Bullets 'falling' inside cases - Help Needed

[Racingsnake]

I've just spent what is probably the most frustrating few hours reloading in a long time. I'm loading 38 Special cast 158 grain SWC and have done so for 20+ years.

About 10-15% of the boolits either slipped right down inside the case prior to seating or were so lose that they turned inside the case. I have never had anything like this before.

I've checked the usual things such as case belling, boolit size, head stamp of cases etc. All of those are fine, the cases are all from different manufacturers and it is a batch of commercially cast heads I've used before without trouble.

I've just started using a stainless steel media tumbler (max 3 hours rotation). Is it at all possible that the inside diametre of some cases has been reduced by the stainless media?

Thanks for your help, Racingsnake

[kbstenberg]

Were all cases sized the same at the same time? Could the few cases that have the problem have been missed during the sizing stage?

[MtGun44]

Clearly some of the cases have dimensional problems. I will bet dollars to doughnuts that
if you check, it will be all of one or two headstamps. Probably thin case walls, not being
sized down far enough by your sizer die.

Bill

[Racingsnake]

I double checked the head stamps and they are all different - probably 4 or 5 different makes.

I had however run a few through the re-sizer that may already have been sized on another die. It was a small batch i had not used on my last reloading session.

Could this be the problem?

[Hamish]

As has been said, the cases that the boolits are falling into most likely did not get sized. DAMHIKT.

[MtGun44]

Ok, THAT (missed sizing) is the simplest explanation - assumed that the obvious had been
taken care of.

Bill

[runfiverun]

or they have all lost thier anneal and sprung back after the sizing.

[Racingsnake]

I think you guys are right it is probably 'missed sizing' or sizing twice with different dies in error.

I had de-primed without sizing prior to tumbling and these 15 or so problems cases may have got mixed-up without sizing.

A bit of a wake-up call even though not dangerous. I take any deviation or lapse in concentration as a warning to pay attention.


Regards, Racingsnake

[Racingsnake]

Im really pleased it's not the stainless media - the kit from STM has been fantastic.

[300winmag]

"Forgettintimers" gets us sometimes!!!!

[WyrTwister]

"Forgettintimers" gets us sometimes!!!!

Senior moment .

God bless
wyr

[zuke]

I know of an "older" gent that recently bought a 223 rifle.
He was all hot and horny to shoot it and wasn't paying attention to his brass and what he had done to each and in what sequence.
He ended up loading up 10 round's without sizing them.
I has a good chuckle.He's one of these guy's that "know's everything and never screw's up".

[mdi]

Glad you located the prob. My last senior moment was I went to the range to shoot my new handloads for my heavy barrel .223 Rem. Handi-Rifle (I was starting to get some 1" groups at 80 yards so I was excited to try a new load) and I brought plenty of ammo. Only problem was I brought 300 rounds of .44 Magnum ammo...

[o6Patient]

Coffee, lots of Coffey

[gunoil]

youtube.