Problem chambering 30-06 the bolt sticks

LittleMike

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Mar 10, 2018
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Western NY
This happen today, I hand loaded 30 nosler, 30-06 cases ( fired 4x ) with 180gr Nosler Accubonds, - Oal to ogive 2.7020",
- all cases were previously neck sized,
- measured to shoulder 2.0455",
- trim length 2.4855"
- all primers below edge of pocket

When I chamber the round, before I close the bolt the bolt seems to have a slight 'catch' sliding the bullet into the chamber. After I close the bolt and it doesn't seem to be a hard close, I have to struggle to raise the bolt back up. The WORST part is that after I raise the bolt I cannot pull it back, acts like it's jammed / stuck and I have to fight with it to eject the unfired round. Three timed I had to bang of the upraised bolt with a wood block to get it back. Most all the cases showed a scratch on the headstamp about half way to the primer all the way around forming a circular scratch.

I did fire a couple of those sticky bolt rounds, no problem ejecting the case, bolt worked fine.

This never happened before I don't understand it ... help appreciated
 
Sounds like the bullets were jammed into the lands. How far off the lands do you usually seat bullets?
If you are running compressed loads, the bullets can push back out a bit, if there is not a lot of neck tension. After 4 firings, neck tension may be a little less, if not annealing the brass.
Might also be the brass needs to be FL sized to set the shoulder back a bit. But, that issue usually starts out with a bit of a hard to close bolt when cambering the round.
Issue has to be something with the dimensions of the loaded rounds. Something is off.
 
^^^ This

How do you neck size? Bushing die? Collet? FL sizer backed off?

Sounds like either insufficient shoulder setback or bullets jamming the rifling. Look for marks on the bullets of rounds that have been chambered and then extracted. That would tell you if you're hitting the lands.

If there's no indication you're jamming the bullets, and the fired cases extract easily I would lean towards your sizing die setup.
 
Argh!

Thanks folks, I just tested some old Rem's and Hornady rounds and they work fine. My loads are .030" off the lands. So I Took 4 of those jam bullets, remeasured them seemed OK, so I pulled the bullets, and full length resized the shoulder shortened from 2.0455" to 2.0395" and freaking chambered just fine. Whatever I did, I will ful length resize everything after I finish pulling the bullets out. Thanks for your feedback...
 
I would seat a bullet .020 deeper and see if that solves it...if not it is likely a shoulder issue. If there is concern about a compressed load, load up one dummy at current length and see if it fits. If it doesn't, go .020 deeper.

You could also cover the bullet and neck / shoulder area with a sharpie and see where it is hitting. But I would start with a deeper bullet seating.
 
Just my opinion but throw the neck sizing die in the garbage can where it belongs, a minimal full length sizing produces the most accurate and best function ammunition. I would only set the shoulders back .002 ish though.
Interesting - I find a match grade sizing die and correct neck bushing give me my most accurate and best function ammunition. Guess that's why there are different stokes........
 
Argh!

Thanks folks, I just tested some old Rem's and Hornady rounds and they work fine. My loads are .030" off the lands. So I Took 4 of those jam bullets, re-measured them seemed OK, so I pulled the bullets, and full length resized the shoulder shortened from 2.0455" to 2.0395" and freaking chambered just fine. Whatever I did, I will full length resize everything after I finish pulling the bullets out. Thanks for your feedback...
Be careful pushing the shoulder back more than 0.001 in. to 0.002 in. You will heavily work the web area of your cases and start to have head separations way early in the life of your cases. What I do to set up for this:

1. Take some fired cases and knock the primers out without running them in a sizer-die (see below).
2. Measure the cases from 1 and note the measurement.
3. Run the measured case from 1 into the FL die and re-measure.
4.1 If the resized case is more than 0.002 in. shorter at the shoulder than its un-sized measurement, pull the die and move the die locking ring clock-wise a very small amount to move the die up some.
4.2 If the resized case is less than 0.001 in. shorter at the shoulder than its un-sized measurement, pull the die and move the die locking ring counter clock-wise a very small amount to move the die down some.

Keep repeating 4.1 or 4.2 until you get a case close to a .002 in. delta.

I use the case holder from the press and a small punch or the sizer-die center piece to punch the primers out. By placing the case holder in a sturdy loading block it gives the primer room to pop out and holds the case nicely.

If you already knew this, sorry.

You can obviously use those cases you set back 6 thou, they should shoot fine.
 
Be careful pushing the shoulder back more than 0.001 in. to 0.002 in. You will heavily work the web area of your cases and start to have head separations way early in the life of your cases. What I do to set up for this:

1. Take some fired cases and knock the primers out without running them in a sizer-die (see below).
2. Measure the cases from 1 and note the measurement.
3. Run the measured case from 1 into the FL die and re-measure.
4.1 If the resized case is more than 0.002 in. shorter at the shoulder than its un-sized measurement, pull the die and move the die locking ring clock-wise a very small amount to move the die up some.
4.2 If the resized case is less than 0.001 in. shorter at the shoulder than its un-sized measurement, pull the die and move the die locking ring counter clock-wise a very small amount to move the die down some.

Keep repeating 4.1 or 4.2 until you get a case close to a .002 in. delta.

I use the case holder from the press and a small punch or the sizer-die center piece to punch the primers out. By placing the case holder in a sturdy loading block it gives the primer room to pop out and holds the case nicely.

If you already knew this, sorry.

You can obviously use those cases you set back 6 thou, they should shoot fine.
How do you measure your case length at the shoulder? I find it at best a challenge to measure the length of a case to the shoulder, especially to 0.001" Not joking looking for an answer.
 
Much easier to shoot a few brass until bolt gets tight then work your way down starting with the +.010 shell holder in the Competition Shellholder kit from Redding, If still tight proceed down to the +.08 and so forth til get good comfortable bolt close (then that is the shell holder for THAT guns chamber. Very precise and repeatable!
 
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