Tight chamber: resizing loading ammo

[Freediver474]

I recent purchased a custom rifle and it seems like it has such a tight chamber that it won't chamber some factory rounds or my reloads out of my other 2 243s. I'm leaving for a coyote hunting trip next week and I picked up 150 rounds of 70gr 243 dogtown ammo because i didn't have time to load up ammo for the new rifle. The new factory rounds Will not chamber. I ran it through my resizer and I can get it to chamber but it feels like the bullets are loose now. Do I have to resize and pull all the bullets and start fresh?

 

[sedancowboy]

Yes you have to start over. Resizing a loaded round is not a good idea. It will likely crimp the bullet too much and it would cause problems. Buy some new brass and start from there.

 

[Dmagna]

I would contact the smith who built the rifle. See what they have to say.

 

[shortgrass]

Seems like everyone wants a nice, tight, minimum headspaced chamber,,,,, until it gives ammo problems.

 

[okie man]

How does one size loaded rounds?

 

[Mram10us]

Off the shelf ammo doesnt chamber?? Can you mark up a case from off the shelf ammo with a sharpie and see where it is hitting. Headspace???

 

[Vol1975]

Something doesn't sound right for it not to chamber factory. Deff as a person suggest contact the previous owner and or gun smith. May be something as simple the neck wall thickness or something more. Either way something amiss.

 

[del2les]

We are seeing this more and more from "target", "match" or "minimum" headspace chambers. I have seen, and heard about more, target 308's, 223, a 222 and a couple of others. Some of these came with chambers/necks far too short/tight to feed several factory ammos. One 308 target came with a chamber that was .003" below minimum headspace, and one varmint barrel was cut with a neck .015" shorter than spec.

Minimum chambers have their place, but they can have their own issues too.

 

[del2les]

I NEVER recommend sizing loaded ammo in a typical sizing die, for this creates several problems. A "potential" grenade if something untoward happens; and as you have discovered, the die sizes the case neck AND draws the bullet to a smaller size. When the brass slightly springs back toward beginning size, its lessens its grip on the now reduced bullet.

Remember, most sizing dies reduce the neck a couple, or more, thousandths below actual bullet size, except now you have a bullet inside the neck too.

Simple test: Take an empty case, size it, seat a miked bullet, and now resize it without your expander or mandrel inplace. Check the tightness of the bullet grip and then remove the bullet and mike its size.

 

[Mram10us]

Check with go and nogo gauge first, then worry about ammo after that.

 

[Freediver474]

It will chamber factory Hornady ammo but not the nosler dogtown ammo.

 

[Freediver474]

I own 4 243s and I've never used a factory round in my other 3. I bought factory for this one just because it wouldn't chamber my hand loads for the other 3 rifles. I received 60 pieces of 1x fired lapua with it and 100 loaded hand loads for the rifle. The hand loads chamber in my other 3 just fine

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Check the reamer specs for neck diameter. Then check the various loaded ammo that you have for neck diameter. It's possible that the ammo neck is too tight for your chamber.

I've had a similar problem and had to pull bullets, turn necks, and then reassemble. I didn't ask for a tight neck chamber but the chamber specs were so tight that it was effectively one.

 

[BHP9]

Try loading using brass sized with a small base sizing die, if that doesn't work, have a smith ream the chamber slightly until factory ammo fits.