Might have messed up

[Harry]

After F.L. sizing 100 30-06 brass, I think I may have messed up. I have RCBS sizing dies. Following their instructions, setting the sizing die and sizing the brass, I measured from base to datum with a Hornady headspace guage. They measure 2.038. My fired brass measure 2.048. The SAMI drawing shows 2.0526-.007. My fired brass falls within specs. The RCBS sized brass does not. Apparently, I should have sneaked up on it as with boolit seating depth. My question is, should I do a light load and fire form these? Or just load them with a normal charge and shoot. The reason I full length sized is because I don't know the previous history this brass.

[Fluxed]

I think you are OK.
Just to be sure, I'd seat the bullets out to touch the rifling for the first firing.

[HangFireW8]

After F.L. sizing 100 30-06 brass, I think I may have messed up. I have RCBS sizing dies. Following their instructions, setting the sizing die and sizing the brass, I measured from base to datum with a Hornady headspace guage. They measure 2.038. My fired brass measure 2.048. The SAMI drawing shows 2.0526-.007. My fired brass falls within specs. The RCBS sized brass does not. Apparently, I should have sneaked up on it as with boolit seating depth. My question is, should I do a light load and fire form these? Or just load them with a normal charge and shoot. The reason I full length sized is because I don't know the previous history this brass.

The real question is not SAAMI but your chamber. If you compare the sized brass to brass fire-formed in the chamber you are going to shoot in, is the difference there less than .007"? If so, you are good to go.

If not, besides the bullet jam trick, you can try the neck bump trick. Size the neck up to the next caliber (8mm or 32) and then partial full length size the neck just leaving that 32 caliber bump at the bottom of the neck for headspace. Load a full charge not a light load and the case will fireform safely.

HF

[uscra112]

Don't try to drive the shoulder forward with a light load. Light loads in rimless cases are in fact notorious for letting the primer drive the shoulder back, making your situation worse.

Oddly enough, here's a guy with the exact opposite problem, also a result of FL sizing using RCBS dies.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?193835-Tough-Chambering-30-06

[Harry]

Thanks guys,
The fire formed brass (2.048) were fired from my Winchester Model 54. I will take your advice and seat boolits to the lands with a standard load. In the future, I will be cautious to adjust my F.L. die to size to my chamber, when needed.

[1Shirt]

All good advice, good luck!
1Shirt1

[victor3ranger]

After resizing rifle brass I will always chamber each and every case to make sure that it chambers with ease. I do this again after the case is loaded before it is placed in the ammo box for storage. That way I know that each and every round will chamber without any problems.

[williamwaco]

Harry,

Lighten up.

You are trying to make something easy into a headache.
You have unknown brass fired in unknown chambers, probably more than one.

Of course you should have full length resized them.

Load them up with any normal pressure load and don't worry about them.


.

[Harry]

Harry,

Lighten up.

You are trying to make something easy into a headache.
You have unknown brass fired in unknown chambers, probably more than one.

Of course you should have full length resized them.

Load them up with any normal pressure load and don't worry about them.


.
I am a perfectionist (to a fault sometimes). I will go ahead with the great advice here. I will always F.L. size unkown brass. I just want to size it to my chamber rather than the default that the RCBS die gives. I'm good to go now.