Sized brass will not fit? What?

B.Ruddick

B.Ruddick

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Ok, I have reloaded lots in the past, and now it’s been a few years since I played with the tools.

Lately I’m having trouble getting any resized brass to fit into any of the 308win chambers I have here.

I’ve tried RCBS (used) and Hornady (brand new) FL two die sets, and adjusted these dies up and down, with no positive results.
The brass was fired in these bolt rifles, factory ammo and the fired brass fits in all of these chambers, but once the brass has gone through the sizer dies, trimmed, etc… it will not fit into the chambers.


I ran some other calibers through with zero issues, all worked fine, except for the 308Win’s
I know I haven’t been reloading in a few years, but what is up?
I’m thinking that I am missing something, especially when I’ve tried two sets of dies, but WHAT?, looking for help.
 
Have you tried adjusting (trimming) your case shorter? What is your case length? Have you tried marking the case with jiffy or smoking it to see where it is catching in your chamber?

Quick few thoughts as I take a work break

SCG
 
Has been mentioned on a few threads - colour your brass with black Jiffy Marker or use the flame of a wax candle to make the case mostly black with soot - try to chamber it - where the case is "tight" the colouring will be wiped away - tells you where the issue is. Hard to guess over the Internet - cases too long to close - maybe see the marks on face of the shoulder; case bodies too fat to fully chamber, then will likely see marks on the side walls, maybe even right near the rear end. Very odd on any particular rifle that you can re-chamber a fired case, then re-size that case, and not be able to re-chamber it, into the same rifle!
 
Is there cam-over with your press when resizing? Check your dies as well, see what is stamped on them, give them a good interior cleaning. Give your chamber a good interior cleaning.
 
OP is describing the issue occurring in multiple chambers and with 2 different sizing dies - something I have not heard of previously - was pretty sure I had screwed up every way possible, but this is something I had not previously seen. So I am interested to hear what is going on!!

OP - I'm thinking - what is common? - are you sure that you have a correct shell holder?? Not just one that fits, but the correct one for 308 Win?? If sizing slightly not enough with full length sizer, can squish down the side walls and at a point the shoulder gets pushed forward - that partially sized case will no longer chamber - but continued sizing gets the shoulder pushed back enough - only if shell holder allows that...

If you want to try to force case in a smidgeon deeper into the sizing die, then use leaves from feeler gauge - can often slide up to .005" or more between brass's head and holder, while held in there - so forces the brass in that little bit further - saves having to grind down the shell holder top or the bottom of the die(s) to try...
 
Last edited:
Potashminer said:
OP is describing the issue occurring in multiple chambers and with 2 different sizing dies - something I have not heard of previously - was pretty sure I had screwed up every way possible, but this is something I had not previously seen. So I am interested to hear what is going on!!

OP - I'm thinking - what is common? - are you sure that you have a correct shell holder?? Not just one that fits, but the correct one for 308 Win?? If sizing slightly not enough with full length sizer, can squish down the side walls and at a point the shoulder gets pushed forward - that partially sized case will no longer chamber - but continued sizing gets the shoulder pushed back enough - only if shell holder allows that...

If you want to try to force case in a smidgeon deeper into the sizing die, then use leaves from feeler gauge - can often slide up to .005" or more between brass's head and holder, while held in there - so forces the brass in that little bit further - saves having to grind down the shell holder top or the bottom of the die(s) to try...
Click to expand...

^^ I have a tight chamber rifle that obliges me (with brass not fired in it first) to screw in FL die to shellholder as per manufacturer suggestion... haven't needed to rely on this remedy yet, but it resides in the back of my mind for that day. Plenty of chambers are loose enough that one can avoid tight contact between die and shellholder: brass life extending practice if one lacks neck sizing dies for a particular cartridge.
 
It's a handy tool to own, so I'll suggest a Hornady lock-n-Load Comparator and a digital vernier.

It sounds like you are having an issue with the FL die leaving the case a bit long in the shoulder (headspace). Something you can quickly confirm with the felt marker suggestion above.

I've been in the game since the mid 70's, and I've seen FL dies go from sizing supper small, well below cartridge min as rifles were being made with worn out reamers and the factory was using the GO gauge as NOGO or something silly like that. Then a decade later factory ammo was super small to fit any gun. Now chambers seem the correct size, but headspace seems generous, and most dies set the shoulder back too far. Without a way to measure what's going on, it's just a WAG.

I have an 8x57 Husky and I had to lap a few 0.001's off the bottom of the die. The rifle and dies were made several decades apart. My 8mm was almost unfired, and I suppose the die was made to make ammo for Russian capture worn out Mausers.

If you load long enough, you seem to experience issues. I envy the man who owns one rifle and has never had any issues loading for it. That doesn't always happen.

If you like tools, a GO headspace gauge is a handy tool.

I've experienced variations of your problem too often, with many different calibers. The only caliber that I've never had any such issues with is 223. 308, 270, 30-06, 35 Rem, 350 RM, 222 Rem, 303 BR. I own a set of Redding Comp shell holders, and they show wear.

Nitro
 
I had a similar problem with 22-250 last year. Try turning your die in a little further, I go a half turn and it works for me.
 
Annealing, nope, brass is all once fired.

Yes, it would seem that the shoulder is to long.
I’ll have to fire up a candle, same process I use for determining bullet seating.
Have tried different shell holders.
Have not tried the shims or feeler gauge under the head stamp, or shaving the shell holder yet.

Nope, these chambers are not customs, Kimber Hunter, Ruger American, and a Remington Model Seven.
All chambers are clean, just cleaned the dies before starting.

Hopefully Tuesday I will be able to get back to the bench, family comes first, then work.

I had this issue with a 300WSM, I ended up trying a different brand of dies and that worked, hence why I bought a new set in 308 yesterday, but hasn’t fixed the issue yet.

Thank you very much for the replies and suggestions, I will get around to trying a few of these suggestions soon enough.
Best regards,
 
when the cases were new/virgin, were they fired in the new chamber or the old chamber? were these cases fired in ONLY the new chamber? I looked thru this thread for this info, didn't see it... apologies if repeat question...
 
If the unsized brass fit all your different rifles and none of the resized brass from two different die manuf. fit any of the same rifles...the one common denominator that I would suspect in all of this is your press has become "sprung" somehow and is putting a bend in your cases...did you use your press to "form" some wildcat brass in its previous life?
 
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