Stuck a boolit

[robroy]

I had my 35whelen AI out this morning. I had 9 of the same load: HM2 3602235 Thor as cast @ .361, hornady checks were not crimped, 49 gr of 3031, COAL 3.275 (if memory serves), cci 200 primer. This is essentially the same load that worked well before, except I left out the Dacron and didn't size to .359.

I fired the first shot and wasn't even on the paper @100. I loaded the second round and then tried to unload and ended up with a stuck boolit and granules of 3031 in my chamber. I hadn't brought a cleaning rod with me so after mumblin' and grumblin' andwaiting for someone else to show up at the range I packed it in and came home.

Looking to make lemonade I thought at least I'll have a marked boolit to use as a reference for cartrige length. That was not the case. The boolit tapped out of the chamber easily as expected but no engraving. None, zilch, nada. I looked with my loop on the boreriding nose and the first drive band and no marks.

I'm stumped:confused:

[454PB]

Not to rub your nose in it, but always make a dummy round for test fitting, and keep a clearing rod available. I've used my own brass rod several times, on both my own and others guns.

[fishhawk]

I suspect fouling from the first shot. steve k

[dondiego]

That seems odd. What would have kept the boolit in the chamber if it wasn't the rifling? After having experienced a similar situation, I always bring more than one firearm and caliber to the range. It can save the day if you forget a rod!

[robroy]

I did make a dummy but it was a bunch shorter. The rounds that I shot at that same length (3.275) that did not stick were sized @ .359 but the nose was untouched, same as the one that stuck.

And yeah I know better than to go without a rod.:razz:

[leadman]

Could the unfired part of the leade captured the forward driving band?

[upnorthwis]

I have on a couple of occasions I have pulled a boolit out of another round and shot the stuck boolit out. No different than breech seating.

[robroy]

I thought of trying the breech thing and succeded in buggering the case mouth. The case was not perfectly aligned with the stuck boolit which was still back in the chamber. The neck of the chamber is a bit loose.

[Djones]

could you have pushed too hard during bullet sizing deforming the nose of the bullet?

[Larry Gibson]

At .361 the bullets drive bands were swaged into the slightly fouled throat which is what held it. Also the uncrimped Hornady GCs probably expanded the case neck a tudge when you seated the bullet reducing neck tension.

Larry Gibson

[wallenba]

Working with these single ogive cast boolits, reaching the lands is a problem sometimes. I now have the Hornady chamber length gage and modified cases to find my limits.

http://www.midwayusa.com/find?userSearchQuery=hornady+chamber+length+gage
(http://www.midwayusa.com/find?userSearchQuery=hornady+chamber+length+gage)
Drop rods help too. Available from Brownell's. http://www.sinclairintl.com/gun-parts-tools-accessories/firearm-accessories/bullet-drop-rods/sinclair-bullet-drop-rod-set-sinclair-bullet-drop-rod-set-sku749-001-882-33852-65743.aspx

[robroy]

Thanks everyone.

[Bloodman14]

Hey, you wanna see a stuck boolit?109552 That's a Lee TL 230-2R stickin' it's nose out the muzzle!

[TMenezes]

I hate sticking bullets, especially when its your favorite gun and if you rarely find time to go to the range. Learned the hard way to use magnum primers with magnum powders especially on lighter than max loads.