The responses and instructions for finding the OAL are very good. But there is another concern here: You say a bullet cannot be inserted in the mouth of a fired case. Once it is fired the case mouth opens just slightly to release the bullet. You should then be able to insert a bullet into that case mouth easily, assuming this is a factory chamber. If it does not, you will need to reduce the diameter of the case neck slightly either by outside neck turning or inside reaming. Forester makes inside neck reamers, but I do not like them. Outside neck turning is a better option. There are many good neck turners on the market. Get one that will adjust to remove about .0002" from the neck brass with each pass. Just lightly skim the necks, load and fire in your rifle again. If the fired case mouth is still too tight, adjust the turner down another .0002" and keep doing this until a bullet will easily slide into a fired mouth. Accuracy will improve.
Weird issue when trying to determine .300 WimMag C.O.A.L...
- Thread starter Gunner1
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Positive.
A fired case does not have any neck tension on the bullet. The bullet will fall inside the case body.
Does your fired brass hold bullets?
Essentially, the cases will only hold the base of the bullet. I can't insert the bullet at all. I've tried two different brands of brass fired in my rifle and four different bullets and all are a no go.
philipbrousseau
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is this a custom rifle. are the necks being bent out of round when extracted ? will your cases fired in your rifle go back in the chamber and allow you to close the bolt without any more resistance than when you chambered the loaded round?
philipbrousseau
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factory rem 5r i had forgotten. perhaps if you are shooting factory ammo the crimp they use is preventing a bullet sliding into the neck. take a pair of pointed pliers closed and insert in case mouth with some pressure twist the case to just expand the crimped mouth of the case until a bullet will slide in. then the hornady type oal tool will work.
Do what I said and make a slit neck case and you will be happy.
dok7mm
Well-Known Member
Or use an expander mandrel .001" over caliber.
Barrelnut
Well-Known Member
One of the most accurate and repeatable ways to do this is in post 11. Then you don't have worry about being able to push a bullet into a fired case mouth. Though I agree that you should be able to do that without much effort. It should actually be so easy that the bullet will just slide around and fall out if you're not careful...
