John in WI
03-20-2023, 08:19 PM
Hello folks,
Years back I bought a used RCBS "rock crusher". It sat in a box until I went to buy .30-06, and they wanted $50 a box for it!
I'm now geared up to reload .30-06. I cast and gas checked some Lee 170gr flat points. They are sized. A friend sold me a couple hundred primed, once fired cases. I'm using an RCBS die and shell holder. My Lyman manual says, for a very similar projectile (same weight/shape but lyman rather than lee) 2.968" is listed as the overall length.
I made 20 rounds, starting with a dummy round. Unfortunately, I didn't check after I tightened the locking screw, and just went ahead. I don't know how short my rounds are ran out of time before I could measure them, but I would guess about 0.5mm. I'm using a decent caliper, my rounds are all consistent, but just short. I tried them, and they appear to chamber in the rifle just fine (as I would have expected--they are too short, not too long).
Is there a safety issue with firing slightly too short ammo? The case isn't even close to full (21gr 2400 powder), so there is no compression going on. I'm at 21gr 2400--Lyman lists it from 20-27gr. So I am way on the bottom of the pressure scale.
I just don't want to mess up the chamber in my rifle, or do anything that could be potentially dangerous.
It was a dumb, newbie mistake. I made the dummy that was up to the correct length, but tightening the locking ring must have dropped the die just a hair more than intended. Won't make that mistake again!
Thanks for any info.
Years back I bought a used RCBS "rock crusher". It sat in a box until I went to buy .30-06, and they wanted $50 a box for it!
I'm now geared up to reload .30-06. I cast and gas checked some Lee 170gr flat points. They are sized. A friend sold me a couple hundred primed, once fired cases. I'm using an RCBS die and shell holder. My Lyman manual says, for a very similar projectile (same weight/shape but lyman rather than lee) 2.968" is listed as the overall length.
I made 20 rounds, starting with a dummy round. Unfortunately, I didn't check after I tightened the locking screw, and just went ahead. I don't know how short my rounds are ran out of time before I could measure them, but I would guess about 0.5mm. I'm using a decent caliper, my rounds are all consistent, but just short. I tried them, and they appear to chamber in the rifle just fine (as I would have expected--they are too short, not too long).
Is there a safety issue with firing slightly too short ammo? The case isn't even close to full (21gr 2400 powder), so there is no compression going on. I'm at 21gr 2400--Lyman lists it from 20-27gr. So I am way on the bottom of the pressure scale.
I just don't want to mess up the chamber in my rifle, or do anything that could be potentially dangerous.
It was a dumb, newbie mistake. I made the dummy that was up to the correct length, but tightening the locking ring must have dropped the die just a hair more than intended. Won't make that mistake again!
Thanks for any info.