Tight reloads in .243

Snoepie

Snoepie

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My reloads in .243 are very tight fitting, making it difficult to close the bolt. I do full-length re-sizing and I make sure not to exceed the OAL. A while ago I read on this forum how to solve the problem and I printed the solution out. Now I cannot find it anywhere.

I believe it was suggested that when resizing, turn the die in until it touches the case mouth and then back it out ½ a turn to make sure the shell shoulders do not get pushed up, making for a tight fit in the chamber.
That’s what I remember, but I’m not certain that was in fact the advice and I cannot find that thread any longer.

Can someone please assist.
 
Snoepie said:
My reloads in .243 are very tight fitting, making it difficult to close the bolt. I do full-length re-sizing and I make sure not to exceed the OAL. A while ago I read on this forum how to solve the problem and I printed the solution out. Now I cannot find it anywhere.

I believe it was suggested that when resizing, turn the die in until it touches the case mouth and then back it out ½ a turn to make sure the shell shoulders do not get pushed up, making for a tight fit in the chamber.
That’s what I remember, but I’m not certain that was in fact the advice and I cannot find that thread any longer.

Can someone please assist.
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You don't put the case in the die for resizing, that is the method for setting the seater die up. The resizing is done by putting the ram all the way up and screwing the sizer die down till it touches the shell holder. You may have to turn the die down a bit at time to get the brass to chamber in your rifle.
 
I found the answer to my problem in a back copy of a South African Magnum magazine where Koos Barnard wrote as follows about some isolated incidents where .243 rifles have “blown” up:

“The reason for the blow-ups is the doughnut-effect. This ‘doughnut’ is a thickening of the brass on the inside of the case neck (at the junction of neck and shoulder) which manifests in the form of a raised ring. Sizing cases does not remove the ring. Bullets seated in such cases are a very tight fit at the doughnut. When the cartridge is fired and the case neck expands against the chamber walls, the doughnut ring cannot expand properly to release the bullet and, with top-end loads, the pressure increase can be dramatic enough to blow up the rifle.”

Needless to say, I tested all my used cases and found more than half of them to have the “doughnut”. The test is simple – drop a bullet into the mouth of a fired case and if it falls in, it is fine. If it sticks, it is due to the doughnut.
I use PMP cases for the .243 and it appears that these cases, because of its thick case walls, are especially prone to doughnuts. Koos noted that Winchester cases seldom have this problem and I guess I will now have to pull all my remaining loads and replace all my cases with Winchester cases.
Koos also noted that this doughnut effect is not limited to .243 rifles only and was a constant problem with his .30-06 Ackley Improved and has shown up with 9.3x62 rifles too.

I will be very wary of this problem when reloading for my .243 in future.
 
Some writers must lay awake at night, wondering what other stupid theory they can come up with, that will sell copy and scare reloaders.
 
Some writers must lay awake at night, wondering what other stupid theory they can come up with, that will sell copy and scare reloaders.
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Are you saying I can ignore the problem and shoot my remaining reloads without worry even though they are tight fitting?

That will be excellent news!
 
NO, I am not saying that at all. There are several reasons why your cases could be tight fitting and many reasons to make reloads unsafe.
Just find what is wrong and correct it.
I just don't believe in the far fetched theory you presented.
 
Was the .243 brass in question fired in the same rifle? I've seen this type of thing with scrounged brass from the range which was likely fired in some auto rifle or the like.
 
I did some reloading for a friend with a 270 once. The brass was once fired from his rifle. Unless I made absolutely sure each case was bottomed out in the die while sizing the shell would be tight in his chamber? When loading for any of my rifles I am able to leave the FL die backed off 1/2 turn so not to touch the shoulder, and have had no issues reloading.

The 270 shells were nickel but that shouldn't make a difference. I use brass only.
 
When loading for any of my rifles I am able to leave the FL die backed off 1/2 turn so not to touch the shoulder, and have had no issues reloading.
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Thanks, that was my initial recollection from a previous thread and I will certainly see if that works for me too.
 
Wookie316 said:
I did some reloading for a friend with a 270 once. The brass was once fired from his rifle. Unless I made absolutely sure each case was bottomed out in the die while sizing the shell would be tight in his chamber? When loading for any of my rifles I am able to leave the FL die backed off 1/2 turn so not to touch the shoulder, and have had no issues reloading.

The 270 shells were nickel but that shouldn't make a difference. I use brass only.
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It depends on the rifle. My Sako 270 is exactly the same. I have to full length resize every time, or the bolt is hard to close. However, on these rifles that have such a tight chamber, it doesn't seem to shorten case life when full length resizing them. I guess it is because they are pushed back such a little bit.
 
Tight fitting .243 loads

I have had the same problem with my .243 win. From my experience different brands of brass will last for different amounts of firings. After a few the case shoulders would stretch to the point where empty cases were hard to jam in the chamber. In my case the sizer die was already turned all the way down to the shell holder but an older fellow at my gun club suggested grinding my shell holder back until the die would size the 40 degree shoulder back down. I never did try it...just got some new brass. If you do any grinding i think you will be lucky to take .030 thousandths off of the shell holder without compromising the pull strength.
 
Chamber a round a few times and check it for scuffing to see where it is tight.

My guess is that it is tight at the shoulder, from crimping a little too much.

If this is the case, back out the seater die a bit and turn the seater in until you have proper COL again.

Theoretically, neck sizing or partial sizing may extend case life. I would say that the variation from moderate to extreme pressures will have much more effect on case life.


Full length resizing is nice for a hunting bullet - if only so that they fit any rifle in that calibre. While I'm on the topic, I'll suggest that a fits-all COL is better for the same reason - it is embarrassing to spill a casefull of powder in your action or some one elses when a bullet gets stuck in the rifling.
 
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