diameter - then the expander ball is going to open it up, from inside, when withdrawn from case. Might find that your original is too big?? Can sand or file that one down fairly easily with drill press or lathe, or probably with care, a hand held drill. If that is your issue, maybe worth to try before spending money on another, that may be no different??
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I spin expander balls down by putting the expander assembly in a hand drill and touching the spinning assembly against my 2 X 72" belt grinder with a 400 belt, also turning. It would take 100 years to do it by hand; that #### is hard. Touch and measure, can't put it back on.
