Resizing question

[Jcalder]

I reload 308 for myself and a friend. I loaded several rounds most worked but I got sent back a few that wouldn't chamber. I figured they were a tad long so I bumped them all down. I ended up getting more sent back. So I pulled the rounds that wouldn't chamber. I checked for length and they are within tolerances. I then tried to chamber the empty brass with no luck. So I ran em thru the press again and resized them. Tried chambering and it was still tight. I read on other forums that sometimes you need to turn your die down a bit more. Tried that and got dents on the shoulders similar to excessive lube. This brass is once fired federal brass. I've used Winchester, hornady, Remington, and various military brass with no problems. Anyone have any tips or suggestions.

 

[KPH]

Are you crimping em?

 

[Jcalder]

No crimp

 

[DaveB]

Your brass is almost certainly over specs. Too long, needs to be trimmed. Cut it back to .10 under SAAMI specifications, chamfer inside and out, chamber the brass. Bolt should close without any cranking on your part. If not, grab your micrometer and slide it down the case. At the base, or near to it, if there is a bulge, your sizing die is improperly set. Get your instructions and follow them to the letter. Once that is done take that same piece of brass, some lube, then size it. My sizing stroke down and up is measured-not fast, not slow, no jerking. Rechamber. Post results one way or the other.

 

[Jcalder]

Daveb. I've tried all that. Brass length is under max. I've got 10 outta that I've done that won't chamber.

 

[Jcalder]

I did take a sharpie and color the shoulder and neck area. I chambered the brass and some of the marker was wiped away on the shoulder. I've never shot this and my friend hasn't either. I believe it's a headspace issue with whoever shot this stuff. Just wondering how to fix it so we can get some use out of it

 

[W C]

Are you saying that you're loading previously fired brass that you have no idea what it was fired in? Maybe military brass? If so you're gonna need small base dies to get it back to spec

 

[Jcalder]

This is all federal brass. You are correct on the fact that I don't know what it was shot in. I do know a fired round will not fit in my gun. So I may have resize and use what I can and move the rest. The part that doesn't make sense is some works and some doesn't.

 

[KPH]

Reread the instruction for setting the dies.

 

[Jcalder]

I reset the dies twice with no luck. I'm thinking either whoever fired this stuff has a gun with a looser chamber than I have. Therefore the shoulder is slightly farther forward that I can't seem to get to back off where it should be or I need small base dies. I do know that a fired round that is unsized will not chamber. The dies I'm using are full length but not small base.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Small base dies will not make a difference if the shoulder is the issue, as you indicated by the marker test. If you are getting lube dents, clean out your die totally, then back off on the lube or use imperial sizing wax. If you have some slight denting then this can be "fired out" when it is shot next, but denting should not be caused by the die unless it is out of spec.

 

[KPH]

I reset the dies twice with no luck. I'm thinking either whoever fired this stuff has a gun with a looser chamber than I have. Therefore the shoulder is slightly farther forward that I can't seem to get to back off where it should be or I need small base dies. I do know that a fired round that is unsized will not chamber. The dies I'm using are full length but not small base.

If the dies are sat right then it wouldn't matter if the gun they are fired in has a loose chamber also the die would bumb the shoulder back. Now I did get a die set that would nor size my cases to what they should be. It is possible you have a die that is not right. Just recheck every thing and start over again.

 

[Jcalder]

Ok. Cleaned my die. It was nasty. Reset everything and resized everything. Still no luck. I believe that it's a headspace issue. Is there any way to correct it? I can close my bolt getting a running shot but that not the correct way to do it. I've loaded close to 800 rounds in 308 and this is the first issue like this I've had

 

[Jcalder]

Kph. I thought the same thing. But after resetting my results are the same. It's only a select few that aren't working. I read in other forums that you can move your die up and down and gain or lose some headspace. But when I run the ram up there is only so far I can run a shell into the die before it bottoms out.

 

[KPH]

I don't know then, but if you solve it let us know.

 

[Jcalder]

I'm gonna try to find some headspace gauges. I think that's the problem. Everything else is working. Just hate to know I have 200 pieces of brass that won't work. Actually. Telling my buddy his brass is junk lol

 

[DaveB]

be interested in learning what is wrong. Wonder what the measurement is from base to shoulder? If that is off your headspace idea seems right. I'd dump the brass if that was the case.

 

[W C]

Do you have a case gauge to check the cases with?

 

[Jcalder]

No case gauge. I showed some guys at work what I had. They could see the shoulders weren't formed right. Said they they looked blew out a bit. I don't know that my die does much to shoulder. But it sizes the necks and the area just below the shoulder on the body. One of the guys at work is gonna let me barrow some small base dies. Maybe that'll fix it. We've nearly come to the conclusion who ever shot this has a chamber that may need to be looked at

 

[KPH]

It really sounds like the dies are not sat right and need to be raised some or the cases are too long. The die should almost size back to original no matter how out the chamber is.

 

[Jcalder]

I honestly don't know how else to set my dies. When I run a shell in the ram bottoms out. No possible way to to get the case to go any farther into the die. I checked the case length after sizing. They varied from 2.007-2.020. I know 2.020 is .005 past max length. But even the ones that are within specs won't go. I've had the problem before of forgetting to trim my brass before loading and that was the first thing I checked.

 

[KPH]

If you are talking about the seater die put a case in raise it to the top then screw your seater die in till it touches the mouth of the case then back it off two turns. If the sizing die but the ram to the top then screw the sizing die in till it touches the shell holder.

 

[Jcalder]

When I set my sizing die I run my ram all the way to the top. I screw in the die until it touches and screw in another 1/4 turn. I use a lee press and have the removable collets. I sized some other brass I have with no problems. I don't believe it's an issue with the way my die is set. I've sized close to 800 pieces with no problems until now. I do think that it's in the brass. Why my die isn't fixing the problem I don't know. Hopefully after getting my hands on some small base dies they will work.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Have you possibly changed shell holders? That could make a difference.

 

[Jcalder]

I'm using the same shell holder since I started

 

[KPH]

When seating what do you do? How do you adjust the seating die?

 

[Jcalder]

I raise my ram with an empty shell in and screw the die in till it touches. Then I back it off. I don't think there is an issue with my dies. I've not fired this stuff in any gun I own. A friend bought is as once fired and when I size it it will not not fit in the chamber.

 

[EastTNHunter]

When seating what do you do? How do you adjust the seating die?

Good question. I had improperly adjusted a .30-30 seating die once and it caused the shoulder to flare out ever so slightly, barely discernable by sight, making the casing very hard to chamber. It took me a while to figure it out, and when I did I had to pull and resize all of them :cry: Even after resizing they were a little rough to chamber and they had to be fired once to fully remove the flare.

I just don't understand why your die is not sizing them down far enough, regardless of the rifle that they were fired in. People reform casings from other calibers all of the time, and the shoulders have to be bumped back a long way on some of those.

 

[Jcalder]

I see your point in the seating die. But I've tried several that I never seated a bullet in. I appreciate the help and suggestions.

 

[matt_brown]

http://forum.snipershide.com/snipers-hide-reloading/ check out some of the sticky post I've learned tons from these guys. Tres Mon (screen name) is from Knoxville and has classes on reloading long range shooting I would love to meet this guy.