Case sizing problems?

[ropeNshoot]

I'm shooting a Rem 700 in .300WM. It has the 26" 5r barrel. My load is WW brass, 76gr H1000, WLRM primer, 208 AMax bullet and a COAL of 3.420".

The load has proven accurate in my rifle. Making one hole groups at 100yds and 4" groups at 500yds shooting off a backpack.

The problem... I ran out of loaded rounds so I made more. About 100 more. But I used once fired Rem brass. Probably shouldn't have switched but I had it on hand. The bolt was quite sticky when I ejected the fired cases. Rubber mallet sticky. I knew there was a problem so I went home and pulled a bunch of bullets and the powder charges were correct. So I loaded ten more in WW brass thinking that's all it is. This brass had been fired five times before. The first two shots left cases stuck in chamber, same as the ones in Rem brass. So I put those away and fired three different brands of factory ammo and it was perfect. No problems.

Is my FL sizing die out of adjustment? Would the Hornady headspace gauge kit show me what is out of whack?

Thoughts?

 

[rcoody]

I'm shooting a Rem 700 in .300WM. It has the 26" 5r barrel. My load is WW brass, 76gr H1000, WLRM primer, 208 AMax bullet and a COAL of 3.420".

The load has proven accurate in my rifle. Making one hole groups at 100yds and 4" groups at 500yds shooting off a backpack.

The problem... I ran out of loaded rounds so I made more. About 100 more. But I used once fired Rem brass. Probably shouldn't have switched but I had it on hand. The bolt was quite sticky when I ejected the fired cases. Rubber mallet sticky. I knew there was a problem so I went home and pulled a bunch of bullets and the powder charges were correct. So I loaded ten more in WW brass thinking that's all it is. This brass had been fired five times before. The first two shots left cases stuck in chamber, same as the ones in Rem brass. So I put those away and fired three different brands of factory ammo and it was perfect. No problems.

Is my FL sizing die out of adjustment? Would the Hornady headspace gauge kit show me what is out of whack?

Thoughts?

76 gr of h1000 shouldn't be a hot load but sticky bolts sure are evidence of it.

did the loaded rounds chamber easily?

did you check trim length?

did you change the COL?

Did you change any other components than the brass?

Is this a different lot of powder?

Could be the Rem brass has a smaller case volume?

 

[ropeNshoot]

Some of the rounds chambered stiff and some wouldn't chamber at all. I only fired three rounds and they chambered fine. Cases were uniformly trimmed with a Lee trimmer. It was a different lot of powder but other than that and the brass everything was the same. I've fired ~150 rounds of this load through this rifle and never had a problem. It bugged me that after the Rem brass stuck, the next loads with WW brass stuck. That makes me wonder if the sizing die is out of adjustment. I measured all of the rounds and COAL was correct. I measured case lengths too and they were fine. But overall case length doesn't tell me anything about distance from case head to shoulder

 

[BountyHunter]

Measure the case base about .250 above the groove. See what the dimensions are on ones that chamber versus not chambering. That is a dimes ion issue in your sizing die.

You mentioned once fired Remington brass. Once fired in another chamber?

Remington brass is generally known to be softer.

You can buy a Wilson case Guage to check each round after loading also as a QC check.

Try a redding body die or a small base die if it is a base issue.

 

[rcoody]

Some of the rounds chambered stiff and some wouldn't chamber at all. I only fired three rounds and they chambered fine. Cases were uniformly trimmed with a Lee trimmer. It was a different lot of powder but other than that and the brass everything was the same. I've fired ~150 rounds of this load through this rifle and never had a problem. It bugged me that after the Rem brass stuck, the next loads with WW brass stuck. That makes me wonder if the sizing die is out of adjustment. I measured all of the rounds and COAL was correct. I measured case lengths too and they were fine. But overall case length doesn't tell me anything about distance from case head to shoulder

well if the loaded rounds don't chamber easily and factory rounds do you have found the problem.

it is something with your sizing die. Either how you have it adjusted or the die itself.

Is this the same sizing die you have been using in the past?

Do you have the die adjusted down to the point it cams over without a case in it.

or have you got it adjusted up for a 2 thousands shoulder bump.

 

[ropeNshoot]

So I should have done my homework before I posted anything.... And yes it is the same sizing die that I've been using forever. This is what I found by measuring from case head to shoulder on unfired rounds:

Book Spec = 2.196"
Bad Rem handloads = 2.209" - 2.219"
Bad WW handloads = 2.206" - 2.216"
Good factory WW loads = 2.194" - 2.199"

So I think I found the problem. Can I accurately measure that distance with the Hornady Headspace gauge kit or is there a better way? I want to be able to make sure everything is good when I adjust my die and know exactly what the dimensions are to avoid these costly mistakes.

 

[rcoody]

So I should have done my homework before I posted anything.... And yes it is the same sizing die that I've been using forever. This is what I found by measuring from case head to shoulder on unfired rounds:

Book Spec = 2.196"
Bad Rem handloads = 2.209" - 2.219"
Bad WW handloads = 2.206" - 2.216"
Good factory WW loads = 2.194" - 2.199"

So I think I found the problem. Can I accurately measure that distance with the Hornady Headspace gauge kit or is there a better way? I want to be able to make sure everything is good when I adjust my die and know exactly what the dimensions are to avoid these costly mistakes.

here is what I do with my bolt guns.

Use the hornady headspace gauge on a fired case. Then start adjusting your die and measuring the resized fired case until you get a shoulder bump of about 0.002. Then load it and see how it chambers.

be sure to use a lock ring on that die so when you find that correct sizing you can lock it down and not have this problem again.

when you set up a die for a shoulder bump instead of full length resizing you may find that it doesn't resize the base of the brass enough. Since you have been using this die for a long time that should not be a problem. If it is you need to just screw the die all the way down to the shell holder and another quarter of a turn. This will completely resize the case.

 

[ropeNshoot]

So I got out some once fired WW and Rem cases and reset my FL sizing die according to the RCBS instructions. Adjusted to those specs I get 2.209" from case head to shoulder. I cannot make them any shorter because the press won't cam over (the die is too low).

I can't get anywhere near the 2.196" that is specified in the manual or measured on good factory rounds. I've got the right shellholder and the dies used to produce rounds that fit/functioned fine.

What's up?

 

[rcoody]

So I got out some once fired WW and Rem cases and reset my FL sizing die according to the RCBS instructions. Adjusted to those specs I get 2.209" from case head to shoulder. I cannot make them any shorter because the press won't cam over (the die is too low).

I can't get anywhere near the 2.196" that is specified in the manual or measured on good factory rounds. I've got the right shellholder and the dies used to produce rounds that fit/functioned fine.

What's up?

strange to say the least.

I am going to ask some questions that may sound a little stupid.

You have your cases well lubed all the way to the case head?

when you have a case in the die have you looked to see if at the bottom of the stroke the case is all the way in?

Have you disassembled the die and checked to make sure there is no obstruction or the expander ball stopping the case from going all the way down? Is the expander ball/depriming pin set too deep and bottoming out against the case head?

while you have the die disassembled clean the inside of the die well with your cleaning solvent. Might be a buildup of lube keeping the case from going all the way in.

 

[BountyHunter]

machine off .015-.018 off the bottom of the die

 

[SidecarFlip]

Some of the rounds chambered stiff and some wouldn't chamber at all. I only fired three rounds and they chambered fine. Cases were uniformly trimmed with a Lee trimmer. It was a different lot of powder but other than that and the brass everything was the same. I've fired ~150 rounds of this load through this rifle and never had a problem. It bugged me that after the Rem brass stuck, the next loads with WW brass stuck. That makes me wonder if the sizing die is out of adjustment. I measured all of the rounds and COAL was correct. I measured case lengths too and they were fine. But overall case length doesn't tell me anything about distance from case head to shoulder

Sounds to me like the old headspace issue. Get yourself a Hornady gage with plugs and anvil. It's time to bump the shoulders back. Start at 0.002.

 

[red dawg]

Ditto, Right on as usual, Side Car!

 

[red dawg]

Brass is 90 percent of reloading problems, when your o.a.l. is correct and your powder choice is working, solve your brass problem and guess what? you won't have anymore problems.

 

[ropeNshoot]

I just tried sizing some virgin brass (WW) and it measured right from head to shoulder. I loaded 3 rounds (V). Then sized and loaded three rounds of once fired WW brass that was virgin on the last shot (1). Then sized and loaded three rounds of once fired WW brass from their factory ammo (1F). All nine rounds would cycle fine.

V = no sticky bolt but a bad group. Maybe me
1 = fired one shot and bolt stuck pretty stiff. Didn't fire the last two
1F = 1" group but bolt was a little tight on all three rounds.

Weird