Are 300 WSM brasses to stressed to reload more than four times?

[Yellow11]

I am finding it impossible to chamber 300 WSM brasses after three or four firings. Resizing with body or FL dies do not improve the situation.

It has been suggested to me that this situation is normal for WSM brasses, in view of the stress they are put through. However, as I am able to obtain multiple re-loadings from 6 x 47 Lapua, after resizing, I find this statement hard to accept!

Can anyone confirm that they are able to obtain multiple re-loadings from WSM brasses, albeit after resizing, or are the WSM brasses too stressed after 3 or 4 firing to be reuseable.

 

[Larryh128]

I run mine a lot more than 3-4 times with no issues. What brand are you using? & what is your load? WSM's really don't run higher pressure than any other magnum round. I did however get rid of 1 brand of brass that was too soft in my estimation.

 

[Yellow11]

Thanks for your input... I am usin Lapua brass and 66g RL25

 

[bheadboy]

You may also have a set of dies that are on the max of sammie size and not really brings you cases back to spec,

Also is this custom or factory chamber, if factory, it may bi on the large size, measure the fired case before sizing and compare itto a spec for chamber, then size and see if dies really bring them back,

if the web body junction of the case head to body pressure ring is expanding more than .0005/6 then you are running too much pressure.

Bob

 

[expiper]

Is Lapua brass now on the market???!!!! I shur hope so...Roger

 

[pikespeakgoat]

Is Lapua brass now on the market???!!!!

Wouldn't that be nice!

 

[Yellow11]

Sorry chaps, quoted brass from a different rifle! Should have read Norma brass...

 

[Erik Cortina]

On some dies, you have to shave some off the bottom to allow the die to size properly.

Get a base to shoulder measurement before you resize and after and see if it's pushing the shoulder back at all.

 

[CatShooter]

I am finding it impossible to chamber 300 WSM brasses after three or four firings. Resizing with body or FL dies do not improve the situation.

It has been suggested to me that this situation is normal for WSM brasses, in view of the stress they are put through. However, as I am able to obtain multiple re-loadings from 6 x 47 Lapua, after resizing, I find this statement hard to accept!

Can anyone confirm that they are able to obtain multiple re-loadings from WSM brasses, albeit after resizing, or are the WSM brasses too stressed after 3 or 4 firing to be reuseable.

Dies and chambers vary in size, and you might have a maximum sizing die and a smallish or minimum chamber. If so, when the cases reach the point of needing to be sized, the die can't do it.

If you send 3 or 4 cases, and the die back to the maker, they will fix or replace the die.

I have had this situation several times.

 

[mikecr]

What action?

 

[jonbearman]

Check out innovative technologies in florida. They make a collet type die to sqeeze the base of the case back to sammi specs. It looks to me like one of the best dies of this type to end the headaches with belted magnums. It costs 89.95. Oop's I screwed up.

 

[Steve Blair]

Check out innovative technologies in florida. They make a collet type die to sqeeze the base of the case back to sammi specs. It looks to me like one of the best dies of this type to end the headaches with belted magnums. It costs 89.95.

Innovative's die is very good but the .300 WSM is not a belted case.

 

[alf]

You need to determine whether the die won't push the shoulder back enough, or the die won't size the web enough to chamber. Measuring and blackening the case will tell the tale.

 

[Yellow11]

The problem does not relate to the shoulder not being pushed back but rather the "tube" remainig too large after sizing. In other words the body or FL dies "appear to be oversized" for the chamber.

If I polish up a fired case and then try to chamber it, it becomes obvious from the scratch marks where it is tight.

It has been suggested to me that the energy of a wsm round "over works" the brass to the extent that the resizing fails, simply because of spring back.

I find this hard to accept... how many reloads does anyone get from the wsm brass?

 

[alf]

I don't buy into the WSM theory either.

So the problem is a too small of a chamber at the web, and/or the dies are too large in diameter, and/or coupled with too warm of loads. Catshooter's answer is the way to go.

Another option is to spin off the barrel and have the back end of the chamber honed out a bit.

 

[Dave T]

yello 11,
I have a 300 WSM from Ed Brown and have fired my Winchester brass 7 times now with no signs of stress or re-sizing problems and I feel Winchester brass is the pits, never tried Norma. I also have a Winchester 7MM WSM that started life as a factory Model 70 and it was made in the old Winchester plant, just before it closed down. The chamber in this gun was just awful, I had to beat the bolt open to get fired brass out, I had to eventually have it re-barreled with a Krieger and is great now. Is your gun a stock Winchester Model 70 that was made in the old Winchester plant?
The guys are giving you the right answers, your die isn't matching your chamber, not your brass life.
Dave T

 

[bigedp51]

You have a short fat case with very little surface area and you are forgetting P.O. Ackley's experiments with a 30-30 AI with the locking lugs removed.

So if you don't buy into the WSM theory either, then you should read about bolt thrust and why these short fat calibers have redesigned locking lugs and lug recesses.

You should also test different brands of brass and buy another sizing die to finish the experiment.

Sizing die diameter, brass hardness and mixture, annealing all could be causing your problem.

 

[mikecr]

Again Yellow, WHAT ACTION?

 

[jghoghunter]

Yellow, it sounds like your die size to chamber size is the problem. I have a heavy bench gun in 300 wsm and use norma brass. I neck size only and it was 28 reloadings till I started to have your problems and then it was a custom sizing die to take care of the problem. I was shooting a 210 berger with 61.2gr. of h 4350 and I annealed every 3-5 reloadings.

 

[Larryh128]

The problem isn't the pressure as it's not running any higher than any other magnum. His problem, more than likely is his brass. I threw away some of that brand & sold the rest that I had. I have had none of the problems with Winchester brass. You can't resize something that won't hold it's shape. I have 6+ loading on the Winchester brass with no failures.