frustrating problem with 6mm PPC loading!

[flexible]

I think I'm going to have to redo my whole setup, there are too many things that might be causing the issue right now.
I'll start with setting up the Whidden dies and go from there with all the advice I've been given.
thanks everyone
flexible.

 

[William Vogel]

Nope, not an AR; it's a bolt.
I'll mesure the neck wall thickness later today.
I'll try seating a bullet by hand.
It's driving me crazy because 70% of the rounds i loaded functioned perfectly.
I did a visual inspection of the chamber but I'll use a chamber brush later.
Crazy thought, since it's charge of 29 grains of N133, could that be 'slightly' stopping the bullet from seating as deep as the dummy rounds?

You would find that when measuring the loaded rounds after bullet seating.

 

[COLT45SA]

Hi everyone, flexible here. Been a pistol reloader for decades and a newbie rifle reloader.
This spring I started shooting matches in Heavy Varmint 6mm PPC.
Bought 200 cases of Lapua 220 Russian already neck turned to .262.
Over the season about 30% of the rounds wouldn't chamber without a hit from a rubber mallet.
The season ended with this issue so i broke down the last 30 rounds and redid all my measurements, chambered the resized brass (chambered with a slight amount of resistance). I loaded dummy rounds to make sure it wasn't overall length.
They chamber with only slight resistance.
Did a complete set of 20 rounds.
SAME PROBLEM!
A couple of guys from the BR group were practicing and they suggested i check the trim and redo the neck turning.
Any ideas?
Using Redding bushing dies and 29 grains of N133
thanks

I had a similar problem and had to bump the shoulder to get the cartridges to chamber properly.

 

[TTE]

I think I'm going to have to redo my whole setup, there are too many things that might be causing the issue right now.
I'll start with setting up the Whidden dies and go from there with all the advice I've been given.
thanks everyone
flexible.

Personally, I'd start with the brass instead of the die.
Measure all the brass (in all areas that you can measure/that matter) and prepare all of it before setting up the die.

 

[M-61]

I had a similar problem and had to bump the shoulder to get the cartridges to chamber properly.

Yes. And that would be the only reason I would bump the shoulder.
You might want to take a case that does NOT chamber freely, resize it but let it sit in the die for 3-5 seconds. I ran into this problem because I was going too fast ( no reason at all as I have lots of time)
I was quite surprised it solved the problem.
I prefer to work the brass as little as possible.

 

[M-61]

Over the season about 30% of the rounds wouldn't chamber without a hit from a rubber mallet.

Everyone has their own methods. Hitting the bolt is something I would never do. Once my hand cannot close the bolt that’s the end of shooting that cartridge. Think of the different things that could be happening. Bullet jammed in the lands to the point extraction leaves the bullet stuck there. Are you crushing the cartridge neck due to length or thickness? Are you crushing the shoulder?
Time to stop for me and figure it out.

 

[Murray Brook]

Must have found the problem by now. The thread is over a year old.

 

[TTE]

Must have found the problem by now. The thread is over a year old.

maybe ?

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Caveat before even starting is that a 6PPC is a wildcat, so it can be argued that there are no absolutes in this regard..

That said, 220R brass has a different shoulder angle and is intended to headspace at the neck shoulder junction until fireformed in a ppc chamber. Some variation in brass length to that junction is common and a ppc bushing die won't typically do anything to the shoulder to make it fit easier. It is normal to have some amount of crush fit of 220R brass in a ppc chamber and for some to feel a bit tighter than others due to virgin case variations before forming.

Again, this can be altered and some smiths chamber them a tad long to avoid it but left as designed, it sure makes nice cases. I guess it depends on subjectivity, to a degree, in regard to how much crush is too much relative to your "feel". This is all just like any Ackley Improved chamber and common when wildcatting.

Regardless, once fired, the crush should go away and not be an issue going forward with formed brass. You can then adjust your die for whatever shoulder bump you need/want.

Sorry if this has already been addressed. Didn't see it mentioned yet. Bottom line, keep the lugs lubed well and rock on. It should not be an issue once formed. If it is, ya might have to remove material from the top of the shell holder or from the bottom of the die to get your die to bump the shoulders. Hope this helps.

 

[flexible]

hi everyone; thanks for all the responses. This turned out to be a very simple problem. I wasn't always deburring and chamfering; there were some differences between the brass dimensions between the throat and neck. just enough to make chambering difficult.

thanks
flexible

 

[Webster]

Hi everyone, flexible here. Been a pistol reloader for decades and a newbie rifle reloader.
This spring I started shooting matches in Heavy Varmint 6mm PPC.
Bought 200 cases of Lapua 220 Russian already neck turned to .262.
Over the season about 30% of the rounds wouldn't chamber without a hit from a rubber mallet.
The season ended with this issue so i broke down the last 30 rounds and redid all my measurements, chambered the resized brass (chambered with a slight amount of resistance). I loaded dummy rounds to make sure it wasn't overall length.
They chamber with only slight resistance.
Did a complete set of 20 rounds.
SAME PROBLEM!
A couple of guys from the BR group were practicing and they suggested i check the trim and redo the neck turning.
Any ideas?
Using Redding bushing dies and 29 grains of N133
thanks

If the case doesn't want to chamber why are you forcing the bolt closed? Do you know what the chamber neck diameter is. I wish they would put the neck diam. and freebore on the barrel and the receipt for the chambering. Years ago I almost blewup a 6PPC by forcing a case into the chamber that had to big of a loaded neck diameter. The case neck was stretched forward because of the bullet forcing it's way out. I had to hammer the bolt open. Beware what you are doing may be very dangerous. You need to quit shooting the rifle until you solve the problem. I would turn 1 neck down to 9 or 10 thou thickness and see if the problem goes away. A simple test 1 case.

 

[243winxb]

I wasn't always deburring and chamfering;

Stainless steel pins peen the case neck , making brass thicker at the mouth. Add a tight neck chamber & bullet is getting crimped in the case, raising pressures.

A bushing may not size all the way to the shoulder, this causes drag when chambering rounds.

I size 1/2 of the neck on my 243. After 20+ loadings, the unsized neck area add drag. A little harder chambering.

 

[COLT45SA]

Yes. And that would be the only reason I would bump the shoulder.
You might want to take a case that does NOT chamber freely, resize it but let it sit in the die for 3-5 seconds. I ran into this problem because I was going too fast ( no reason at all as I have lots of time)
I was quite surprised it solved the problem.
I prefer to work the brass as little as possible.

The reason for bumping the shoulder is that it was once fired brass fired in someone elses gun~!

 

[M-61]

The reason for bumping the shoulder is that it was once fired brass fired in someone elses gun~!

And I assume it did not chamber in your rifle then.
Meaning your bolt would not close