shoot4fun
Gold $$ Contributor
What FL die are you currently using?
ADG 6.5 PRC brass issues
- Thread starter 10xsllc
- Start date
It's not the ADG brass, i can promise you that. Whidden has messed up more custom dies than anyone else i have heard of. Going .002 on the shoulder and on the web for a 338 Edge isn't going to cut it. On LRO, there is a thread about 6.5 PRC brass sizing issues. Many of shooters have them. It's because the brass is very strong and needs a smaller die to actually get some sizing done. Wait until Lapua comes out with 6.5 and 300 PRC brass next year. Then it will be a Lapua brass issue. Ask Alex Wheeler, Ryan Pierce, Rich Sherman, Jeff Broz, etc about there experience with Whidden custom dies. The problem in the industry is that brass companies are making extremely tough cases in popular hot rod magnums now. These cases can handle some serious pressure. But they require more sizing to account for spring back and the toughness of the case.
I'm not going to get into slinging mud here.
I will say that we have always offered to make dies with whatever internal dimensions the customer requests. Anyone who knows they need more sizing than normal can communicate that to us and we'll gladly make a die to those specifications. We will never be mind readers nor magicians.
I will say that we have always offered to make dies with whatever internal dimensions the customer requests. Anyone who knows they need more sizing than normal can communicate that to us and we'll gladly make a die to those specifications. We will never be mind readers nor magicians.
I am just curious if Whidden does testing on brass to make sure it sizes. Or if someone sends in 3 pieces of fired brass, do they know from experience how much the brass needs to be sized to account for spring back and toughness of brass? I sent three pieces of brass in and went by what was suggested. It doesn’t size enough and I get clickers and sticky extraction on first 1/4” of extraction. At the time I didn’t know I needed way more sizing then the suggested .002 with .001 spring back. I just hope that all the die manufactures can figure out how to get brass to size enough for SAAMI min chambers. Last thing we want is for companies to make brass softer to solve the problem.
Ledd Slinger
Silver $$ Contributor
I have a Whidden FL die for my 300 NMI. Comparing the widest part of the web from a fired case to a sized case only shows .0015” difference in diameter. I bump the shoulder back .0025”. Rounds chamber perfectly without any resistance and all eject just as easily with 3-4 firings on my Lapua cases.
have had some hard clickers on ejection with a couple loads using IMR7977 and RL26 with 220gr Berger, but all the signs of max pressure were evident on the brass with bolt face marring and flattened primers. Speed was around 3100 fps. No ejector marks because my Atlas has a mechanical ejector.
But using a slower powder with the 220s, N570, I’m up at a 3170 fps average with zero signs of pressure and brass ejecting as easily as it chambered. So not a sizing die or brass issue there.
Now I’m using Lapua brass and I’m not sure how much my Whidden FL die is sizing the brass and how much spring back I get to end up at .0015” smaller than a fired case, but it works perfectly in my rifle.
So again, i don’t think the OP is dealing with a sizing die issue OR a brass issue. Most likely his load is above max pressure and the ADG brass is so strong that it’s masking the signs and taking a few firings before he starts seeing trouble
have had some hard clickers on ejection with a couple loads using IMR7977 and RL26 with 220gr Berger, but all the signs of max pressure were evident on the brass with bolt face marring and flattened primers. Speed was around 3100 fps. No ejector marks because my Atlas has a mechanical ejector.
But using a slower powder with the 220s, N570, I’m up at a 3170 fps average with zero signs of pressure and brass ejecting as easily as it chambered. So not a sizing die or brass issue there.
Now I’m using Lapua brass and I’m not sure how much my Whidden FL die is sizing the brass and how much spring back I get to end up at .0015” smaller than a fired case, but it works perfectly in my rifle.
So again, i don’t think the OP is dealing with a sizing die issue OR a brass issue. Most likely his load is above max pressure and the ADG brass is so strong that it’s masking the signs and taking a few firings before he starts seeing trouble
I came across this thread and figure I would pass on some info from another forum where people are having similar issues. Guys with custom and factory rifles are experiencing the same issues. Sometimes it’s on the 2nd firing, sometimes the 3rd, and some not at all. Guys have tried custom dies with little or no success. It’s sounding like the issue is from the brass not being able to be sized enough at the .200” mark. There really hasn’t been a solution that has worked for anyone but from the sounds of it, guys are having their reamers sent back and having them pushed out to be .535” or .536” at .200”. I’m am absolutely no expert at this, just passing on the information. Hope this helps or provides a little insight.
Evidently that is the best solution.
Almost everyone gets “clickers” after a few firings.
The dies and the brass are fine, the reamers are too tight at the .2-.3 area.
The way I understand it is...the brass can only be sized so much in the .2-.3 area since it’s the thickest, strongest part.
Making the chamber slightly larger allows for brass expansion and then proper sizing back to original spec.
Almost everyone gets “clickers” after a few firings.
The dies and the brass are fine, the reamers are too tight at the .2-.3 area.
The way I understand it is...the brass can only be sized so much in the .2-.3 area since it’s the thickest, strongest part.
Making the chamber slightly larger allows for brass expansion and then proper sizing back to original spec.
jthor
USAF Shooting Team
My smith was having the same problem with his 6.5 SAUM and ADG brass. He polish the back end of the chamber to open it up a bit and it’s working fine. The SAUM is very similar to the PRC so I’m positive it will work for the PRC.
From my smith
“
So on my saum I polished the chamber.
Originally fired brass came back at .549
Resizing to .5485
Sticky case
Polished chamber fired brass coming back at .550.
Resized running .5488 to .549
Fired brass 3 times so 3, 4 and 5 on Same piece of brass and didn't have clickers with max load.”
Also have the clicker issue with primary extraction with ADG brass. The brass is now on it's 5th/6th firing.
I'm lucky to not have sticky secondary extraction.
Will look into having the case head area of the chamber widened out for my next bbl.
This is the same issue some folks are having with 300PRC too. I ran into this using RCC brass. I've so far sorted the RCC and will try that on a diff chamber later on. I also loaded some Hornady brass and it seems to extract fine however this was virgin brass.
Sounds like SAAMI min spec is too tight from what I've read.
I'm lucky to not have sticky secondary extraction.
Will look into having the case head area of the chamber widened out for my next bbl.
This is the same issue some folks are having with 300PRC too. I ran into this using RCC brass. I've so far sorted the RCC and will try that on a diff chamber later on. I also loaded some Hornady brass and it seems to extract fine however this was virgin brass.
Sounds like SAAMI min spec is too tight from what I've read.
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