300 Norma Improved 35 degree

[LCazador]

I’ve got problems… I had Alex spin me up one awhile back. Finally got around to playing with it. I FF with 83 h1000 and 230 bergers. Everything went well. Shot stupid good. Then went and found what I thought was a solid ish load on once fired brass. Actually finished yesterday. 84.4 gr h1000 and 230 bergers around 2880-3000. This was on once fired brass and finished at 99 rounds on the barrel. Went today to verify on now twice fired brass and everything fell apart. I felt it formed well after the 2 firings so bumped back around .003 from the formed brass measurement I just took on 3 firings. I sized last night off the Alex wheeler method. I was getting heavy bolt lift and clickers. I kept backing the charge down and quit at 81 grains still slight clicker. That’s way low in my eyes for a nmi. And shoot, 2 grains less then I FF with. I’ve been on top of cleaning it after every outing. So I don’t think it’s a carbon problem. And it went from shooting good on the last piece of brass yesterday to issues out of the gate. This is all resized brass I did last night but I didn’t do anything outa the norm. I’ve really simplified my process. I clean with a rag and alcohol. Deprime, size, chamfer/debur/trim, prime, charge, seat. I bumped the shoulders about .003 avg, .002 nt. And that’s about it. I haven’t trimmed yet but the brass hasn’t grown. I even went and opened another jug of h1k as I thought maybe I emptied a different powder in the one last night when I was cleaning up. Not the case. I’m at a loss and pretty frustrated. What am I missing? Could it be a sizing die problem? I’ve heard of guys having issues there. I have a bullet central sizer. I know it’s not a smith problem. Alex does phenomenal work. This was really the first sign of pressure. Although I did run it up to 76 gr yesterday and experience a slight clicker there? Now should you have bolt click? No ejector mark no heavy bolt lift and 76 shouldn’t be ungodly high. I was hoping to have this running for elk season but maybe not now

What was your head diameter before you fireformed? What is it now?

 

[FeMan]

........... I was getting heavy bolt lift and clickers. I kept backing the charge down and quit at 81 grains still slight clicker. That’s way low in my eyes for a nmi. ............ Could it be a sizing die problem? I’ve heard of guys having issues there. I have a bullet central sizer.

The clickers are a mismatch between your chamber and sizing dies. When there is such a mismatch, you can minimize or avoid them by reduced charge weights (and exacerbate them them with heavier charge weights) but once the head of the brass has expanded to the point that you have them, you really cant get rid of them. You can try and resize with a smaller base die and reduce charge eights but I have had no real luck with that unless you get to ridiculously low charge weights.

Start again with new brass. I would look for a new sizer that sizes the 0.200" line more. You didn't say what brass you were using, but making sure it is premium stuff and has a 0.200" line measurement at least several thousandths less than the chamber on virgin brass is important.

FWIW, I had a case recently with Lapua factory brass in a 300WM would not chamber is a customers rifle. That brass had a B-line that was 0.005" larger than the new Winchester brass he had been using on virgin cases. As recommended above, measuring your brass and case heads and tracking the measurements will help you figure out the issue and what your load limit is to avoid the clickers.

 

[schw15]

Alex wheeler print and the bullet central die should be a perfect match they built them off his specs for him. Maybe you got a bad die........ I had a similar issue long story short I used the alex wheeler way to find shoulder bump based off his video he made. I didn't have the clickers just hard bolt lift. What brand of brass are you using?

 

[ExPiney]

I’ve got problems… I had Alex spin me up one awhile back. Finally got around to playing with it. I FF with 83 h1000 and 230 bergers. Everything went well. Shot stupid good. Then went and found what I thought was a solid ish load on once fired brass. Actually finished yesterday. 84.4 gr h1000 and 230 bergers around 2880-3000. This was on once fired brass and finished at 99 rounds on the barrel. Went today to verify on now twice fired brass and everything fell apart. I felt it formed well after the 2 firings so bumped back around .003 from the formed brass measurement I just took on 3 firings. I sized last night off the Alex wheeler method. I was getting heavy bolt lift and clickers. I kept backing the charge down and quit at 81 grains still slight clicker. That’s way low in my eyes for a nmi. And shoot, 2 grains less then I FF with. I’ve been on top of cleaning it after every outing. So I don’t think it’s a carbon problem. And it went from shooting good on the last piece of brass yesterday to issues out of the gate. This is all resized brass I did last night but I didn’t do anything outa the norm. I’ve really simplified my process. I clean with a rag and alcohol. Deprime, size, chamfer/debur/trim, prime, charge, seat. I bumped the shoulders about .003 avg, .002 nt. And that’s about it. I haven’t trimmed yet but the brass hasn’t grown. I even went and opened another jug of h1k as I thought maybe I emptied a different powder in the one last night when I was cleaning up. Not the case. I’m at a loss and pretty frustrated. What am I missing? Could it be a sizing die problem? I’ve heard of guys having issues there. I have a bullet central sizer. I know it’s not a smith problem. Alex does phenomenal work. This was really the first sign of pressure. Although I did run it up to 76 gr yesterday and experience a slight clicker there? Now should you have bolt click? No ejector mark no heavy bolt lift and 76 shouldn’t be ungodly high. I was hoping to have this running for elk season but maybe not now

Find someone who can measure the sizing die to make sure that it is what Alex & BC spec'd it to be. BC makes a lot of dies. I'm sure there are a few that end up out of spec.

 

[OSU Fisher]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Everything checks out but after talking to Alex for awhile I think the issue has been found. I need to make the switch to lapua brass. I was using adg and for some reason it doesn’t seem to act right. My barrel will be well broken in by the time I get the new brass formed haha. Thanks Alex for the great support and knowledge. One of the reasons to use him. He’s always willing to take the time to talk everything through

 

[schw15]

Can someone tell me what the oal on a berger 245 lrht bullet with Alex wheeler .275 freebore reamer?

 

[schw15]

Can someone tell me what the oal on a berger 245 lrht bullet with Alex wheeler .275 freebore reamer?

I was going to order a reamer just to have for myself but before hand wanted to see length before I sent a loaded round in to be based off of

 

[Sgt. Brumbaugh]

Can someone tell me what the oal on a berger 245 lrht bullet with Alex wheeler .275 freebore reamer?

Base to ogive is right around 2.1960 / base to tip is around 3.750

 

[schw15]

Base to ogive is right around 2.1960 / base to tip is around 3.750

I appreciate the info on that thank you

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Bullet central should have dies ready soon. Do not wait until you need them to order them. If you commission a build order your dies today. They come in and out of stock. They sell a lot of these dies.

 

[schw15]

Everyone shooting 300 norma improved what bipod attachment do you guys run picatinny or arca? If you run arca do you have any slipping?

 

[L. Perry]

Shooting a Thunderbeast on a pic rail. No slipping but with the thunderbeast magnus rr it’s like shooting a 243.

 

[schw15]

I've never had issues on pic rail but wondering on the arca...... rlok system

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Pic

 

[schw15]

Pic

Do you believe if I have a pic rail stick past the end of the rifle stick like 2 inches just for certain instances would it cause flex?

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Sure but flex is not a bad word.

 

[schw15]

Sure but flex is not a bad word.

Sounds like your thinking it will be OK.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

One of the things I like about the atlas is the play. Sometimes its good

 

[schw15]

One of the things I like about the atlas is the play. Sometimes its good

I run a accutac bipod no play in those really. But I was meaning the Pic rail flexing at the end of stock

 

[schw15]

I just got some new barrels 300 norma improved 35. This time there is no crush on virgin brass and to get the crush on virgin brass i had to add 10 to 12 thousand of tape to feel the crush. I did form 15 brass and didn't see anything wrong because some flat primers. I'm not sure if I should continue or maybe have them set back for tighter chamber. I know from the news ones and the old barrels my brass is 10 thousand longer at the shoulder but the old brass had to trim 10 thousand off a shell holder to reaize