ok like in my other post, i thought my bullet was touching the lands but ended up my brass isnt being sized all the way. I guess the should needs bumped a little but when i fl size my shell holder touches my die at the top of the stroke and it isnt bumping the shoulder any, what gives???? i believe my chamber is VERY tight, so they gotta be sized. I was using Redding but got a case stuck so now im using the new hornady new dimension dies...... can anyone help me out????
new problem.. dies???
- Thread starter kycamtrakker
- Start date
This subject has come up time and time again, so don't feel bad. I had the same problem with a 223 Rem. sizer and had a friend of mine use his surface grinder to remove .010" from the top of the shellholder. Problem solved. All shellholders, even by the same maker are not equal. Some may be thicker than others.
I sent a Dasher die back to Forster because it was too deep to bump my shoulders. I had them take .020" off the bottom and I think they charged me 7 bucks
Larry
Larry
fullersson
B&B Gunworks bbgunworks.com
I also had the same problem. I put the die in the lathe and shortened the die. You even have to shorten the die or the shell holder or you have to get custom dies for you chamber. Brian.
If you are trying to bump a once fired case, that may be part of the problem. You need a reference case that has attained the largest possible head to shoulder dimension. Bumping back case shoulders that are not tight in that dimension in the chamber is a wasted effort. If you neck size and fire a case say three times, with good warm loads, tracking the shoulder to head dimension as you go, you may see it increase and then, at some point stop at a maximum value. It is this dimension that your bump should be referenced from. Another detail, be sure to knock out primers before measuring cases' head to shoulder dimension. What equipment are you using for your measurements?
I'm going to throw this out there not knowing what you are using for equipment, dies, measuring, etc.
IF you are using a plain jane seater die and do not back it off of the shell holder far enough (one full turn is what most companies say) you will mushroom the shoulder when seating bullets and they will not chamber. Easy way to check this would be to see if a sized case without bullet seated will chamber properly. If it will then seat a bullet and check again. Just a thought, my brain farted once and it happened to me.
Jason
IF you are using a plain jane seater die and do not back it off of the shell holder far enough (one full turn is what most companies say) you will mushroom the shoulder when seating bullets and they will not chamber. Easy way to check this would be to see if a sized case without bullet seated will chamber properly. If it will then seat a bullet and check again. Just a thought, my brain farted once and it happened to me.
Jason
its a LEE press, was redding dies now hornady dies, and im using sterrett calipers. Im using the brass shot outta my gun and this happens and id like to use once fired brass too( i have almost 2000pcs)
i use the rifle, they are correct lenght and it has to be the shoulder,right? I bought 2000 once fired, i only have about 60 fired from the gun
Switching from Redding to Hornady is not really making an improvement, imnsho...
Really what you need is ssome virgin brass or factory loads and an RCBS Precision Mic or Wilson Case Gauge. The Starrett caliper is a fine tool; the best, but won't tell you much unless used with a case gauge. RCBS tool is a die with oal markings like a micrometer. You put the unfired, virgin brass or loaded round in, tighten, and record your measurement. Fire that same case or round and then record dimensional change. Might want to fire same case several times to be sure you're getting maximum oal for your chamber.
Set your FL die up so you set back .001" if using a bolt-gun or .003 if using precision semi-auto. Be sure to swab-out your chamber thoroughly so no debris gives you false readings. If you have a very short OAL chamber, like under go-gauge, might have to use a body die to get even virgin brass to chamber smoothly in a bolt-gun.
I prefer a Redding Type S FL sizing die for control of neck diameter/tension and ability to use w/spacer when just need to neck size. Once you know your chamber dimensions you can size with confidence. If using military 1x brass, unless you know that it was not run through selective fire weapon or machine gun, you'll likely encounter some very wide case width dimensions which means stuck brass unless very thoroughly lubed.
Of course, if you have brass that bolt will not close on, you can size in minimum increments until bolt just barely closes smoothly and call it good. If the brass is within spec for oal, IE does not need trimming, you should be fine.
Really what you need is ssome virgin brass or factory loads and an RCBS Precision Mic or Wilson Case Gauge. The Starrett caliper is a fine tool; the best, but won't tell you much unless used with a case gauge. RCBS tool is a die with oal markings like a micrometer. You put the unfired, virgin brass or loaded round in, tighten, and record your measurement. Fire that same case or round and then record dimensional change. Might want to fire same case several times to be sure you're getting maximum oal for your chamber.
Set your FL die up so you set back .001" if using a bolt-gun or .003 if using precision semi-auto. Be sure to swab-out your chamber thoroughly so no debris gives you false readings. If you have a very short OAL chamber, like under go-gauge, might have to use a body die to get even virgin brass to chamber smoothly in a bolt-gun.
I prefer a Redding Type S FL sizing die for control of neck diameter/tension and ability to use w/spacer when just need to neck size. Once you know your chamber dimensions you can size with confidence. If using military 1x brass, unless you know that it was not run through selective fire weapon or machine gun, you'll likely encounter some very wide case width dimensions which means stuck brass unless very thoroughly lubed.
Of course, if you have brass that bolt will not close on, you can size in minimum increments until bolt just barely closes smoothly and call it good. If the brass is within spec for oal, IE does not need trimming, you should be fine.
HOGAN, i got a deal on the dies thats why i used them now and the redding kept messing up on me. Its a 243win . And i did have to size the virgin brass i used
i played around with shellholders and switched to a old rcbs die and its all good and im very happy now! thanks guys!!!
kycamtrakker ..........
Take a look at the Digital Headspace Gauge. It removes all of the guesswork about how your handloads fit in your chamber. This gauge is calibrated on one of your fired cases, and then it displays the clearance (at the shoulder) that YOUR handloads have in YOUR particular chamber. It also shows how far your bullet is from the rifling.
Take a look at the Digital Headspace Gauge. It removes all of the guesswork about how your handloads fit in your chamber. This gauge is calibrated on one of your fired cases, and then it displays the clearance (at the shoulder) that YOUR handloads have in YOUR particular chamber. It also shows how far your bullet is from the rifling.
Larry's gauge is the "Cat's Pajamas"!
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