Heavy bolt lift causes

[BoydAllen]

Nope...since the die is not tapered, just push it up in there like a regular die. If you use a carbide version, no lube is needed.

Hi Al,
Back in the day I bought a non carbide RCBS .45 ACP die set for a friend to use sizing case bases, and for that no additional work was required, but later a friend, who luckily has a lathe, bought a Lee carbide for the same purpose, and he had to do some work on the die. The reasons that I bought the non carbide set for the first guy were price, back then $10 at a gun show, and so that he could adjust the ID using his lathe if needed. As it happened, the die worked perfectly as it came.

 

[DaveTooley]

Ive got the same problem in a 6 dasher, I tried a smaller base die, using a 308 die and it didnt help. havnt solved it yet, but getting closer. I tried a different jug of powder, the one i was using was 15 years old, using one now thats only 5 years old. it did help, but still got clickers, just not as bad. the SAC die IMO is worth the money, there really nice, got it thinking mine wasnt sizing the .200 line enough. whats got me puzzled is the pressure signs on the head of the brass with a load thats 250 fps less than everyone else is running. 2 1/2 grains less powder. no turn neck chamber thats plenty big, .275. loaded round is .268. peterson brass, 29 gr of varget at 2720fps shows ejector and extractor dents in the brass. node is at 31.4 with deep marks in the brass and hard bolt lift with the older powder. less than 300 rounds, bullets loaded at touch.
only have the one gun, everything started new. next im trying some alfa brass with the newer powder.

Each lot of brass will have its own yield point. What's works for someone else may not be for you. Besides brass, no two barrels are alike.
Clickers indicate a size problem. Miss match between chamber, brass and/or die. usually the chamber is too tight.

 

[jpjulian]

With regard to your new chamber, have you measured where your bullets touch and compared that to your old chamber? On the brass, chamber, die situation, have you measured fired brass where the body meets the shoulder and a quarter inch up from the head, and compared those measurements to your sized brass? It has always been amazing to me that most shooters do not seem to know what their die is doing to their fired cases.

I seat my bullets where the base to ogive matches that of Hornady factory 108 ELD-M loads which is where I have had the best accuracy in 2 rifles and 3 prior barrels. No, I haven't made the measurements you suggest as I size the cases to fit a Wilson case gauge and .003-.004 shoulder bump. I prefer being able to load my ammo so as to fit both rifles and this has required me to adjust the sizing die for different makes of brass I've used, Hornady, Lapua & Peterson. It seems I may not be able to do so for this barrel and chamber and may need to keep brass for this barrel segregated.

 

[jpjulian]

Well, the range session did not go well. Not well at all. The reduced powder charge, (40.5 of N555, #450, Berger 108 @ 2.160), and sized Lapua with the Redding SB body die gave lousy chrono numbers. 2,921 avg fps, ES 76.5, SD 18.6. Accuracy was nothing to write home about either. Bolt lift was mostly reduced back to normal but not entirely. But another problem reared its ugly head. The SB die also bumps the shoulder more than the FL die by some .004-.006" so I will need to make some adjustments there. The good news is the new Peterson brass shot well with good Chrono numbers, 2,952 avg. fps, ES 29, SD 8 for 20 rounds. 4 5-round groups were 3/8-1/2". I'll post again next week if any significant info arises. But it looks like the small base body die may save 400 Lapua cases from being tossed.

 

[ArtinNC]

I'm not a guru , I could never get a Wilson case gauge to work with any of my chambers .

 

[6MMsteve]

I'm not a guru , I could never get a Wilson case gauge to work with any of my cham

I am looking for reasons, other than high pressure, that can cause a stiff, heavy bolt lift. GA Precision built on a Defiance action, Bartlein 6mm Creedmoor, Lapua SRP brass, #450 primers, Berger 108 at 2.160 B.T.O., 41.0 N555 powder and 20 round average of 2,960 fps. Lapua brass was fired several times in the last barrel but first load in this chamber. No flattened or cratered primers. No ejector marks. No other signs of pressure. Good groups about 1/2 moa to expected poi. I am not discounting high pressure but looking for other possible causes. Ideas?? TIA

Check your press if you use one, for anything loose, set screws and such...I had a mess of a Frankford Arsenal press...I love the press but it had some loose set screws and gave my brain discomfort

 

[jpjulian]

Check your press if you use one, for anything loose, set screws and such...I had a mess of a Frankford Arsenal press...I love the press but it had some loose set screws and gave my brain discomfort

I use a Zero press. All is tight but thanks for the tip.

 

[jpjulian]

I'm not a guru , I could never get a Wilson case gauge to work with any of my chambers .

They have all worked fine for me in the three calibers I've used them with. I load for 6 .223's for example and if the ammo comes off the press and fits the gauge it works in all 6 rifles. Thanks for the comment.

 

[ArtinNC]

I have them for three guns one is ok the other two . One of the brass sticks out of the top and if I pushed the shoulder back to the Wilson Case gauge I'd be pushing the shoulder back .012 and the other is short chambered . so two of them don't work for me . And I only shoulder bump .002 .