22-250 + Lapua brass = clickers on first time firing Remedy? (problem solved!)

[AckleymanII]

Different how? Rem and Winchester brass will solve your problem.

 

[Shinbone]

Nosler, Winchester and Prvi.

Not so easy finding brass, right now, so I took what I could get.

I'll report out case head diameter when this brass comes in.

 

[shb]

What is a clicker?

 

[pdhntr]

........... Can we get some unfired of other brands from anyone on this thread?........

The good OLD Winchester (unfired) is .462

Jim

 

[pdhntr]

What is a clicker?

It's when you lift the bolt to eject a fired round and the bolt handle rises just about to the top and then you encounter resistance. When putting more pressure on the bolt handle, it releases and you hear a "click".

From my understanding, the case is stuck at the web and the click is when it releases from its stuckshun.

Jim

 

[STS]

Respectfully, I disagree with the chamber too large diagnosis. Back in the day, some 6PPC shooters thought that they might improve accuracy by shaving a few tenths off of the diameter of the back of the chamber. This was quickly abandoned when they discovered that they had early clicker problems. I personally know of other examples where chambers were too close to the size of unfired brass. My suggestion is that you look at the differences in near the head diameter of different brands of brass, and choose one that is smaller than the Lapua. (Assuming you don't want to rechamber) Just out of curiosity, how did you choose your seating depth?

Agree with this assessment. Lapua .22-250 brass is larger than any of our domestic brass that I have ever measured. Norma is larger as well but not as big as Lapua. If I remember correctly the batches I've worked with are .005 larger than Winchester brass at the .200 line. Unless you have a chamber that was done with a reamer on spec for the Lapua (or some big sloppy chamber) you will have the issue that you are experiencing.

 

[Shinbone]

Is this situation of Lapua brass being "over-sized" unique to just their 22-250 brass?

I bought this Lapua 22-250 brass because I've always heard "Lapua brass is the best" - best material, carefully made, most firings before discarding. But, being prone to clickers due to unusually large dimensions seems pretty far from being "best", to me.

 

[jelenko]

Is this situation of Lapua brass being "over-sized" unique to just their 22-250 brass?

I bought this Lapua 22-250 brass because I've always heard Lapua brass is the best - best material, carefully made, most firings before discarding. But, being prone to clickers due to unusually large dimensions seems pretty far from being "best", to me.

Especially for 223.

 

[Edd]

I don't think it is unique to just 22-250 brass. I have read comments from rifle builders about it being larger than other brass. Not long ago I was looking at the reamer list on Greg Tannels website and noticed he had a 223 reamer for Lapua brass that had a bigger base than his other one.

If you look at the SAAMI specs, I think you will find that Lapua is not oversized but that other brands are undersized.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

If those measurements are accurate, your chamber is smaller than SAAMI.

The minimum SAAMI spec at the .200" line is .4681".

My once fired PPU measures .467.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

When I was having 2 rifles(22-250) rebarreled for myself and a buddy. I thought about running Lapua brass, then heard about Sig brass, half the price and could order a SAAMI spec reamer(shortened freebore) and run all my new old stock brass. Really like the Sig brass in my 22-250's and 223's. With the 22-250's, both rifles(21 3/4" Lilja barrels), I can set the sizing die and load the same and get excellent accuracy.

 

[Ackman]

Is this situation of Lapua brass being "over-sized" unique to just their 22-250 brass?

I bought this Lapua 22-250 brass because I've always heard "Lapua brass is the best" - best material, carefully made, most firings before discarding. But, being prone to clickers due to unusually large dimensions seems pretty far from being "best", to me.

Especially for 223.

Lapua .223 is fine in my guns, I use both Lapua match and Dakota/lapua in .223 (stock chamber) and .223AI (my reamer). In .22-250AI with my reamer I use PMC which is excellent, Lapua web is too big. In .243AI, my reamer, Lapua and PMC are both too big. Be aware that even 1/2thou - or less - larger than the chamber web is "too big". A small base die won't squeeze the web smaller, it's never worked for me......all it did was stick the case which was a hassle to get out.

****A friend was making some .223 cases into MachIV and needed a smaller web. He made a "scrape die" that actually scraped a little brass from the web.....it worked fine for him.

 

[snert]

Well maybe this explains why my Hart 22-250 with Lapua is a durnfool mess of clickers. I thought it was hot load. Time to resize it as much as possible and try a few. But this certainly explains things because I don't see my load being very warm at all. Maybe the tolerances are tighter in this combo than usual. Thanks for posting this.

 

[Brians356]

Great pictures. Can we get some unfired of other brands from anyone on this thread?

Are you soliciting measurements of unfired cases, or physical cases?
-

 

[shb]

It's when you lift the bolt to eject a fired round and the bolt handle rises just about to the top and then you encounter resistance. When putting more pressure on the bolt handle, it releases and you hear a "click".

From my understanding, the case is stuck at the web and the click is when it releases from its stuckshun.

Jim

Thank you.


Thats the new thing I learned this week.

 

[BoydAllen]

Are you soliciting measurements of unfired cases, or physical cases?
-

Measurements. Taken at the same place on the cases as the Lapua brass was in the picture, at the .200 up from the case head line, for purposes of comparison.

 

[BoydAllen]

Some dimensions off of the SAAMI chamber drawing:
Back at the .200 line, the min, is .4681 and the max is .002 more
The min shoulder dia is given as .4156 and the max .002 more
The difference between minimum and maximum headspace is .010
Freebore (with a 2 degree per side leade angle) is listed as a longish .0788

You might want to do some serious studying before you order a "SAAMI" reamer. Measure your brass, think about clearances, size a case with your die, and measure that, make up a dummy round to send in with your order so that the throat length is what you want.

 

[Uncle Ed]

American cases run on the small side at the base on tolerances and Lapua is closer to max base diameter.

The SAAMI cartridge and chamber drawing for the 22-250 has the manufacturing tolerance for the base of the case is .4668 to .4588. Meaning the American SAAMI case base diameter can vary .008 in diameter. And the chamber base diameter is .4681 to .4661 or allowed to vary .002 in diameter.

If you want to keep using your Lapua brass then buy a small base die. And if needed raise the die off the shell holder, or buy some Redding competition shell holders. Adjusting the dia up or down is normal when adjusting the die for the correct amount of shoulder bump.

The various RCBS small base dies I have will size the entire case body, 001 to .002 smaller in diameter. That being said I have a standard Lee full length .223 die that will reduce the body diameter more than my RCBS small base die.

Chambers and dies vary in size and nothing is written in stone.

Below three types of Forster .308 dies.

 

[BoydAllen]

American cases run on the small side at the base on tolerances and Lapua is closer to max base diameter.

The SAAMI cartridge and chamber drawing for the 22-250 has the manufacturing tolerance for the base of the case is .4668 to .4588. Meaning the American SAAMI case base diameter can vary .008 in diameter. And the chamber base diameter is .4681 to .4661 or allowed to vary .002 in diameter.

If you want to keep using your Lapua brass then buy a small base die. And if needed raise the die off the shell holder, or buy some Redding competition shell holders. Adjusting the dia up or down is normal when adjusting the die for the correct amount of shoulder bump.

The various RCBS small base dies I have will size the entire case body, 001 to .002 smaller in diameter. That being said I have a standard Lee full length .223 die that will reduce the body diameter more than my RCBS small base die.

Chambers and dies vary in size and nothing is written in stone.

I took my .200 min number (.4681) off of their drawing and the .002 oversize allowance from the same place....just before I posted.

 

[Uncle Ed]

From the OPs photos his fired brass is .0005 larger than unfired brass.

And his sizing die is not reducing the fired case base diameter. Fired case diameter .4650, resized case base diameter .4650. And the OP said he has clickers with his resized brass. And Lapua brass is harder and springs back more after sizing. All I said was in my opinion a small base die should fix his Lapua brass sizing problem.

Or to put it another way he has a small chamber and a fat resizing die. And the die is not reducing the base diameter enough. So what is more cost effective toss his Lapua brass and hope the new brass has a smaller base diameter. Or buy a small base die and keep using his Lapua brass.

P.S. Boyd I took my shoes off so I hope my math was correct.