more bullets..

[hill.brandonj]

oh boy oh boy!!!! rifle deer season is upon here in southeast missouri! next weekend.. i made up some more rounds after y'all told me i shouldn't shoot the first ones i made up....this round i made 20 each (my brother and i both have these guns) of hornady 129 sst with 30g Blc-2 cci 450 seated to 2.26 and then a box of 20 130g accubond with 29g of blc-2 cci 450 cannot wait to shoot these things

[LR1955]

oh boy oh boy!!!! rifle deer season is upon here in southeast missouri! next weekend.. i made up some more rounds after y'all told me i shouldn't shoot the first ones i made up....this round i made 20 each (my brother and i both have these guns) of hornady 129 sst with 30g Blc-2 cci 450 seated to 2.26 and then a box of 20 130g accubond with 29g of blc-2 cci 450 cannot wait to shoot these things

Brandon:

Just curious. Have you tested these cartridges to ensure they go into battery and extract easily? I ask because when ever someone posts the OAL they are using without anyone asking, it sometimes happens that they are using some one elses data without checking to see if the OAL is good for their chamber. You do not want an out of battery firing. That is a very ugly thing.

LR

[hill.brandonj]

I sure hope it works. Pulled all my numbers straight from AA website I had some that were may 1/1000 off up or Down but no more variation that that. And my barrel is one from AA so I think it should work. However what should I do to ensure this? Just then one in and then what?

[ricsmall]

personally, I would remove firing pin from bolt and cycle several through. check each time you chamber a round to ensure bolt is closing all the way. check each one you extract for marks on projo. If each one chambers without using forward assist and you have no marks on projo, I think you should be fine.

[bobke]

As suggested in a previous response to your loading practice, you should invest in a Hornady or other OAL measuring tool to ASSURE you have the correct length for YOUR chamber. A simple check would be to separate upper or at least pull rear pin, drop a loaded round into chamber and slowly push BCG forward to seat round. If bolt seats fully and without resistance and extracts without issue or sticking a bullet in chamber throat, you're likely safe, but then you're back to starting off with near full power loads. A little caution is always best observed when beginning to load an unfamiliar round.

Understand your enthusiasm for forward movement, especially in light of your journey to get to this point, but you've been given some very wise counsel by very knowledgeable handloaders who have both your safety and success in mind. Measure twice, cut once.

[hill.brandonj]

I will order one if this gauges today. Midway I assume ?? And I'll also make some loads under what I've done. Thought going a full grain below advertised would be okay I have some time today so I'll do that. Thanks guys

[bobke]

Midway, Brownells/Sinclair, Natchez are all possibles. Be certain to get the threaded Grendel case and correct 6.5/.264 diameter bushing that will allow you to proceed with measurements.

[Bigfoot]

In the meantime you can check max OAL with a sharpie. Get an umprimered case and make sure the bullet fits snugly but not too tightly, you might have to crimp the mouth just a tiny bit. Insert a bullet as long as possible and mark the bullet up w the sharpie. Chamber them and the lands will push the bullet into the case until max OAL. When you remove them the bullet might stick in the lands, if it does you can look at the sharpie marks and see where the bullet was. You can always try it again with another case.

It's hillbilly but it works.

[hill.brandonj]

again, yall were right, something aint right...my ssts i loaded hand cycled ok but have striations on the bullet the primers have a very small dent on them though, Y???

and the 130 accubonds i seated .005 longer as i found on the AA website...and those wont allow the bolt to completely close and i liked to never got the bolt back open on one of them...again on those small dents on those primers....what the hell is going on? i have that tool yall told me to get coming...but what does this sopund like to yall?>

[Bigfoot]

Sounds like your OAL is too long for your chamber and the bullets are jammed into the lands which vastly increases pressure.

Don't shoot em if you like your hands the way they are now.

[LRRPF52]

The small indentation on your primers is the floating firing pin impacting them when the bolt slams forward. It's nothing to worry about, unless you use too soft of primers, like the CCI400's, and some others that are referenced in a thread about primers. CCI450's, Rem 7 1/2's, and others are fine.

Your 130gr Accubond load is too long for your chamber, as you figured out. I'm getting a not so warm and fuzzy feeling about the direction this is going. The most important thing I have ever had when learning to reload was an experienced mentor who could observe and monitor what I was doing along the way.

Do you have a reloading manual by any chance? There are some great resources to help figure out these common procedures when loading, and the AR15 has several additional key areas you have to pay close attention to that don't matter at all on a bolt action rifle.

Soft primers are one of them, as is paying closer attention to shoulder "bump", full-length re-sizing, and a pretty limited magazine length that will determine your maximum allowable Cartridge Overall Length if you intend to feed repeatedly from the magazine.

[bobke]

And regarding full length sizing, a Wilson case length gauge is also invaluable in die setup, as Grendel sometimes requires over levering case in sizing die to come back to SAAMI std case dimensions. You'll likely want full length sizing dies to allow a proper fit and the correct shoulder relationship. The Wilson gauge is another bench essential I wouldn't want to be without. Again, Brownells/Sinclair, Midway and others carry them.

[hill.brandonj]

That's the idea I had too. I wonder if the loads still good just need to seat a little more?

[bobke]

Are you starting with brand new brass or once fired...from YOUR gun? Either way, you're always safest to resize to fit YOUR chamber. If you have a sized but unprimed piece of brass, separate upper and lower and slowly check fit brass by just pushing BCG forward to close bolt. If case seats fully and bolt closes completely and extracts without issue, you're okay, but advantage of Wilson is that it allows you to dial it in precisely, without going to far up against shoulder, as LR has suggested.

[hill.brandonj]

I am using hornady dies. I think they are full length. And the brass is once fired. I checked and the cases still were within trim limits. I am not doing this completely alone. My father in law is helping. Only problem is he has only ever loaded for bolt. My question is. Does anyone think I can just seat these bullets a little more How can I tell when I am out of seating room?