Barnes seating problem...

[loudandproud]

Hello Gentlemen,

I am leaving for a moose trip to Newfoundland in three weeks. I have been shooting a Barnes 180 TTSX out of a 300 Win Mag. I shot my last bullets out of the rifle this week and cracked open a new box to get ready for the trip. I also have fresh brass because my last batch gave up the ghost on the primer pockets.

I am having neck tension issues. I am using a Lee FL sizing die and seating die which I have never had an issue with before. The dies and expander is clean.

When seating the bullet, there is plenty of tension and the bullet is retained in the case if I dont seat it all the way down. If I continue to seat the bullet into its final position it loosens as soon as the case neck rides over the relief bands in the bullets.

I measure a sized case: .304" ID
I measured a bullet base: .308"
I measured the bearing diameter over the reliefs: .308"

At this point I figured... hmm the case probably needs annealed. I annealed the case... no change. Still loose enough I can spin the bullet with my fingers.

For shits and giggles I seat a 212 ELDx. No issues... nice and consistent feel when seating. Well retained bullet.

Any help would be appreciated. What the heck is going on?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Your case mouth has what i cant explain better than a reverse flaring mouth. If its on the full dia it holds but in a crimp groove its loose. You may need to fire them once. Maybe even with a pistol powder/toilet paper load would do it

 

[Homerange]

I strongly suspect you need a deeper/better case mouth chamfer like used for VLD projectiles.
This will let the projectile cannalure to slide easier into the case and not catch on the case mouth and thereby upsetting the neck sizing.
Something like this Lyman tool:
https://www.sinclairintl.com/reload...fering/vld-chamfer-reamer-tool-prod44718.aspx

 

[loudandproud]

I strongly suspect you need a deeper/better case mouth chamfer like used for VLD projectiles.
This will let the projectile cannalure to slide easier into the case and not catch on the case mouth and thereby upsetting the neck sizing.
Something like this Lyman tool:
https://www.sinclairintl.com/reload...fering/vld-chamfer-reamer-tool-prod44718.aspx

That is the reamer I use. The cases were chamfered

 

[243winxb]

Is the seat die crimping? Back the die out/up.

 

[wboggs]

Is the seat die crimping? Back the die out/up.

I always seat to a crimping groove and then use a Lee factory collet crimp. Will hold under the harshest recoil and conditions.
Bill

 

[boltfluter]

Probably what Dusty said. But I would check wall thickness on the new brass compared to the old. You could also fire one case as a test and proceed from there. Good luck.

Paul

 

[loudandproud]

I will check to see if the seating die is crimping. I dont think it is but it is worth a check.

Ill fire a case and see if the brass "fixes itself" indicating that the neck was reverse flared.