.204 Problems

[mitch_04]

Hi,
I'm running into a couple problems and hope someone has some helpful tips. I have a .204 Ruger AR15, and a .204 Ruger bolt action (Ruger 77). I successfully ran reloads (32gn Vmax) in the M77, but after I built the AR, I found out they do not seat into the barrel fully. I measured to the shoulder, and the reloads are a slight bit (I don't remember the dimensions) longer than factory ammo.

Has anyone else ran into this?

Will seating my die fully instead of 1/2 turn off work?

Would this possibly be the difference from having a Lilja barrel on my AR vs the factory Ruger barrel?

 

[jesker]

When reloading for an AR rifle you should full lengh resize everytime bumping the shoulder back to factory specs. You normally will have to full lengh resize when switching from one gun to another, I keep my ammo seperated by the gun I'm going to shoot it in.

 

[fdshuster]

Two different chambers cut with two different reamers. Factory ammo will work in both because it's radically undersized in all dimensions for "one size fits all". Once a brass case is fired in one chamber, even with FL sizing, it may or may not fit in the other. Get the Hornady chamber overall length gauge, take headspace length dimensions, size about .003" shorter for the AR & keep the brass seperated between the two rifles. After firing your cases measure longer than factory since they are now fire-formed to your chamber. You could also adjust your sizing die so the longest cases will chamber in the shortest chamber, but the ones for the longer chamber will not last very long, since they will be oversized. You could expect sooner than normal case head seperation(s). Just my opinion, what has worked for me for many years.

 

[fullersson]

If you are trying to run the same brass in your AR that you have already fired in your M77 that is probably where your problem is. Sometimes you will get lucky and be able to run your brass in 2 different chambers but not often. If your AR will chamber unfired brass but will not chamber brass that has been fired in your M77 then that is your problem and the fix is simple. Good luck, Brian Brown.

 

[mitch_04]

Should have mentioned that I use a full length resizing die.

 

[fdshuster]

mitch: When you asked about seating the die fully instead of 1/2 turn off I got the impression you are following the die makers suggestion of how to adjust the FL die. Many of us agree that is a bad piece of advice. Again, you are trying to make "one size fits all", and many times it will simply not work. get a reliable measuring tool & take actual as fired headspace length measurements of your brass as it comes out of the chamber (knock out the spent primer first without any case sizing), for both the Ruger and the AR. Record those dimensions then size the cases accordingly. A simple way of using one FL die for 2 different case length dimensions is to adjust the lock ring for the shorter headspace and use a shim ( as made by Skips) to adjust for the longer headspace. Another area of concern is at the rear of the case, right in front of the rim. That diameter can get blown out & you will not be able to reduce it with a standard FL sizing die, the reason some use a small base die. But, if you keep the brass segregated between the Ruger and AR that would not be a problem. I'm very familiar with your problem. Have 3 AR uppers and 2 bolt guns all chambered in 223 Rem., so I know the difficulty you are having.

 

[fullersson]

IMO you need to have brass for your AR and then brass for your M77. Not the same brass it causes to many problems. Also IMO you need to use the AR series dies for your AR. Good luck, Brian Brown.

 

[WyleWD]

IMO you need to have brass for your AR and then brass for your M77.

I agree with the above, I have a father & son for whom I reload for. Both have 22-250's. The brass will not interchange between rifles after they've been fired. So I just told them they'd have to keep their brass separated. Both of them are bolt actions, but different manufacturers. WD

 

[mitch_04]

Thanks for all the advice. I've got a ton of reloaded .204 for the bolt, just built the AR so it kind of sucks to have to resupply, but it's looking like I'll have to. I'm going to set my dies for the AR, maybe I'll get lucky and be able to use that setting for both. If I don't I'll just have to keep my brass separate. It's for my dad, and I'd like to keep it as simple as I can for him, so hopefully I'll get lucky. Otherwise, separate brass it is!

 

[Wrangler John]

I have the same problem with two .204 Barrels, one a Shilen Select Match the other a Pac-Nor Super Match. The Shilen chamber is slightly larger at the body/head junction so the F.L. sized fired cases wont fit the Pac-Nor chamber if sized in the Redding die. I found a solution in a Forster full length die that sized the base down sufficiently enough to fit the Pac-Nor. Had the Forster die not worked I would have had to order a small base die. Not only do chambers vary, but dies do too, sometimes by quite a bit.

I could purchase my own chambering reamer and have all future barrels set up with it, which would prevent the problem. For now it is either segregate the brass for the two barrels by storing them in marked boxes, or use Winchester brass for one and Remington brass for the other, or I could resize all brass with the Forster die, making the brass interchangeable.