Why won’t my bolt close?

nut up and buy some good brass. Hornady will collapse with shoulder bumping.
dont use too much lube. lower FL die a bit till your bolt closes.

primers not fully seated as mentioned. Get the RCBS Bench Primer tool, its amazing.

If it was a custom rifle with custom cut chamber, it might be another problem

I neck size everything except my AR ammo. Never have problems with 22-250, 243, 308, 358, 270, 30-06, 300WM, 300RUM, 338EDGE, or 416/300RUM. I make sure the headspace on my rifles is snug up against the GO gauge, full length size the first time and then neck size only after that. No trouble with case length.

Any chance the ones the bolt doesn't close on were fired in another gun/barrel than the one you're having issues with?

If not, I agree. You need to bump shoulders.

Remmy700 said:

That is correct. There will never be anything more accurate than properly setup FL die when all brass is truly fire-formed with correct shoulder bump on every case. Now that is consistent!!

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How can you use both fire formed and full length resize in the same sentence? It's no longer fire formed if you FL resize it, I don't care how you look at it. FL resize takes it back to SAAMI Spec, or very close to it. It will be MUCH more consistent when fire formed, neck sized and shoulder bumped - also, your brass will last much longer due to less working.

rick523 said:

Im shooting a Bergara B14 HMR in the dreaded 6.5 C M. Load is 143 ELDx, 41.5 gr. H4350 CCI BR2 primers, Hornady cases. Seated .015 off the lands. Here's the problem if I neck size a fire formed case the bolt will not close on about half of the rounds. I neck size everything except 223 and have never ran into this. Any ideas, suggestions. Don't really want to FL size if I can keep from it. Thanks!

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After fired case is extracted does there appear to be lines in the case running up the length of the case equal distance apart. If so, the chamber has been reamed and chatter has occurred. A high pitched squeal while the reamer is cutting is chatter which produces those "lines" and prevents case from chambering unless full length sized. Possibly not your problem, but is possible.

Ran

rick523 said:

Im shooting a Bergara B14 HMR in the dreaded 6.5 C M. Load is 143 ELDx, 41.5 gr. H4350 CCI BR2 primers, Hornady cases. Seated .015 off the lands. Here's the problem if I neck size a fire formed case the bolt will not close on about half of the rounds. I neck size everything except 223 and have never ran into this. Any ideas, suggestions. Don't really want to FL size if I can keep from it. Thanks!

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Ran into same problem with a Ruger in 22-250. Another reloaded tried and had same issue. Sent it back to ruger twice to no avail. That rifle became trading equipment!

Do not neck size. You gain absolutely nothing from it and will only create problems for yourself.

Bingo. Without consistent sizing you won't get consistent results. Ideally you want to find a die that sizes your brass minimally.

bigngreen said:

If your not FL sizing correctly after every firing your leaving potential on the table!! All neck sizing does is make every firing different from the next which is not the best.

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FL sizing is fine but, as suggested, you may want to try the Forster Bump Die. They seem to be a good compromise and are working well for me so far. I suspect the cases may get tight and you may need to FL size after several loadings but I'm not there yet though.

rick523 said:

Im shooting a Bergara B14 HMR in the dreaded 6.5 C M. Load is 143 ELDx, 41.5 gr. H4350 CCI BR2 primers, Hornady cases. Seated .015 off the lands. Here's the problem if I neck size a fire formed case the bolt will not close on about half of the rounds. I neck size everything except 223 and have never ran into this. Any ideas, suggestions. Don't really want to FL size if I can keep from it. Thanks!

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I'm with what lance said. When the load is heavy enough it can also expand the base of the case which will require FL sizing. With lighter loads you can get by with Neck sizing a time or two before FL sizing but with a heavy load you pretty much have to FLS every time. Problem too with a load that heavy if you are expanding the base of the case some you are probably also expanding the primer pockets too which could cause you short case life or worse.

Individual guns may require different processes to function and shoot well. Based on your comments I think you may have to FL size your brass more frequently than other brass in your other rifles. Maybe the incredible 6.5 isn't as easy to load for as other more common and mundane cartridges.
How do you get consistent results by FL forming every time? You now have a case that is to SAMI spec but not a case that fits your chamber.
I am old and have been loading for over 45 years. I only FL size case that I shoot in my AR platform rifles. Neck size everything else. I shoot 22-250, 243, 25-06, 308, 30-06, 300 WM, 300 RUM and 338 Edge. Some are custom barrels but most are factory barrels. I do measure after 2-3 firings and trim if necessary. I don't load for any rifles other than my own. If I did load for any other rifle I would start out FL sizing and then build the bullet for that rifle.

whidden makes a great die that full length sizes but you can set the bump you want. I use it on all my loads. Great accuracy and you should have no issues with bolt closure

rick523 said:

Im shooting a Bergara B14 HMR in the dreaded 6.5 C M. Load is 143 ELDx, 41.5 gr. H4350 CCI BR2 primers, Hornady cases. Seated .015 off the lands. Here's the problem if I neck size a fire formed case the bolt will not close on about half of the rounds. I neck size everything except 223 and have never ran into this. Any ideas, suggestions. Don't really want to FL size if I can keep from it. Thanks!

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If you are not using a true neck only sizing die that makes no contact with body of cartridge You are likely inadvertently partially sizing body this is increasing case head to datum. Check by measuring as fired with primer removed vs neck sized .

Mic a fired case at the shoulder body junction, then size and measure again. You might find this area has a bulge.

I neck size the majority of my loads, when done correctly it is a zero issue process. The problem is most do not take the time to set up neck dies correctly.

I have experienced the body/shoulder junction swelling after neck sizing when you bump the shoulder with a neck die, can't do that. The neck die does not have enough support at that junction to prevent from bulging out.

I have found that the only way to bump a shoulder is either with a bump die, S Die or a FL die.

Regarding a compressed load pushing a bullet out, if there isn't enough neck tension on the bullet this can happen. But closing the bolt will push that same bullet back into the case. Unless the OP is neck turning, I doubt this could be an issue. It's possible, but unlikely.

JMHO