30-06 cases tight in chamber

[Bazoo]

Shell holders are supposed to be .125 from top to the bottom of the recess.

[Jim P.]

Shell holders are supposed to be .125 from top to the bottom of the recess.

This one measures .125

[uscra112]

In that case the die is at fault, no question. You might use the wet-or-dry paper on a flat surface trick to work a few thou off the end of it. Tedious, but if you lack a lathe it's a solution. Use it wet with soapy water.

[Jim P.]

In that case the die is at fault, no question. You might use the wet-or-dry paper on a flat surface trick to work a few thou off the end of it. Tedious, but if you lack a lathe it's a solution.

Im a machinist. We have 10 lathes at work and I have 2 out in my home shop but I would probably use my tool and cutter to grind it off. not that a lathe would not work though.

[JM7.7x58]

Im a machinist. We have 10 lathes at work and I have 2 out in my home shop but I would probably use my tool and cutter to grind it off. not that a lathe would not work though.

How ever you do it you need to loose a few thousandths from some where. You proved that with your shim under the case head. If your bolt is now closing but with difficulty, I’d personally stone the top of my case holder until when closing your bolt it just needed the slightest nudge.

[uscra112]

Im a machinist. We have 10 lathes at work and I have 2 out in my home shop but I would probably use my tool and cutter to grind it off. not that a lathe would not work though.

You're golden, then. However you do it, the metal has to come off the die. Messing with making a custom shellholder is easy, but requires that you keep very close track of it forever after.

[DonHowe]

I will affirm at least 2 prior comments, with the ram fully raised screw the die down hard on the shellholder then lower the ram and give the die another 1/4 turn. This will give the shortest case you can get without modifying anything. Lf a case so sized will not chamber THEN try other things, probably first the sharpie marked case. If the above method does not yield a case that will chamber, if it were me and I could not easily try another die I would try reducing the height of the shellholder. You can do the Lee shellholder with a file ( at least it worked for me). It should not need a lot removed so I would cut and try, each time screwing the die down hard plus that 1/4 turn. When you get to where the bolt closes on a sized case as it does on a factory round make an identifying mark on the shellholder then leave it in the box with that set of dies.
If you don't want to modify anything and want the die replaced by Lyman I'm betting they will want to know if you tried it with their shellholder. I know, it should not matter, just saying...

[gumbo333]

After re-reading this, if a shim in the shell holder works, maybe a small round piece of duck tape will do the job, or a thin piece of tin super glued in. No need to alter a die. Possibly the shell holder was cut a tad to deep. I'm simple.

[high standard 40]

I agree on thinning the shell holder. It's cheaper to replace than a die if things go wrong

[swheeler]

I will affirm at least 2 prior comments, with the ram fully raised screw the die down hard on the shellholder then lower the ram and give the die another 1/4 turn. This will give the shortest case you can get without modifying anything. Lf a case so sized will not chamber THEN try other things, probably first the sharpie marked case. If the above method does not yield a case that will chamber, if it were me and I could not easily try another die I would try reducing the height of the shellholder. You can do the Lee shellholder with a file ( at least it worked for me). It should not need a lot removed so I would cut and try, each time screwing the die down hard plus that 1/4 turn. When you get to where the bolt closes on a sized case as it does on a factory round make an identifying mark on the shellholder then leave it in the box with that set of dies.
If you don't want to modify anything and want the die replaced by Lyman I'm betting they will want to know if you tried it with their shellholder. I know, it should not matter, just saying...

The die turned in another 1/4 turn is what the directions say with the dies, that is why I mentioned it, should be the first thing tried, it get rid of the slack/ slop in the press linkage.

[uscra112]

A thinned shellholder used with any other die set (.243, 7mm-08, .308, .358, .25-06, .270, etc.) will produce cases that have the shoulder pushed too far back, increasing headspace to perhaps dangerous levels. For the luvva Mike, leave that currently irreplaceable shellholder alone!

Shellholder is not cut too deep. He's measured it. It's the regulation .125". The shim idea is a good one, though.

He's already cranked the die down to compensate for press "spring".

[Jim P.]

I haven't done it yet but I'm going to just machine off the end of the die a few thousandths at a time and then resize a case and try it in the gun. I'll stop when the bolt will just close without forcing it.

[high standard 40]

A thinned shellholder used with any other die set (.243, 7mm-08, .308, .358, .25-06, .270, etc.) will produce cases that have the shoulder pushed too far back, increasing headspace to perhaps dangerous levels. For the luvva Mike, leave that currently irreplaceable shellholder alone!

Shellholder is not cut too deep. He's measured it. It's the regulation .125". The shim idea is a good one, though.

He's already cranked the die down to compensate for press "spring".

The same holds true for the die. If you use the die after you trim it to load for a different 30-06 you will set the shoulder back needlessly. I don't see your logic. I have dedicated shell holders for every die set I have. Shell holders are cheap, compared to dies

[M-Tecs]

Life tends to get easier if you deal with real numbers. Two ways got get real numbers are the RCBS Precision Mic https://www.rcbs.com/case-processing...n-mic/564.html or a headspace gauge and the Hornady Headspace Comparator https://www.hornady.com/headspace-bushings#!/ The RCBS reads in actual headspace measurements. The Hornady is just a comparator until it's used with a actual headspace gauge or known standard.

I have one or the other for the 30 plus bottleneck cases I reload for. I keep the headspace data for all the bottlenecks chambered rifles I own.

Good info here https://forum.accurateshooter.com/th...l%20dimensions Post number 15 is very informative.

[M-Tecs]

If the guns head space is tight is there a way to adjust this without running a chamber reamer in the gun? .

The Savage Axis uses the standard barrel nut. You need a spanner wrench to loosen it and than you can easily adjust headspace just by turning the barrel in or out.

[1hole]

.... Could this just be a problem with using lyman dies and a Lee shell holder. I suppose I could just grind the top of the shell holder off a few thousandths also.

No, don't do that.

All dies AND shell holders are made to produce ammo to the same dimensional specifications (SAAMI, i.e. the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Maker's Institute) and they all do that quite well; any die/shell holder that is "in tolerance" is as precise as it's going to be. Thus, loud fan's claims of greater "precision" of their favorite brands aside, there is as much plus/minus tolerance variation between dies and shell holders from the same maker as there is between makers.

Regardless of press brand and model, they all stretch (spring) different amounts under the stresses of FL sizing and that can easily explain the headspace problem you're experiencing.

We don't know how you're adjusting your sizer to match your own press but if you're following the simplistic directions of "shell holder contact plus another quarter turn", or some small variation of that, you likely need to refine your die adjustment.

Try this: Set your size die as you normally do and raise it to fully push a case into the die. Then look under the die to see if it still has firm contact with the shell holder while the press is under stress. If there is a sliver of light between die and shell holder just withdraw the case, turn the die down another eighth of a turn and try again; carefully repeat as necessary until the gap disappears.

(Oh yeah, always give your cases a second or two of full pressure "up" in the die before starting to withdraw them.)

[M-Tecs]

Standard die adjustment instructions are geared to producing ammo that works in all firearms. It is far from optimal in most. To do that you need to maintain a .0015" to .002" shoulder verse chamber clearance in boltguns. In auto's I prefer .002" or 003"


http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/...shoulder-bump/

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/...shoulder-bump/

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/...ies-dont-work/

[jim147]

I might have missed it but have you tried resizing any brass you fired out of your rifle.?

[Jim P.]

No, don't do that.

All dies AND shell holders are made to produce ammo to the same dimensional specifications (SAAMI, i.e. the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Maker's Institute) and they all do that quite well; any die/shell holder that is "in tolerance" is as precise as it's going to be. Thus, loud fan's claims of greater "precision" of their favorite brands aside, there is as much plus/minus tolerance variation between dies and shell holders from the same maker as there is between makers.

Regardless of press brand and model, they all stretch (spring) different amounts under the stresses of FL sizing and that can easily explain the headspace problem you're experiencing.

We don't know how you're adjusting your sizer to match your own press but if you're following the simplistic directions of "shell holder contact plus another quarter turn", or some small variation of that, you likely need to refine your die adjustment.

Try this: Set your size die as you normally do and raise it to fully push a case into the die. Then look under the die to see if it still has firm contact with the shell holder while the press is under stress. If there is a sliver of light between die and shell holder just withdraw the case, turn the die down another eighth of a turn and try again; carefully repeat as necessary until the gap disappears.

(Oh yeah, always give your cases a second or two of full pressure "up" in the die before starting to withdraw them.)

there was no gap between the die and shell holder while sizing a case.

[Jim P.]

I might have missed it but have you tried resizing any brass you fired out of your rifle.?

yes I have and they will chamber fine but they will also chamber fine before I size them. I will say that the brass I was having problems with is military brass and it takes a lot of pressure to resize this brass. Much more than it does to resize the brass shot from my gun. the chambers on the military rifles must be a lot bigger or are just worn out.