Heartbroken! Boolits too long!

[famdoc2892]

After many months of slow progress, finally got some 311299s put together with my first set of test loads, and they won't chamber! Heavy land marks 1/8" back from ogive and never did get it closed... I had checked max OAL with a dummy shell and boolit, so I thought I had it licked. Loading 308 in a Weatherby Vanguard, but if I seat boolits deeper, I'll have the gas check at or below the base of the neck.

I suppose it's time to pull all the boolits, reclaim the powder and start from the beginning... Bummer!

[cbrick]

You can seat them a bit deeper and shoot them. The check below the neck shouldn't hurt anything, seat till they just kiss the rifling. I have 30 cal & 7mm molds that are a bit too long for my chambers and they shoot fine with the check below the neck. Don't seat them so deep the first lube groove is below the neck.

Rick

[leadman]

I have shot many loads with the gas check below the neck and never noticed any problems and had great accuracy.
Shoot them and see what happens.

[cbrick]

I think that is one of them old wives tales that a boolit cannot be shot with the check below the neck. Probably came about from the early days of checks when Lyman checks didn't crimp on, just sat on the boolit base and would fall off if below the neck. I've shot an awful lot of them that way with no problems at all.

Rick

[rintinglen]

I'd have no problems shooting crimp on (hornady-style) gas checked boolits when the check is below the neck. Lyman old style checks I'd be leary of, but not crimp on style gc's. A gc that fell off could get stuck in the bore and result in dammage to the fire arm, but a crimp on gas check won't do that.

[Green Lizzard]

i made a one shot kill on a chrony with one of those lyman gas checks my new one has a lexan shield on it

[famdoc2892]

Follow-up question: I put a medium taper crimp on these boolits with a Lee Factory Crimp. What are the chances I can still seat the boolits deeper without deforming them? My alloy is ACWW +2% high-speed babbitt, then cut with 50% soft lead.

[cbrick]

Try one and see. With a taper crimp you probably can as the case mouth shouldn't dig into the boolit. A roll crimp probably would but the real way to know for sure is to try it.

Rick

[44man]

I would only worry if the check is loose, otherwise it hurts nothing to go below the neck. Do what Rick says.
I like a tight check before sizing and am guilty of making a mold where I need to press the check on or beat it on the bench.
My RD boolit is also like that. I can't stick the boolit into the check so I press them on, then size. You will not get a check off with a screwdriver.
Some flare the check but I don't size boolits much if at all, I use the Lee dies to remove excess lube mostly so I start tighter.

[w30wcf]

famdoc2892,
Sorry to hear of your frustrations. Eagan at one time made a tapered bullet nose sizing die for cast bullets. I got one about 20 years ago to help with the same type of problem you are having. Worked like a charm! :-)

Unfortunately, Mr. Eagan is no longer with us.

If seating the bullet deeper does not give satisfactory results, I would be happy to nose size some for you if you send me a pm.

w30wcf

[snuffy]

Follow-up question: I put a medium taper crimp on these boolits with a Lee Factory Crimp. What are the chances I can still seat the boolits deeper without deforming them? My alloy is ACWW +2% high-speed babbitt, then cut with 50% soft lead.

A lee factory crimp die for .308 does NOT apply a taper crimp. It is a stab type crimp,,--um like a factory crimp? I doubt you could seat deeper if the crimper has forced the neck sideways into the boolit. The collet forces the neck sideways at 90 degrees to the long axis of the shell.

The fact that you couldn't force the boolit into the chamber means the crimp is holding the boolit from moving. If it could be seated deeper, it would have been by the bolt. Looks like you'll have to pull 'em and start over.

[trixter]

"The fact that you couldn't force the boolit into the chamber means the crimp is holding the boolit from moving. If it could be seated deeper, it would have been by the bolt. Looks like you'll have to pull 'em and start over."

I agree.