Brass is hard to chamber after full-length resize

[okie man]

Go buy the proper tools too measure your cases accurately. Period. You absolutely need them too load quality and safe ammo. Just randomly turning your die down more or cutting shell holders/dies for more headspace is asking for disaster.

 

[johngibbs222]

My 0.02c load your fired case then compare with a factory round, measure everything with a mike preferably or with a caliper if you don't have a mike.
Fire the factory round then do the same checks, reload the factory round then do the same checks again.
My guess is the die isn't machined right and the act of resizing is forcing the base of the case to expand and the die is oversized enough to permit this.
I just read post #56 and looks like we're saying the same thing. If the die is out of spec send it back for a refund and buy Lee.

 

[Longrangers]

First I would get good brass

 

[BHP9]

I have never been impressed with Hornady brass or their dies.

I found the brass too soft and didn't last more than 1 reloading, and the dies didn't size the brass properly. I use RCBS mostly and have Lyman dies too. I sold my Redding dies due to not having that caliber anymore.

YMMV.

 

[Warbird2006]

I'm reloading 6.5 PRC Hornady brass. Factory ammo chambers fine. After resizing the brass using a Hornady match full-length resize die, the brass barely chambers—the bolt is sticky loading and unloading the brass. I have the die set so the case goes as far into the die as possible (shell holder hits the bottom of the die and cams over). Hornady customer services says it's because the match-grade dies only bump the shoulder .002" and the custom dies will bump the shoulder farther back.

Does anyone know if this is true? Let's be honest, there's a ton of misinformation in the guns/ammo/reloading world, and I've learned not to trust something just because someone who should know what they're talking about says it (because a lot of them don't actually know, even though they should).

Seems to me that bumping the shoulder even .002" should be enough for it chamber without the bolt getting sticky. I'm suspicious that the resizing die I got is out-of-spec (happened before w/ a Hornady .308 custom die and the problem resolved when I got a .308 match die).

Should I just get another resizing die, this time not a Hornady, and see if that fixes the issue? Dillon doesn't make 6.5 PRC dies yet, so I'd have to get Forster, RCBS, or Redding. Recommendations on which one to get?

Ask your chamber that question.

 

[Sending156s]

I'm reloading 6.5 PRC Hornady brass. Factory ammo chambers fine. After resizing the brass using a Hornady match full-length resize die, the brass barely chambers—the bolt is sticky loading and unloading the brass. I have the die set so the case goes as far into the die as possible (shell holder hits the bottom of the die and cams over). Hornady customer services says it's because the match-grade dies only bump the shoulder .002" and the custom dies will bump the shoulder farther back.

Does anyone know if this is true? Let's be honest, there's a ton of misinformation in the guns/ammo/reloading world, and I've learned not to trust something just because someone who should know what they're talking about says it (because a lot of them don't actually know, even though they should).

Seems to me that bumping the shoulder even .002" should be enough for it chamber without the bolt getting sticky. I'm suspicious that the resizing die I got is out-of-spec (happened before w/ a Hornady .308 custom die and the problem resolved when I got a .308 match die).

Should I just get another resizing die, this time not a Hornady, and see if that fixes the issue? Dillon doesn't make 6.5 PRC dies yet, so I'd have to get Forster, RCBS, or Redding. Recommendations on which one to get?

On the article about the chambers being to tight I wanted to say I've never experienced the problem stated in the article. I have 2 custom 65 PRCs & have never fired a round of factory ammo. My dies are Whidden custom dies built off the reamer print (using 3x fired neck sized brass is more reliable). I shoot & reload a lot as I have a range on my property.
Good luck on solving your problem. I've attached the notes/measurements from some new Lapua brass I have fired. You can see how much it grew at the web after one firing.

 

[Sending156s]

I'm reloading 6.5 PRC Hornady brass. Factory ammo chambers fine. After resizing the brass using a Hornady match full-length resize die, the brass barely chambers—the bolt is sticky loading and unloading the brass. I have the die set so the case goes as far into the die as possible (shell holder hits the bottom of the die and cams over). Hornady customer services says it's because the match-grade dies only bump the shoulder .002" and the custom dies will bump the shoulder farther back.

Does anyone know if this is true? Let's be honest, there's a ton of misinformation in the guns/ammo/reloading world, and I've learned not to trust something just because someone who should know what they're talking about says it (because a lot of them don't actually know, even though they should).

Seems to me that bumping the shoulder even .002" should be enough for it chamber without the bolt getting sticky. I'm suspicious that the resizing die I got is out-of-spec (happened before w/ a Hornady .308 custom die and the problem resolved when I got a .308 match die).

Should I just get another resizing die, this time not a Hornady, and see if that fixes the issue? Dillon doesn't make 6.5 PRC dies yet, so I'd have to get Forster, RCBS, or Redding. Recommendations on which one to get?

Could you post your new measurements & your 1x fired measurements? Thanks……the brass will tell us about your chamber.

 

[zzchipster]

Get a chamber gauge. Slotted if u can.

 

[SteveBurton]

On the article about the chambers being to tight I wanted to say I've never experienced the problem stated in the article. I have 2 custom 65 PRCs & have never fired a round of factory ammo. My dies are Whidden custom dies built off the reamer print (using 3x fired neck sized brass is more reliable). I shoot & reload a lot as I have a range on my property.

I think this is the best way to go. I think my CA Ridgeline will be the last factory rifle I buy. It's much cheaper in the long run to go custom. Not to mention better quality.

 

[Russell Sonner]

 

[FEENIX]

One other piece of advice….dump those Hornady dies in the trash! They are JUNK.

I have 4 Hornady custom grade dies without any issues.

 

[Sending156s]

I think this is the best way to go. I think my CA Ridgeline will be the last factory rifle I buy. It's much cheaper in the long run to go custom. Not to mention better quality.

Steve, I don't see trying to diagnose the problem without having the before and after measurements. Did the OP post them & I didn't see them. I tried to read each response. Thanks!

 

[Sending156s]

Trying to remember. Isn't web expansion of over .0003-5" excessive?

It surprised me when I 1st started taking better & more accurate measurements as I would rather just load & shoot. It's 3-1/2 thou. Both of my 65 PRCs are built by GAP.
im posting some measurements of the new 300 WM Peterson Long that recently came out. This is where I was getting cases ready to send to Hornady to get them threaded for the OAL gauge. I have neither the equipment nor the knowledge to do it myself. But, the web expansion is typical of what I usually see. The 300 WM is a custom also. All barrels are Bartlein.
How can anyone guess the problem without the measurements from the OP?

 

[Sending156s]

Go buy the proper tools too measure your cases accurately. Period. You absolutely need them too load quality and safe ammo. Just randomly turning your die down more or cutting shell holders/dies for more headspace is asking for disaster.

I think okie has the best post