Retumbo wont fit

[101stCurrahee]

New to reloading. I'm working on my first load for ELR. I'm loading for my Bergara HMR in 300 WinMag. I'm loading GunWerks brass with 215 Berger Hybrids.

From what I read the starting load is 74 grains of Retumbo. I tried loading this and the case is full up to the neck and seating the bullet to the powder leaves me at 3.745. Why is the starting load so large and not allowing me to seat a bullet enough?

I haven't been able to fire form my brass to modify it and measure seating depth to my lands yet, but I'm guessing it wont be 3.745.


What's the deal? Advice?

 

[codyadams]

Use H1000. Best advice you'll likely get ha ha.

But if you don't have access to it, you could try using a drop tube, vibrating toothbrush, hold the case against a vibratory tumble if you have one, and so on. May settle it enough to where your load won't be too compressed.

 

[cohunt]

try drop tube or switch powders, you may need to drop the load by a grain or 2 for the gunwerks brass

is it the new gunwerks brass or the old norma gunwerks brass?

if its the new brass then you should read the warning on their website first -- here it is for you :

• Our brass is engineered with thicker walls than our competitors for extended case life, meaning more reloads. You may need to reduce powder charges to maintain desired pressures.

 

[101stCurrahee]

Oh man, I didn't even see that. It is new brass. Thanks for possibly avoiding that.

So I should start 1-2 grains below recommended to be safe? It looks like Berger recommends 70.5 grains of H1000 for a 215 grained. Should I start at 69 to be safe?

Super lucky. After checking every website and store within 150 miles I finally found a little hole in the wall gun shop an hour away with 1 pound of H1000 left.

 

[JJMoody]

Yeah... send that Retumbo junk my way

 

[101stCurrahee]

Well that solved that problem. 70 grains of H1000 fits fine. And after getting a store bought modified case it looks like I COULD have loaded the Retumbo that long. My measurements on the Bergara are 2.909 CBTOL hitting the lands.

So I loaded up a few at 2.889. They look stupid long and don't fit the mag but if that's what it is oh well

 

[dsculley]

If that brass was new, you may want to shoot it a few times to get it fire formed to your chamber. Make sure you don't move the shoulder back more than necessary when you resize so that it is headspacing off the shoulder rather than the belt. You may find that you can use the Retumbo after the cases have been completely fire formed.

 

[nt7332]

70 gr of H1000 is a light load with 215s brother. I have been thru quiet a few 300 wins and I always find a good safe node in the 74-76 area.

 

[101stCurrahee]

Berger lists the starting load with H1000 as 70.5 grains, and apparently this brass is thicker and should be reduced a grain or two.

Is this unsafe? I plan on working up to pressure, I'd just rather err on the side of caution. I have 100 rounds of brass to fire form and find a good node.

 

[nt7332]

Yes sir do work up but despite the thicker brass u still have plenty of room espicily if u are loading to the lands. U will find that good higher node on the 74-76 area.

 

[101stCurrahee]

Thanks. Should I load up in .5 grain increments until pressure signs, and then do smaller increments working down to find the best node right under? Hoping to stretch this thing out to a mile eventually.

 

[nt7332]

U can try the Saterlee method if u are simply looking for pressure and flat spots. But I like good ol fashion OCW at 200 or 300.

 

[jbs2014]

Yeah... send that Retumbo junk my way

I was just going to ask the same thing

 

[JJMoody]

Dumb comments like that are almost as obligatory as telling the guy in the neighborhood who's washing his car, that he can do yours next... I know better, but ...Just. Can't. Resist...OP, I apologize for the derailment of a thread someone can learn something from. Good info and advice here.