.284 win headspace

[jtflyer]

would anyone know, how to check headspace without a gauge? does putting 2 layers of scotch tape on a dummy round work??

 

[shortgrass]

No! Gages are the only sure way to know if it is within tolerance.

 

[skeetlee]

We kinda need a little more info. What are you doing that you need to check headspace? Are you chambering a barrel? Advise. Thanks Lee

 

[jtflyer]

I just had a barrel chambered and after I fire virgin brass i'am having a hard time resizing the brass and also having heavy bolt lift on a few rounds. powder charge 50 gr/RL-17 coal-3.165. the barrel is on a model 7 action. I have ordered headspace gauges, be here on thursday. I had heard that if you put tape on the round which would be about 400 thousands you should not be able to close the bolt??

 

[Erik Cortina]

I have never seen tape that is almost 1/2" thick!

What do you mean you are having a hard time resizing brass? All you do is turn your resizing die down until you get the sizing you need. You should at least be able to size it as much as factory specs, but most of the time it's not needed to size that much. I don't think it's a headspace problem. You just need to set up your sizing die properly.

 

[jtflyer]

Sorry Eric, I meant 4 thousands!!

 

[jtflyer]

I would think if I take a dummy round and put scotch tape on the end of the case, each layer is 2 thousands thick, 2 layers 4 thousands
thick you shuld not be able to close the bolt with 4 thousands on the case, like a no-go gauge! sound right??? I can close the bolt with 4 thousands of tape on the end of the case, does not seem like the correct headspace?? THX, Jeff

 

[Erik Cortina]

I get one you are saying, but if that's the case, then that means the shoulder is pushed forward some. In which case, you should still be able to size it down enough to make it work.

Take the firing spring assembly out of the gun, chamber a fired piece of brass, then take it out and size a little at a time until you don't feet any more resistance when closing the bolt. And that's it!

 

[jtflyer]

OK, I will give it a go!! THX, Jeff

 

[holstil]

Yes, tape or anything else that you know the thickness of will tell you if you have too much head space for a particular piece of brass. It won't tell you what it is, but it will tell you if the brass you are about to shoot will give you fits. You need to find out what part of the case is not correct to your chamber. If you keep bumping the shoulder (sizing the brass) till the case fits, that could be a problem. It could be a problem at the web and your die isn't getting it to fit until your shoulder is too far.

I noticed sometimes if brass is hit hard, it can be like tryin to throw a cat from a boat to get it sized at the web. Small base dies and custom dies and grinding dies can be the RX.

A chamder casting is a good idea.

Making brass fit a particular chamber - you should see how much head space br brass has before it becomes a DAsher.
Fire forming = .100.

I don't like any (.000) head space on my brass. I set my die up every time I load to fit the chamber, head space wise. New brass gets a lower charge and jammed bullet to prevent head space and pressure issues to fire form.

My thoughts, Jim