325 wsm issues

[907KID]

I am not a seasoned reloader. Looking for some help. I have a 325 wsm that's new to me. When I loaded up some shells this weeked they would not cycle easy. When I close the bolt its very hard. After I resized each shell I would cycle it the guy, every one cycled fine. The problem arose after I set the bullet. I am using 180 grain 8mm bullets. The reloading manual says the max cartridge length is 2.86 inches. I started out at 2.85 and it would not cycle smooth. I dropped all the way down to 2.8 and am still having the same issues. Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong.
Josh

 

[cohunt]

are you hitting the "crimp" ring in the die too hard?

 

[Jluck]

Not bumping shoulder back enough?

 

[Rich Coyle]

Before you seat a bullet put a sized case in the Shell holder. Run it to the top and leave it. Then screw the seater out a ways so it will not touch a bullet If you had one in the case. Now screw the die down on to the sized case till it stops. Then you back it off a half turn and set the lock ring.

Now when you seat a bullet you won't hit the top of the on the die.

 

[907KID]

Cohunt- I don't crimp is the bullets if that's what you mean.
Jluck- I think I'm pushing the shoulder back far enough. That's why I cycled the shells in the gun before I added the bullet.

thanks for replying

 

[907KID]

Rich Coyle- that makes sense I will give that a go. Thanks.

 

[IanCo]

Is the bullet hitting the rifling?

 

[cohunt]

Cohunt- I don't crimp is the bullets if that's what you mean.
Jluck- I think I'm pushing the shoulder back far enough. That's why I cycled the shells in the gun before I added the bullet.

thanks for replying

Some seating dies have a crimp ring in them, you have to back the die off so you dont hit it while seating-- you might be crimping without knowing it. You adjust it like rich said

What brand of dies?

 

[907KID]

These are the dies I'm using.

 

[907KID]

IanCo- I'm guessing the bullet is not hitting the rifling. I'm figuring this because My overall cartridge length comes in at 2.8

 

[IanCo]

Chamber a round then pull it and see if there is rifling marks on the bullet.

 

[MagnumManiac]

The WSM cases are notorious for expanding just above the web and the die does not size this area sufficiently.

Measure before and after firing on a new case.

Let us know the results please.

Cheers.

 

[338 dude]

Tight neck chamber?

 

[cohunt]

op said that sized brass will chamber --the problem comes after he seats the bullet so I really doubt its a sizing issue or a shoulder bump issue--sounds like the die is over crimping the brass and thus causing a bulge in the case neck or bullet.

I'm pretty sure you are over crimping the case neck without knowing it--- here is a description on the Redding dies you listed right from their web site

"Die sets for straight wall cases contain three dies: a full length resizing die, an expander die with neck expanding plug, and seating die with built in crimp ring and the proper seating plug. Die sets for bottleneck cases contain two dies: a full length resizing die and seating die with built in crimp ring."
--- you'll notice that it says that 2 die bottleneck sets have a "built in crimp ring" in the seater die--- you need to back the die body out so you are not hitting the case neck on the crimping ring just like Rich said

Here is how to seat a bullet into the case without crimping. First, place a prepared case (a case that has been resized, re-primed and contains the proper amount of powder) into the shell holder and run it to the top of the press stroke. Second, screw the bullet seating die into the press until you feel it touch the case. Third, back the die off one turn and set the large lock ring. Now there is a proper gap between the shell holder and the die.--Now you can set the bullet seating plug to set the proper overall length of the loaded round according to what your rifle needs or wants.

In order to find out where the bullets hit the lands you might try using a comparator (https://www.hornady.com/reloading/p...s-and-gauges/lock-n-load-bullet-comparator#!/) and OAL gauge (https://www.hornady.com/reloading/p...tools-and-gauges/oal-gauges-modified-cases#!/)