Cartridge extraction issues

[fourrifles]

I'm loading for a 6.5 x .284 Norma. Hornady brass, 49.5 g 4831SC, 140 Berger vld. Rifle is a Savage 110 action with a Shillen barrel. The cartridges cycle fine until they are fired; once I fire them they stick in the chamber and won't extract. Switched to Lapua brass and the problem is gone.

I'm new to this game but looking for the reason for the Hornady brass sticking while the Lapua brass works fine. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

 

[bassassassin104]

It sounds like you are over pressure with the Hornady brass. Are you getting other indications of high pressure from the Hornady brass? Flat primers, extractor marks, etc..... Be careful switching back and forth between brass. What is okay in one may be over pressure in another.

 

[fourrifles]

No signs at all of high pressure in the Hornady brass. And the loads are on the light side. It has me baffled. A friend suggested that I anneal the Hornady brass but I'm not sure I want to go to that effort until I understand how it may help.

 

[Hugnot]

Occasionally brass might be close to or oversize dimensions (diameter) near base. Pressures may be normal and the usual excessive pressure indications absent but the normal working pressures may be enough to cause brass to stick upon firing. Have you measured the diameter of both Hornady & Lapua brass pre & post firing at just above the web?

I have encountered this problem with my .20 P & .22-.250. The fix was to use .223 small base dies and making my own small base die from a .260 AI F/L die by grinding about .010 off the bottom of the die - no contact except near the base of the brass. You might need a custom die or mess with some die to size only the base of the brass.

Annealing brass is only done on neck & shoulder areas - the head or base is made hard by work hardening upon manufacture - not to heat bases!

Chambers differ - one of my rifles has a really tight chamber & needs the small base sizing when using brass fired in a different rifle of the same caliber - like as posted by bassassassin104.

 

[bassassassin104]

Was the Hornady brass virgin when you loaded it for your rifle? If not, how many firings on it and was it ever fired from a different rifle?

 

[memtb]

The first thing I would do is check the case length. The Hornady brass may be a fraction long for your chamber, and not expanding enough to allow the bullet to freely exit the case! memtb

 

[fourrifles]

Occasionally brass might be close to or oversize dimensions (diameter) near base. Pressures may be normal and the usual excessive pressure indications absent but the normal working pressures may be enough to cause brass to stick upon firing. Have you measured the diameter of both Hornady & Lapua brass pre & post firing at just above the web?

I have encountered this problem with my .20 P & .22-.250. The fix was to use .223 small base dies and making my own small base die from a .260 AI F/L die by grinding about .010 off the bottom of the die - no contact except near the base of the brass. You might need a custom die or mess with some die to size only the base of the brass.

Annealing brass is only done on neck & shoulder areas - the head or base is made hard by work hardening upon manufacture - not to heat bases!

Chambers differ - one of my rifles has a really tight chamber & needs the small base sizing when using brass fired in a different rifle of the same caliber - like as posted by bassassassin104.

Thanks for the reply. Pretty new to the precision shooting game. I bought 100 rounds of Lapua brass and the problem disappeared so now I need to figure out how to get the Hornady brass to work.

 

[fourrifles]

Was the Hornady brass virgin when you loaded it for your rifle? If not, how many firings on it and was it ever fired from a different rifle?

No it had been fired, I was told two firings, from a different rifle. In any event, Lapua brass eliminated the problem.

 

[Rick Richard]

What I would try:

1. Full length resize the brass and fire.
2. Reduce to minimal load and fire.
3. If the two above steps don't work, then discard the brass.

If have never had good luck with Hornady brass. I find it too soft.

 

[whirlwindjml]

The first thing I would do is check the case length. The Hornady brass may be a fraction long for your chamber, and not expanding enough to allow the bullet to freely exit the case! memtb

You'll have the same problem with lapua brass if it gets to long.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Then hornady brass was probably fired in a looser chamber than yours. I've found Hornady brass is decent but you can't take it over pressure as far as a couple of the other brands before it loosens up on you. I don't have a problem with it loosening on overloads as I have bigger rifles if I want more thump. Turn your fl die down a bit to get the base narrower on the hdy and shoot a few sized that way; if getting the base down a couple thou. doesn't work, you may just have to set aside that brass.

 

[L.Sherm]

No it had been fired, I was told two firings, from a different rifle. In any event, Lapua brass eliminated the problem.

My guess if the brass was fired in another chamber your chamber is smaller at the .200.line and thats the problem with the hornandy brass, brass has a memory especially when it gets work hardened.
Throw the hornandy in the garbage and stick with the Lapua.

 

[lejuch]

Using brass in different guns leads to this issue often. I have experienced this exact issue even using Lapua brass. If I understand OP, Hornadt brass was previously fired in another chamber and Lapua was not? If so, there is your answer. Solution? New brass or small base die.

 

[Chadp82]

I had a similar problem in my REM700 30-06. All of a sudden reloads would stick. I ran some new factory loads my brother had on hand and didn't have the problem. Wasn't sure what was going on, thought it was a brass issue. Long story short - Turned out to be a broken extractor.