The Oregonian
Well-Known Member
I have been chasing this problem more seriously for the last several range trips, but it first showed up around 100-150 rounds ago, ssentially when i started on the third firing of the brass. Occasionally I would get a round that wouldn't chamber - I measured the case neck of a loaded round and it flared right at the end of the neck. This would happen on a round here or there but has gotten more frequent and drives me crazy...It has gotten more frequent lately, maybe 20-25% or more of the rounds. Some of those that do chamber take a little more oomph to close the bolt - i don't fire those but i do note that it happens. I measure the case neck width of a sized case (whole neck, not brass thickness) halfway up the neck and slowly pull it out of the calipers. I see it increase to about 5 thou above the bushing diameter right at the mouth. When I seat and try to chamber many of the cases stop a half inch or so from bolt close - a hard stop and won't go into the neck. Not even close to chambering.
I went through every step of the loading process to try to find where it was showing up and thought i had it narrowed to the seating die but found that wasn't it. It only shows up when a bullet is seated bc all extra brass is pushed to the outside and won't give if needed bc a bullet is seated - I.e. if I chamber a piece of brass without a bullet it will chamber bc the brass can just give in with no bullet to stop it from giving.
So i started looking at bushings, fired neck diameter, etc this morning. It didn't show up as not concentric, and I measured case neck thickness but not at the very very end...It was a eureka moment. I have no idea why it is thicker there, which is why I am asking the interwebs here, but at least I found the culprit.
If anything i expected the donut to show up and have a thick area near the shoulder and figured I would need to start turning necks to get rid of it. But I have no idea how the brass could be .017 thick in the middle of the neck and .022+ right near the mouth.
This has been super frustrating...any words of wisdom?
Pics and other items that will be helpful below. Pics show .017 mid neck and .024 at very end of case mouth.
MOA Rifles 28 Nosler using Nosler Brass, on the third brass firing.
Berger 195 bullet, .020 off lands. I have chased the lands about .020 since it was new, so not any drastic change. 550 or so rounds fired.
Whidden custom dies to my chamber, sizer is bushing with .314 bushing size.
I anneal with AMP after each firing, don't turn necks, and use STM tumbling for 4 hours.
Case length is still within spec, about 2.575 to 2.580 so i haven't trimmed yet.
I have been hand loading for about 4 years, self taught from watching videos, reading here, and reading articles.
I went through every step of the loading process to try to find where it was showing up and thought i had it narrowed to the seating die but found that wasn't it. It only shows up when a bullet is seated bc all extra brass is pushed to the outside and won't give if needed bc a bullet is seated - I.e. if I chamber a piece of brass without a bullet it will chamber bc the brass can just give in with no bullet to stop it from giving.
So i started looking at bushings, fired neck diameter, etc this morning. It didn't show up as not concentric, and I measured case neck thickness but not at the very very end...It was a eureka moment. I have no idea why it is thicker there, which is why I am asking the interwebs here, but at least I found the culprit.
If anything i expected the donut to show up and have a thick area near the shoulder and figured I would need to start turning necks to get rid of it. But I have no idea how the brass could be .017 thick in the middle of the neck and .022+ right near the mouth.
This has been super frustrating...any words of wisdom?
Pics and other items that will be helpful below. Pics show .017 mid neck and .024 at very end of case mouth.
MOA Rifles 28 Nosler using Nosler Brass, on the third brass firing.
Berger 195 bullet, .020 off lands. I have chased the lands about .020 since it was new, so not any drastic change. 550 or so rounds fired.
Whidden custom dies to my chamber, sizer is bushing with .314 bushing size.
I anneal with AMP after each firing, don't turn necks, and use STM tumbling for 4 hours.
Case length is still within spec, about 2.575 to 2.580 so i haven't trimmed yet.
I have been hand loading for about 4 years, self taught from watching videos, reading here, and reading articles.