Reloads not chambering

[Dranmelex]

So I've been reloading for about 15 years and never came across what I came across this evening. I loaded 110 rounds of 260 for a long range course I'm taking next weekend and shot 10 today to zero and get chrono info. I noticed one wouldn't chamber. So I came home and measured everything. Headspace was good, base to ogive was good, neck diameter, brass length. Everything checked out.

This was virgin brass that I ran through a body die set for .002 less than my fired brass. Then neck sized with a bushing die and seated .020 off lands. I got paranoid and ran every round through my action and had 2 of the 110 with this issue.

Only thing I could think was the base of the brass was out of spec, so I set another body up to cam over to simulate a full length sizing. Still no dice. Does a cam over on a redding body die actually simulate a full length sizing?

I just ordered a redding type s full length neck bushing die to consolidate operations. But I'm out of ideas for these two rounds. Any guidance would be appreciated.

Dan

 

[johnfred1965]

Is all your brass trimmed to length? Just something that happened to me once. I got some untrimmed cases in with my trimmed ones. When I seated the bullets, the longer brass engaged the crimp in the seating die, and bulged the shoulder just enough to keep them from chambering. It didn't take much since the bullet did not have a groove. Just a thought.

 

[Dranmelex]

These were not trimmed but they were pretty consistent virgin Lapua brass. I have a giraud trimmer set to trim off shoulder to about 2.028 and all were under this length.

 

[hunter243sgk]

I would check the diameter all the way down the cartridge. I have seen a few that were off.

 

[navyrad8r]

home made .260 (from .308 etc..)? maybe a small base die to give the extra squeeze to the case head area? I make my own from LC..yeah I know...the hard way...but I start the pain with a Small base Die and then suffer accordingly.
just a thought..
cheers,
Doc

 

[Dranmelex]

It's v

home made .260 (from .308 etc..)? maybe a small base die to give the extra squeeze to the case head area? I make my own from LC..yeah I know...the hard way...but I start the pain with a Small base Die and then suffer accordingly.
just a thought..
cheers,
Doc

Its virgin Lapua 260, but a good thought nonetheless.

 

[222 rem]

I small base reside on virgin brass. Even though it is new brass squaring the neck and skimming the neck OD aids quality control.
I get one +/- that will not chamber when starting a new batch of PPC cases. Usally the cause is SM resizing or neck OD

 

[navyrad8r]

ouch dan...sorry...that stuff is supposed to be the best you can hope for...IDK. can you "feel" it bind? like in the case head area or in the shoulder/body junction as you feed it into the chamber?

 

[foxguy]

Measure the loaded rounds neck diameter just below the neck / Bullet junction. Compare the loaded cases that will chamber to the 2 that wont chamber. measure this in a couple places on the necks. I have heard from another shooter who shoots a .260 Remington in a Custom Remington 40x that he had to have the necks turned a few thousands because of that exact problem. The Laupa brass necks were a Little thicker he suspected than the Remington brand. He didn't ever get a chance to measure both he just had the laupa necks turned and that took care of the problem. Good luck.

 

[243winxb]

Only thing I could think was the base of the brass was out of spec, so I set another body up to cam over to simulate a full length sizing. Still no dice. Does a cam over on a redding body die actually simulate a full length sizing?

There may be a small area at the neck shoulder junction that the body die doesnt size? A guess.

My bushing doesnt size all the way to the neck shoulder junction.

I get strange brass when i size a 308 in my 243 Redding FL S die without a bushing.

 

[fguffey]

This was virgin brass that I ran through a body die set for .002 less than my fired brass. Then neck sized with a bushing die and seated .020 off lands. I got paranoid and ran every round through my action and had 2 of the 110 with this issue.

First question: what is a body die? reloaders should understand there is no 'BUMPING THE SHOULER BACK without case body support so the die must include a means of contacting the shoulder of the case and that means it has to be more than a body die. If someone sold me a body die it would not would not touch the shoulder and if it did I would want my money back because they know the die they are selling me is not a body die.

2 of 110? That is not bad so there is a chance you are cutting it a little close. I would suggest a chamber gage, some use Wilson case gages but the Wilson case gage measures fired and full length sized cases, most reloaders have a problem with measuring the diameter of the case with a Wilson case gage. And WOW! be onto he that suggest it can be done.

F. Guffey

 

[Dranmelex]

First question: what is a body die? reloaders should understand there is no 'BUMPING THE SHOULER BACK without case body support so the die must include a means of contacting the shoulder of the case and that means it has to be more than a body die. If someone sold me a body die it would not would not touch the shoulder and if it did I would want my money back because they know the die they are selling me is not a body die.

- a body die is just a full length die that doesn't resize the neck. I have found it to be easier to resize just the body/shoulder without messing with the neck for me. I usea Hornady headspace gauge to measure a fired round and adjust the body die to provide 0.002 clearance.

I then resize the neck independent with a bushing die.

2 of 110? That is not bad so there is a chance you are cutting it a little close. I would suggest a chamber gage, some use Wilson case gages but the Wilson case gage measures fired and full length sized cases, most reloaders have a problem with measuring the diameter of the case with a Wilson case gage. And WOW! be onto he that suggest it can be done.

I have a new redding FL bushing die I am going to employ going forward.

F. Guffey

 

[SheepDog]

Dranmelex,
Check the diameter of the bottom of the shoulder on your case. It is possible that neck sizing can force the shoulder to expand at the shoulder/body junction.

 

[4xforfun]

First question: what is a body die? reloaders should understand there is no 'BUMPING THE SHOULER BACK without case body support so the die must include a means of contacting the shoulder of the case and that means it has to be more than a body die. If someone sold me a body die it would not would not touch the shoulder and if it did I would want my money back because they know the die they are selling me is not a body die.

2 of 110? That is not bad so there is a chance you are cutting it a little close. I would suggest a chamber gage, some use Wilson case gages but the Wilson case gage measures fired and full length sized cases, most reloaders have a problem with measuring the diameter of the case with a Wilson case gage. And WOW! be onto he that suggest it can be done.

F. Guffey

That is what a body die does.......all it is is a FL die that does not have any neck sizing function or have a decapping pin. They do, if set up correctly, bump the shoulder and size the body. I have one for my Dasher, 6-47L, and 6.5-284. LOVE them!!

 

[LHSmith]

Once again, Neck Sizing dies prove their worthlessness.....at least in the competitive realm.

 

[Shaggy357]

Another vote for brass a little thick in the neck. Wouldn't have believed it of Lapua until a buddy and I bought 1000 6BR. He offered to do the neck turning....didn't take long to realize there were some odd ducks in the box.

Steve

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

A simple check that almost always tells you where the problem is, is to ink the entire case up with a magic marker. Then chamber(or nearly so) the round a couple of times. The ink will be removed at the problem area. Do this first, then report back here and I'm sure someone will get you steered in the right direction. Honestly though, once you know for certain where the problem is, it's usually a matter of a little common sense to fix it. Everything about sizing and/or prepping brass is mechanical and is a very simple process, making the occasional problem one that is most likely solved very easily. Figuring out what the issue is is where people often get sideways. Inking the case almost always tells the tale.

 

[Brians356]

I'm sure I missed something along the line, but why are you body sizing "virgin brass"? Your case's bodies will never as small in all dimensions as when the brass is new and unfired. Yet you say you set the shoulder back to .002" shorter than fired cases. Normally virgin cases will be on the order of .008" shorter at the shoulder datum than the SAAMI chamber. So my focus shifts from the brass to your chamber, about which I know nothing at all except you are shooting a 260 Rem. Is it a factory SAAMI chamber, or a custom chamber? Will factory 260 Rem ammo chamber readily?
-

 

[Brians356]

My bushing doesnt size all the way to the neck shoulder junction.

Assuming the body die really didn't do much sizing at all (to be charitable) on "virgin brass", and given that (as you point out) a bushing cannot size 100% of the neck, it's possible there were a couple of raw cases with unusually large neck ODs, and the bushing left an un-sized ring at the base of the necks, which are just large enough in diameter to resist entering the chamber neck. If the chamber has a tight neck (I still don't know details of the chamber) this makes a lot more sense than if it is a SAAMI chamber.
-

 

[Michael C]

My 260 has done the same as Drainmelex; although my brass started out as Win 243. I needed a small base die for some reason, on the 1st or 2nd firing. I guess when the smith chambered the barrel he used some tight ended reamer. I got a small base body die and ran the brass through which were a problem and had no more issues. I don't use it all the time, just the once or twice if needed.