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Excessive headspace???

sll

I have a new to me 300WM. I obtained some brass from a co-worker that claimed it was once fired when he got it, and he never used it. I full-length sized all the brass and went to shoot it some today. Two of the cases had a very distinct "scratch" (visable and you could feel it with your fingernail) about halfway around the case about 1/4" above the belt. It looks just like pics I have seen with cases about to suffer case head seperation.

I checked some of the fired cases with my Hornady Headspace gauge and was showing .023" growth from cases that had not been fired yet. Does this not sound excessive?
 
first i am no gunsmith but i have seen thins on belted mag. cases. they are supposed to headsapse off the belt insted of the shoulder. i to have a 300wm that i never fl size for this reason. i only bump the shoulder 1 to 2 thou no more. i cant remember the shoulder movement on the new brass but it was way to much in my mind as well. i want to say around .020. it was excessive enough that i fire formed with a false shoulder the rest of the new brass.
Brian
 
I will only use a collet die or bump the shoulder back a .001" or so when I need to, but getting signs of case head seperation on cases that have only supposedly been fired twice is my concern. The rifle had no issues with hard bolt lift or any other trouble signs.
 
Another one of the pitfalls of using "used" brass that was fired in someone else's chamber. Buy your own new brass for your own rifle's chamber. In the long run, you are not saving anything by buying ( or even taking it if it's free) used brass. Bottom line: You do not know the true history of that, or any other used brass. It could have had 3 or more loadings before you got it, could have had numerous over sizings ( pushing the shoulders back excessively) and been ready to go into the scrap bin. There are people out there who will buy new brass, use it 'til they begin to see failures, clean it up nice & pretty & sell it as "once fired".
 
The "scratch" could also be on the chamber wall. Might want to take some JB Bore Paste, slather a bunch on a flannel patch wrapped a couple times around a .45cal bore brush or 20ga shotgun swab and chuck the rod in a drill and polish the chamber a while. Follow that up with Flitz or SemiChrome polish and then fire some unfired brass loads and see if you still have the "ringing".

Might also think about having the barrel set forward a turn or two. Good time to fit a hd recoil lug if you want or need one.

If you know you will handload your ammunition, can have the barrel set to headpace on the shoulder of virgin brass rather than on the belt. Short OAL chambers have always performed with best accuracy for me, and have the plus of yielding longest lived brass.


It may be your barrel that is the problem rather than your use of 1x brass.
 
Yes, I believe it is the barrel. When I got it, I tried to find my bullet length to the rifling using my OAL gauge. I would get measurement close to book recommendation (3.340").....very strange, never owned a gun that did not allow at least .020-.030" longer using the OAL tool. I could chamber a dummy round with the bolt and a bullet barely seated and get 3.610" on a consistant basis.....big difference. I should mention this is a Savage rifle. I don't believe it was headspaced properly from the factory and the barrel could go in farther.
 
Co- worker said he bought 100 rounds from Wideners that was stated by them to say "once fired". He sold his 300WM, never shot any of it himself, and gave them to me. I am going to buy some new brass and go from there, but the ones in question were full-length sized and fired in my gun and grew .023". I am assuming that the new brass will expand near that much also when it forms to my chamber, won't know for sure until I try.
 
sll,
I believe you need a buddy with loading experience to help you. Overall length of a seated round has nothing to do with headspace. Belted magnums headspaced to the belt.
 
Well, I don't claim to be no expert reloader, but I have been getting by doing it for about 20 years ;) . I have never seen brass from any of my other 20 or so rifles grow .020+" after firing them initially after being full-length sized.

Maybe it is nothing to worry about seeing as how I will be buying new brass and not plan on full-length sizing them any. I will just bump the shoulder back about .002" when they start getting hard to close the bolt on after mainly neck-sizing only after initally firing them.

Me mentioning OAL was off topic, but I was just bringing up another issue I noticed with this rifle. I did figure out the bad reading I was getting there as it was an issue with my modified case that is used to check OAL.
 
I've been loading a lot longer than that. If I had a problem and went to a forum with it, I would listen. I'm assuming you had a problem and that is the reason you were sharing it with us.
 
Have your gun checked for head space and bump the shoulders just like a non-belted case. The head space is from the base to the front of the belt.
 
Butch, I am listening and taking advice from everyone that has contributed. The only advice you gave me was to get a buddy that knew more about reloading than me. That has NOTHING to do with what my questions on possible chamber issues with this gun.
 
sll,
I think it is appropriate for you to seek advice from somebody with a little more experience. I don't have your brass, don't know what it was like before you used it, don't know how you sized it, and can't give you a definitive answer to what's happening. Somebody needs to be there with you with a little experience with belted cases.
 
sll,
I don't know about most but I NEVER use the belt to headspace my magnums after the first firing, I bump the shoulder back .001 each firing, nk sizing is for 1950's bench rest shooting practices f/l size ea. time! if you set the die up like rcbs or most die makers suggestions who knows how much your sizing the case?? I mean turn die down until it touches shell holder then go 1/4 turn more?? ridiculous!! Have you ever measured the base to the top of the belt?? very inconsistent, buy new brass, don't touch the shoulder when you run them through the f/l die as the shoulder is already pushed way to far back, load and fire, from that day forward set your headspace off the shoulder and forget the belt! your brass will last twice or three times as long!
Wayne.
 
I had a .308 norma belted mag and with the go guage just kissing the bolt face when it was chambered. When I loaded NEW norma unsized cases the shoulders moved .014 ahead when fired. I just set my sizeing die up to set the shoulded back about .002 from the fired legenth and everything was the way it should be after the first firing.

If the head space is right for the ammo you are using you shouldn't see case seperation in one or two loadings unless your pressures are off the scale.
 
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