I'm with mram-take a fired case...it probably won't chamber easily, set your size die up high in the press, and slowly work it down toward the ram till your bolt will close easier. Very likely, this will help alleviate this splitting problem.
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I'm on my 4th firing of hornady brass for my 28 nosler and it's been fine.
Sorry, I'm thinking of my bullet seating stem- 1\4 turn on the die is prolly about rite. Good luck.
I hope someone starts making it soon.
So I've always used rcbs dies, I couldn't find a 300 prc in rcbs so I got a hornady. They want it set till the shell holder just touches. But in a side not it says it can be backed up for different type of chambers. In the rcbs die there isn't any way to get it wrong. Once the shell holder meet the die it can't go any farther, the internals can't be moved other than the de priming pin. I haven't found any type of better instructions on backing it out. But the measurements all seem right so I don't think it's a resizing issue. Just seems like junk brass.
I was having trouble finding 28 Nosler had to shoot factory loads for the brass until Atlas ran some
The fired cases do chamber pretty easy not as good as a factory but it's not a hard bolt close by any means.
I've had brass get hung up after firing that never separated
entoptics
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Any die set can "get it wrong". Ideally, you want to set the die to move the shoulder back 0.001-0.003" only. Typically, the "screw it in till it touches" method will give excessive head space, as they build the dies to work for the shortest chamber that might be encountered.
My OEM 300 WM barrel had a particularly long chamber, and back before I measured such things, I followed the die instructions. On the third round of reloads, I got separations just above the belt, with Federal brass. I assumed it was bad brass. I then bought a bunch of MAI (Norma) brass.. After 2 reloads, I bought a comparator set, and started measuring things. Using the standard die instructions, I was bumping the shoulder back 0.008"!. I have the RCBS case measuring station, and was able to confirm significant thinning at the web, after only two firings.
Since then, I've been bumping that same MAI brass ~0.002" on resizing, and they've taken another 3 firings. A few are culled each reload for excessively thin webs, but most are still good for at least another firing or two. Had I not put the first two firings with excessive head space on them, I bet they'd have been good for 8-10 firings (I anneal necks).
Anyway, I would strongly suggest measuring your actual headspace with a comparator, on your once fired brass, then again on your sized brass. My guess is you've got excessive headspace (shoulder setback).
If you're fired brass chambers easily without resizing, then you likely dont need to resize it much, if any at all. Really you just need the neck resized so that you can fire it again.
It can often take more then one firing to properly size the case to the chamber. If it isnt tight to close the bolt on a fired case, then that case hasnt likely conformed to your chamber 100%.
The case head separation may have occurred because you just resized the brass way too much, trying to put it back to factory length.
Chamber on the high side of SAAMI and a die on the low side, a couple high pressure firings...
Another cheater method, without the proper measuring tools. First remove the expander ball. Then back the die way up off the ram. Then resize. You should be able to see where the neck has been sized down and where it is still too large. Sneak the die down until the neck is 100% sized down and you arent pushing the shoulder back. Put the expander ball back in for final resize.
As you approach the shoulder, 1/16 turn of the die is still .004", so smaller adjustments may be required. Use lots of lube.
Work carefully and the proper measuring tools make it safer and more consistent/reliable.
It can often take more then one firing to properly size the case to the chamber. If it isnt tight to close the bolt on a fired case, then that case hasnt likely conformed to your chamber 100%.
The case head separation may have occurred because you just resized the brass way too much, trying to put it back to factory length.
Chamber on the high side of SAAMI and a die on the low side, a couple high pressure firings...
Another cheater method, without the proper measuring tools. First remove the expander ball. Then back the die way up off the ram. Then resize. You should be able to see where the neck has been sized down and where it is still too large. Sneak the die down until the neck is 100% sized down and you arent pushing the shoulder back. Put the expander ball back in for final resize.
As you approach the shoulder, 1/16 turn of the die is still .004", so smaller adjustments may be required. Use lots of lube.
Work carefully and the proper measuring tools make it safer and more consistent/reliable.
