Cannot close bolt on CVA Cascade with handloads

Tommy Moffitt

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Sep 3, 2019
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Baton Rouge, LA
My son recently purchased a CVA Cascade chambered in .308. After following the recommended barrel break in procedure, I took the once fired Nosler brass and began the process of developing some reloads to use for hunting rounds. I visited the range yesterday and to my surprise, was unable to close the bolt on the new reloads. I used Hornady Custom Grade full-length dies and as always, followed the proper reloading procedures with OCD accuracy. I've been reloading since I was a kid, consider myself pretty good at it, and have never had this issue. I was able to chamber un-sized, once fired brass without issue and even went so far as trying a few rounds of the original factory rounds, again without issue. I then took some of the reloads and was able to chamber and fire them in a Remington 700 and S&W AR10 without issue.

After returning home, I took some of the new factory rounds, once fired brass and resized brass and took measurements of the neck, shoulder, body, extractor groove, etc. and didn't find anything that looked inconsistent between the three.

Any suggestions???
 
Looks like you need to adjust your dies juuuuussst a little more to bump the shoulder back on your brass. Even if your c.o.a.l is within spec, your shoulders might be slight forward. Also other possibilities is chamber might have a carbon build around the neck area of the chamber. And last but not least check the ejector and make sure you can push it in . If it is stuck, you need to clean it
 
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There is a current thread on this very subject. Take a look at it.

AND remove the firing pin and be sure the rounds will chamber before you leave the reloading room.
 
If you haven't got one get a shoulder/ bump guage- comparator. It should be one of the first tools every reloader should have. After using one you will be amazed just how little turning a die down is .002.
Its also why you should keep your brass separated into how many times its been fired, twice fired brass will bump different than 4 times fired.
 
Try this
at least you will get the title
 
If a die is tight in the body, as most Hornady dies are, the case grows longer considerably more, but if the shoulder is not bumped enough due to the extra elongation of the case body and then the die doesn't touch the shoulder when the shell holder is touching…..well, you see the problem?
This is why I say Hornady dies are JUNK.
Had the very same issue with them.
Anyway, place a .003" feeler gauge under the case head, but wind the decapping rod up first, and size a case, chamber it and see if it's still tight, use a different case each time, if still tight put a .005" feeler gauge under the case head and repeat steps above.
Also, have you polished the expander button on your die? The button can pull the shoulder forward if it is rough, polishing and lubing your necks with graphite powder helps a lot to eliminate this problem.

Cheers.
 
Also, have you polished the expander button on your die? The button can pull the shoulder forward if it is rough, polishing and lubing your necks with graphite powder helps a lot to eliminate this problem.

Cheers.
The only time I experienced a problem like the OP has indicated was when the expander ball slightly pulled the case neck upward and likely distorted the shoulder in the process.
Cleaning the inside of the necks with a bronze brush and then lubing them well before resizing eliminated the problem. It is one of the reasons that I now use bushing dies almost exclusively. Dragging an expander ball up through your necks just can't be a good thing.
 
The only time I experienced a problem like the OP has indicated was when the expander ball slightly pulled the case neck upward and likely distorted the shoulder in the process.
Cleaning the inside of the necks with a bronze brush and then lubing them well before resizing eliminated the problem. It is one of the reasons that I now use bushing dies almost exclusively. Dragging an expander ball up through your necks just can't be a good thing.
Pulling an expander that is .006"-.008" larger than the neck is a problem…pulling one .002" larger than the neck, lubed, is a dream in comparison and doesn't hurt a thing.
Stopped using bushings long ago, mandrels are the ticket for final neck sizing.

Cheers.
 
Pulling an expander that is .006"-.008" larger than the neck is a problem…pulling one .002" larger than the neck, lubed, is a dream in comparison and doesn't hurt a thing.
Stopped using bushings long ago, mandrels are the ticket for final neck sizing.

Cheers.
You may be right about the mandrels but I've had very good luck with proper sized bushings. My personal criteria for my hunting rifles is .5moa @ 400yds. My reloads using the Redding Type S FL bushing dies accomplishes that goal.
 
I use a Redding bushing die with the proper bushing for minimal sizing of my brass, no expander ball, and finish up with a mandrel it just works for me.
 
I aim for better than .5MoA.
If my precision rifles don't shoot to 1/4MoA or less, then the barrel goes to another home or stays in it's sock.
Neck tension is all but one aspect of a complete system that includes the rifle and nut behind the trigger.

Cheers.
 

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