Handloads not chambering smoothly

[bigfella350]

Im still in the process of load testing for my 300 win mag and so far ive tested 3/4 diff charges so far and 2 diff seating depths. Anyways last night i noticed, after fl sizing all my fire formed cases, that about 15 cases didnt chamber smoothly. The bha match cases i have let the bolt close easily but the ones causimg me trouble were winchester and regular bha btass. I also noticed the. onea that chambered well were all shot using rl22 and they were all seated closer to saami specs. The ones that gave me trouble were all loaded with h1000 & were seated just .005-.010 off the lands. Im thinking over pressure mightve caused the difference but i started and stayed well below max.
Also, i have a shilen match barrel thats 26" and ive had about 100 rounds thru it so far. Would the chambering in my barrel likely be tight? Ive got a neck turmer on order so if thats the case it wont be a problem to fix here soon. But im just trying to narrow down the poss causes here.
Also, i measured from the shoulder to the head and got 2.20" so i bunped the shoulder back to 2.19 then 2.18" but still the same. Measured the oitside of the neck and got .22 all way around. Even tried neck sizing after fl sizing to see if thatd help and sized the neck all way down. Didnt notice a difference with this either. So im at a loss.
Thanks for any help in advance

 

[bigfella350]

The outside neck diameter wasnt .22 that was a typo, meant .32 outside neck diameter. The brass has all been fired 3 times or less, and ive pretty much decided the stickiness has been caused by too hot of a load. Even then though, shouldnt have my fl die fixed this issue? That was my thinking and several of these cases did have to be trimmed after sizing, but i always trim to 2.61" & check each case to make sure theyre all this length.
Maybe im asking a dumb ? that im just overthinking on bc ive had that prblem b4 lol

 

[918v]

Maybe it's binding at the base? Belted mags tend to do that especially with a match chamber. If so, get this:

Belted Magnum Collet Resizing Die

Innovative Technologies - Reloading Equipment

 

[unclefish]

Had to make my hornady press cam over a little for mine to go in. Try that first

 

[cowboy]

Had to make my hornady press cam over a little for mine to go in. Try that first

Agree with the above. And if that doesn't do it you may have to trim a few thousandths off either your shell holder or the bottom of your FL die. Any gunsmith with a lathe can do this in just minutes.

Bottom line is - you are more than likely not setting your shoulder back far enough for your specific chamber of your rifle. It is not a big deal - I have shell holders that have been trimmed that I use specifically for a particular rifle.

 

[bigfella350]

Could the buldge above the belt happen this quickly? Ive checked out larry willis' collet style die for belted cases b4 but i thought it took several firings and resizings b4 this would normally occur. Are u saying that the loaf being hot couldve caused this condition much quicker than usual. I havent noticed abright colored ring in that area but ill check again when i get home. Thanks

 

[bigfella350]

Ok ill try that. Ive had to adjust al way down to manufacturers d
recommended setup b4 but not with hornady dies yet. Im also gonna check my headspace on the cases that chambered the smoothest. Why i didnt think to do that last nite is beyond me lolq. Prob a lil frustration getting in the way i guess.

 

[cowboy]

Could the buldge above the belt happen this quickly? Ive checked out larry willis' collet style die for belted cases b4 but i thought it took several firings and resizings b4 this would normally occur. Are u saying that the loaf being hot couldve caused this condition much quicker than usual. I havent noticed abright colored ring in that area but ill check again when i get home. Thanks

When you shot these last reloads did you notice and pressure signs on the brass/primers, did you notice any resistance on bolt lift to extract cartridge?

 

[DocB]

Maybe it's binding at the base? Belted mags tend to do that especially with a match chamber. If so, get this:

Belted Magnum Collet Resizing Die

Innovative Technologies - Reloading Equipment

+1 on both. It doesn't take much of a bulge either. Mark up a sticking case with a sharpie, slowly feed it in, check it when it's extracted. This might help you diagnose where they're binding. The Larry Willis die works well in this situation. Good Luck.

DocB

Animo et Fide "Courage and Faith"

 

[bigfella350]

When id gotten upto 74.5 grains of H1000 with 208gr amax seated .005 o ff the lands I started noticing a worn ring on the case head/around the primer and the bolt got pretty stickky so I quit there. I dont think I went low enough on my starting point. I know all guns are diff but I figd signs of pressure wouldnt start to show til at least 75.5-76gr but I underestimated the pressure increase from being closer to the lands. Is there a general rule anybody goes by for seating closer to the lands, (ex. For every .005 closer to lands pressure goes up reduce charge by a certain amount so pressure stays in the same ballpark?

 

[bigfella350]

Late post but I'd just realized I never posted what it was that was causing the problem once I found the solution. Felt stupid after figuring it out but it was Indeed the shoulder not being bumped back quite far enough.
It definately wasn't much but the cases that wouldn't chamber measured 2.190" from case head to datum line, whereas it took me pushing the shoulder back to 2.170" to get a very smooth chambering. Haven't had an issue since & I've been able to get 2-3 firing s with just neck sizing before having to bump the shoulder again. Thanks for the help i rly do appreciate it.

 

[AZShooter]

Pushing the shoulder back .020"!!! That is a lot. I'd bet that the case was hanging up just in front of the belt and by lowering the die by that amount allowed a narrower portion of the FL die to size the body enough for an easy fit.

Do you realize that moving the shoulder back that much will begin to over work the brass? It can cause a case separation. If your brass has been fired several times it is going to be harder and perhaps a bit more brittle. The separation could happen the next time you fire it!!!!

Did you ever cover a case with a sharpie to see where it is rubbing? Your method may solve the cartridge fitting but IMO it is the wrong solution.

Another thing that concerns me is that you are using different brands of brass. IMO you are better off using one brand. Interior space varies with different brands. It has to do with the wall thickness and most brands have different thicknesses.

I think you might be best served to throw away (or recycle) the brass that was over pressured for your safety.

 

[LONGSHOOTER]

...the cases that wouldn't chamber measured 2.190" from case head to datum line, whereas it took me pushing the shoulder back to 2.170" to get a very smooth chambering.

Huh?

 

[Deleted member 46119]

Oh man, .020 is a lot.

I think by pushing down that hard you are sizing close to the belt. Your brass will suffer.

Anneal.....