Fired Brass prep., Sticky Bolt lock?

[bozo699]

“I adjust my die to the shell holder either TO or BELOW or OFF” every time. I determine the length of the chamber first then adjust the die to size cases to fit the chamber.

"....for the shoulder to head dimension for belted cases (since they headspace off of the belt). Most of the belted cases that I have measured had their shoulders' blown forward about.021 forward on initial firing. Sometimes screwing the die down all the way is a very bad idea"

When the case was fired, the shoulder did not move, is was erased and a new shoulder was formed, but that was not the question or the problem, the question that is being ignored is why, after sizing, does a full length sized cases not chamber. And I am wondering why reloaders can not determine if the case has been successfully sized before lowering the ram. If the length of the case increases .021 thousands and in fact the shoulder moved forward on the first firing the shooter is luck he did not have case head separation, and if he mindlessly full length sized the case after the case is formed, yes case life will be shortened. And, again, Hatcher moved the shoulder forward .080 thousands, I have fired 8mm57 in an 8mm06 chamber with the shoulder ahead of the 8mm57 .125, I ejected 8mm06 cases with very short necks. Hatcher ejected 30/06 Hatcher Modified cases.

Not easy to have it both ways as in the case locking to the chamber while the head of the case is driven back against the bolt face and the shoulder being driven forward.

F. Guffey

Once again totally AMAZING,.............mind boggling actually!!
Wayne.

 

[BoydAllen]

I did not ignore the question. I simply advised that purchasing an appropriate tool for measuring shoulder location was desirable, so that the questioner, and those who were trying to help him could get a better fix on the problem. I should have probably added that a full turn of the die changes its distance from the bottom of the die to the shell holder by approximately .071. When sneaking up on a .001 or .002 bump, quarter turns are like trying to trim your fingernails with a table saw without drawing blood. I like to remove the decapping stem when making this adjustment, to to keep from over working the case neck with the expander ball.

 

[bozo699]

I did not ignore the question. I simply advised that purchasing an appropriate tool for measuring shoulder location was desirable, so that the questioner, and those who were trying to help him could get a better fix on the problem. I should have probably added that a full turn of the die changes its distance from the bottom of the die to the shell holder by approximately .071. When sneaking up on a .001 or .002 bump, quarter turns are like trying to trim your fingernails with a table saw without drawing blood. I like to remove the decapping stem when making this adjustment, to to keep from over working the case neck with the expander ball.

;D ;D ;D LMAO!!!...................................Spot on Boyd!!
Wayne.

 

[Michigan Chris]

First off, much thanks for the advise. Well Boys's I received my Hornady Headspace Kit today!!!! Now where and how do I get a base Zero to gauge the shoulder bump of .001 to .002, new Nosler Brass, once Fired Nosler Brass?

Thanks and my best.

 

[BoydAllen]

It usually takes more than one firing for brass to reach its maximum datum line to head dimension (because of spring back). I were in your situation, I would use my priming tool to push the fired primers down below flush in several cases and measure them with your new tool, noting which was the longest in that dimension. After that, I would try it in the rifle, and if it was not tight, adjust my die so that it produced that same dimension. If it was tight, I would try a thousandth or two (at the most)shorter. As you adjust the die, and check the case, as you get close, the measurement will increase from the as fired dimension, before die is far enough down for the shoulder part of the die to touch the brass. Then, as you lower the die, you will see the dimension come back to where it was when you first measured the fired case. There is also the issue of variance in bump, at a given die setting, due to differences in the hardness of the brass, as manufactured, how much lube was on a particular case, and even dwell time at the top of the stroke. You may want to gauge all of your sized cases and rework the ones that are longer than intended with a slight die adjustment. Keep in mind what I wrote earlier about a full turn of the die moving it .071" (Easy does it.), and removing the decapping assembly so as not to overwork the neck of the case that you use for setup. Let us know how it goes. BTW, since we are only comparing caliper readings to find their differences, I always leave my calipers zeroed (jaw to jaw). This is mainly an issue with digital calipers. By using the same procedure for all such tools, it leaves me with one less thing to remember, about what I did during a previous loading session. Another thing, take narrative notes that are so clear that someone that was not there could easily understand what you did...none of this shorthand stuff. When the notes get cold, you will forget what you meant. Ask me how I know.

 

[bozo699]

It usually takes more than one firing for brass to reach its maximum datum line to head dimension (because of spring back). I were in your situation, I would use my priming tool to push the fired primers down below flush in several cases and measure them with your new tool, noting which was the longest in that dimension. After that, I would try it in the rifle, and if it was not tight, adjust my die so that it produced that same dimension. If it was tight, I would try a thousandth or two (at the most)shorter. As you adjust the die, and check the case, as you get close, the measurement will increase from the as fired dimension, before die is far enough down for the shoulder part of the die to touch the brass. Then, as you lower the die, you will see the dimension come back to where it was when you first measured the fired case. There is also the issue of variance in bump, at a given die setting, due to differences in the hardness of the brass, as manufactured, how much lube was on a particular case, and even dwell time at the top of the stroke. You may want to gauge all of your sized cases and rework the ones that are longer than intended with a slight die adjustment. Keep in mind what I wrote earlier about a full turn of the die moving it .071" (Easy does it.), and removing the decapping assembly so as not to overwork the neck of the case that you use for setup. Let us know how it goes. BTW, since we are only comparing caliper readings to find their differences, I always leave my calipers zeroed (jaw to jaw). This is mainly an issue with digital calipers. By using the same procedure for all such tools, it leaves me with one less thing to remember, about what I did during a previous loading session. Another thing, take narrative notes that are so clear that someone that was not there could easily understand what you did...none of this shorthand stuff. When the notes get cold, you will forget what you meant. Ask me how I know.

Spot on Boyd.
Wayne