Ammunition Loaded from Once-Fired Brass Sticking

[ricsmall]

sounds like the coal is too long. +1 with drifter, color the projectile and see if there are marks from the lands. there is a sticky on here for comparisons of the different bullets and the distance from lands for each one. may not fit your rifle but give you an idea of comparison

[jasonleevandyke]

sounds like the coal is too long. +1 with drifter, color the projectile and see if there are marks from the lands. there is a sticky on here for comparisons of the different bullets and the distance from lands for each one. may not fit your rifle but give you an idea of comparison

Well, I solved the problem. It actually was the Lee dies I was using. They were not resetting the shoulder enough to reliably function in my weapon. There was actually a set of Hornady dies at Cabelas and I snatched them up for $32.00, set up the full length resizing die, loaded five rounds, and they functioned flawlessly.

Incidentally, the COAL on the 120 AMAX went from 2.245 all the way down to 2.218 and still exhibited the same problems. With the new dies, I loaded five rounds of AMAX to 2.225 and they functioned without fail. Load was 120 Amax in front of 28.2 gr of IMR 8208 XBR.

I am now investing in one of those nifty Hornady bullet pullers that use the collet in hopes of salvaging about 400 rounds of loaded ammo that is more or less worthless. I am told that I can probably get some of the ones I loaded to 2.180 to fire, but that I risk a KB since the bullet is seated so much deeper than it should be.

[Variable]

Well, I solved the problem. It actually was the Lee dies I was using. They were not resetting the shoulder enough to reliably function in my weapon. There was actually a set of Hornady dies at Cabelas and I snatched them up for $32.00, set up the full length resizing die, loaded five rounds, and they functioned flawlessly.

Incidentally, the COAL on the 120 AMAX went from 2.245 all the way down to 2.218 and still exhibited the same problems. With the new dies, I loaded five rounds of AMAX to 2.225 and they functioned without fail. Load was 120 Amax in front of 28.2 gr of IMR 8208 XBR.

I am now investing in one of those nifty Hornady bullet pullers that use the collet in hopes of salvaging about 400 rounds of loaded ammo that is more or less worthless. I am told that I can probably get some of the ones I loaded to 2.180 to fire, but that I risk a KB since the bullet is seated so much deeper than it should be.

If that's the case, then I don't think seating depth had anything to do with it. More likely your Lee sizing die wasn't setting the shoulder back far enough. As mentioned above, you either needed to screw your sizer die down farther, or if it was already at max, then you needed to stone off some material from the top of your shell holder to allow the case to be run in further.

Either way, since you already bought other dies I guess you are covered.

Question to others with bushing dies--- If the OP's true problem was lack of shoulder setback, then could a Redding bushing sizer die be used without the bushing to just set back the shoulder on his already loaded rounds? I'm the lazy type, and if they were mine I'd rather do that than pull 400 rounds manually.... I have no experience with the bushing dies, so I have no idea if that'd work.

[ricsmall]

seems that someone mentioned this a while back in another thread. I think they suggested machining a cheap die out just to set shoulders back, may work with the bushing die though.

[Drifter]

Question to others with bushing dies--- If the OP's true problem was lack of shoulder setback, then could a Redding bushing sizer die be used without the bushing to just set back the shoulder on his already loaded rounds? I'm the lazy type, and if they were mine I'd rather do that than pull 400 rounds manually.... I have no experience with the bushing dies, so I have no idea if that'd work.

I think it would work, but not sure that it's safe. Don't think I would personally risk it.

[sneaky one]

jason, what part of the the world are you residing in now-near a cabelas store?----???? Go in there , and buy a hornady comparator set-up, and the 6.5 Grr. brass case to use it in. You have to measure everything, more than you think you need to! For you---get a sinclair case guage, or equivaliant. Bust a move-- after you have some proof.......

[jasonleevandyke]

jason, what part of the the world are you residing in now-near a cabelas store?----???? Go in there , and buy a hornady comparator set-up, and the 6.5 Grr. brass case to use it in. You have to measure everything, more than you think you need to! For you---get a sinclair case guage, or equivaliant. Bust a move-- after you have some proof.......

I am in Denton, TX - there is one about a half hour from me. I did some load development today and was actually able to get a load that functions reliably in my gun. It is actually 0.005 below what is listed as the minimum OAL for the round, but I think it has something to do with the 120gr AMAX bullet I was loading with. One thing I made absolutely sure of was to cut back my powder charge by about a grain and a half to avoid over-pressure problems.

The 120 AMAX load is:

COAL: 2.1950
Bullet: Hornady 120 AMAX
Powder: IMR 8208 XBR
Charge: 27.0 gr
Brass: PPU
Primer: CCI BR-2

My prior load - which I did NOT have good results with at the range today had a 2.189 COAL and a charge of 28.2gr. I had reliability issues once every ten rounds or so and about 1 MOA accuracy.

I think the load I just posted will allow me to get rid of the excess 120 AMAX bullets I have in a safe and efficient manner.

[bwaites]

If that's the case, then I don't think seating depth had anything to do with it. More likely your Lee sizing die wasn't setting the shoulder back far enough. As mentioned above, you either needed to screw your sizer die down farther, or if it was already at max, then you needed to stone off some material from the top of your shell holder to allow the case to be run in further.

Either way, since you already bought other dies I guess you are covered.

Question to others with bushing dies--- If the OP's true problem was lack of shoulder setback, then could a Redding bushing sizer die be used without the bushing to just set back the shoulder on his already loaded rounds? I'm the lazy type, and if they were mine I'd rather do that than pull 400 rounds manually.... I have no experience with the bushing dies, so I have no idea if that'd work.

I've done it, not sure it's a recommended practice, but it worked just fine.

[Variable]

I've done it, not sure it's a recommended practice, but it worked just fine.

OK, then you may have finally given me an excuse for buying the redding dies.LOL I don't see what the issue would be safety wise? You're just giving your brass a tiny bump.... Unless there's a reason I can't see, then it should be fine. People would really crap if they saw me seat an 850gr. Spotter Tracer projectile (with a primer in the nose) over 190 grains of 5010 pulldown powder. Now that makes you nervous!

I have some 160gr. subsonic loads that I didn't bump back far enough laying around somewhere. I could use the redding dies to fix the problem.

So who has the absolute best price on the Redding dies?