trouble with bulging cases

[orion]

I've been loading pistol rounds for years and just recently got into reloading for my rifle. I got a 300 blackout and a set of RCBS dies and have tried to load a few rounds and am using .308 diam. bullets. I have both a Wilson case gage and a Sheridan Eng. (closed) cartridge gage. The Blackout cases were formed from 223 brass and slip into both gages easily without any problem. After I have loaded a bunch of rounds I find that about 1/4 of them will not make it into the Sheridan case gage but will still drop all the way into the Wilson case gage. I know that the Wilson gage is for measuring the overall length of the case and will indicate min/max case length. They will not however drop into the Sheridan gage all the way and will not chamber in my rifle. I took some of the loaded cases that would not fit and pulled the bullets and ran the cases back into the full length sizing die and then tried them in the Sheridan gage and they still would not go all the way. I don't yet have the open Sheridan case gage so instead I coated the cases with dykem and tapped them into the Sheridan gage and then back out. It looks like there may be some contact at the shoulder and perhaps on the case just below the shoulder. Can anyone tell me how to load these without pushing the shoulder back and ruining the loaded round? The bullets I am loading don't seem to go in that hard but something is not right and I am stumped. Honestly I remember having a similar problem with 7.62x25 rounds a few years ago and just stopped reloading them and have purchased loaded ammo since then. I think I am starting to hate bottle neck cases.

[jcren]

Asuming you are flaring/expanding your necks to .001-.002 under bullet size, you might try dry lubing your case necks. What dies are you using?

[EDG]

It sounds like you bulged the shoulder when seating or crimping the bullets.

Load the ammo without crimping and try it in your rifle and gauge.

If that is the problem use a crimp and die setting that will not bulge your shoulder.

[edctexas]

I have had a problem that is similar. Not hijaaking the thread. Several times in reloading brass with a shoulder, I have produced a bulge ever so slight in the brass. It is just below the transition to the main diameter of the case. In my case it has been caused by a cast boolit larger than the expanded case neck. Is there any simple way the salvage the case?? And yes I am cheap! two of the cases were brand new 30-30 cases.

Ed C

[EDG]

If you have a RCBS trim or body die the die neck is larger than the loaded round so you can resize the loaded case without pulling the bullet
If you don't have a trim die just pull the bullet and resize the case and reload it.
If this is a 30-30 or a .30 Herrett I have a trim die. Send me a PM.

I have had a problem that is similar. Not hijaaking the thread. Several times in reloading brass with a shoulder, I have produced a bulge ever so slight in the brass. It is just below the transition to the main diameter of the case. In my case it has been caused by a cast boolit larger than the expanded case neck. Is there any simple way the salvage the case?? And yes I am cheap! two of the cases were brand new 30-30 cases.

Ed C

[popper]

Probably have to tuen the necks, Wilson checks OAL, NOT dia. Turn ( or reams if you have the tool) to 0.011-0.012. Max. loaded neck dia. is probably 0.331. Alt is to scrap brass over ~0.330 after expanding.

[Skipper]

It sounds like you bulged the shoulder when seating or crimping the bullets.

Load the ammo without crimping and try it in your rifle and gauge.

If that is the problem use a crimp and die setting that will not bulge your shoulder.

Same thing happened to me but it was the downforce during crimping that did it. I solved it by using the Lee factory crimp die.

[orion]

Thanks for all the replies and I believe that it is the crimping that may be doing it as they go in a lot better without a crimp. I will get a lee factory crimp die and try that. Does anyone know of a good step by step guide to reloading bottle neck cases since I obviously don't know exactly what I am doing?

[popper]

FCD is the only good way to crimp for BO. There is no 'real' shoulder on the BO so treat it like a straight wall except use FCD (as I do for 30/30, 308W also). I still recommend turning for BO to get neck tension right - you've reformed the case neck that has a wide neck thickness variation. Uniformed necks just shoot better. I use the RCBS hand tool and chuck the case in a drill. Use a feeler gauge to set wall thickness. My 150gr Hornadys do 2000 fps & close to MOA.

[jcren]

Sounds like you just mis-adjusted the one-step seat and crimp die, which is easy to do. Just seat and crimp seperatly and follow the fcd dies instructions. Lee's manual is a good all around theory/practice source for the money, but of course he recommends all his own stuff!

[leadman]

There was an article written in a magazine (I know) awhile back where the author found the load he choose had too much powder spec'd. and when he seated the bullet it expanded the shoulder area of the case because the powder was heavily compressed.
Just something to watch for.

[EDG]

I don't remember a highly detailed guide. I think most of us do things without thinking that are not in the manuals.
You seem to be doing ok, but you picked kind of a stinker cartridge to start with. Some rounds just require more finesse.
I could list the things I do and the following would happen
A. Some guys would chime in and say a lot of what I am doing is a waste of time
B. Some guys would chime in and say that I am skipping important steps and not spending enough time.
C. They will claim my statistical methods of case sorting is worthless mumbo jumbo.
They might be right but I am learning a lot about the weight variations of brass.

Some will claim I use less than quality brass because I do not use Lapua
Others will say I waste time on weight sorting my brass and cleaning primer pockets.

All the diagreements make it hard for new guys to make up their mind what is the best process for their reloading practice.

Thanks for all the replies and I believe that it is the crimping that may be doing it as they go in a lot better without a crimp. I will get a lee factory crimp die and try that. Does anyone know of a good step by step guide to reloading bottle neck cases since I obviously don't know exactly what I am doing?

[popper]

downforce during crimping

Taper or roll crimp? Roll needs a crimp groove or surely it will buckle the case. Both require proper case length, FCD doesn't care. Adjust the FCD to give a solid 'crimp', then just a tad more. Try a couple and you will get the hang of it. H110 likes a good crimp.

[sparky45]

FCD is the only good way to crimp for BO. There is no 'real' shoulder on the BO so treat it like a straight wall except use FCD (as I do for 30/30, 308W also). I still recommend turning for BO to get neck tension right - you've reformed the case neck that has a wide neck thickness variation. Uniformed necks just shoot better. I use the RCBS hand tool and chuck the case in a drill. Use a feeler gauge to set wall thickness. My 150gr Hornadys do 2000 fps & close to MOA.

In making 300BO brass from 5.56 cases, the neck thickness is a critical datum point when loading in a tight chamber. I use a Sheridan cut out case gauge and it's clear that SOME manufacturers brass has thicker walls than others. For that reason, I ONLY use LC brass for 300BO conversions. Some others work just as well, but LC has never failed to chamber in my Shilen barreled 5.56 .

[BUCKEYE BANDIT]

In making 300BO brass from 5.56 cases, the neck thickness is a critical datum point when loading in a tight chamber. I use a Sheridan cut out case gauge and it's clear that SOME manufacturers brass has thicker walls than others. For that reason, I ONLY use LC brass for 300BO conversions. Some others work just as well, but LC has never failed to chamber in my Shilen barreled 5.56 .

I think GRUMPA has a post with the problem child donor brass.I know for a fact that TAA has to thick of a neck after trimming.Being stubborn I broke them down and neck reamed which corrected the chambering issue.Also ordered the Sheridan gauge,not being aware that the Wilson didn't verify neck dimension.

[BUCKEYE BANDIT]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...56-brass/page2

Found it for ya!! Post #32

[MT Chambers]

I've loaded and fired a lot of .300s and never crimped any, I only crimp big levergun rounds and revolver loads.