small base 6 BR die use...case wouldn't chamber

[lpreddick]

shooting my favorite 22 BR and round would not chamber...had 3 like this. measured case and web area was .0015 too large. pulled bullet and ran through my small base 6 BR redding body die. web cam into line but case was too long at shoulder, so i used 6 BR body die to push shoulder back and case chambered like always. these cases have 5 or 6 firings with fairly stout loads and i push the shoulder back .001-.002 after each firing. i suspect this is pushing and causing the buldging at the web as the case doesn't seem to have a very tight support at the web in the redding 6 BR body die. is this what is happening? are these cases going to be a problem? will going slow on loads reduce the likelihood of this happening again? thanks as always.

 

[artbosco]

Throw the ones that won't chamber away and move on. Some cases have a limited life. 50 or 100 cases don't expire at exactly the same time. Their lives are staggered.

 

[Erik Cortina]

Are you F/L sizing every time?

 

[lpreddick]

i do not recall a bolt click which would have suggested the web was too wide. i use the redding body die to push the shoulder back .001 and very slightly size the case body. this could be a problem as this body die is a 6 MMBR body die and i am probably pushing the .001 into the web area. a f/l die would probably prevent my problem. thanks.

 

[sparky123321]

Why are you using a small base die? I'm guess that the small base die isn't contacting the shoulder and it's increasing the length to the shoulder as it compresses the case(small base).

 

[lpreddick]

the redding 6 MMBR body die will push the shoulder back but doesn't reach the web of the case and without support this buldges as the shoulder is pushed back(the brass has to go somewhere). the small base body die is for tight chambers. last night i screwed the small base die in far enough to contact the shoulder and noted that the die did size the entire case including the web and seemed to even go past the case/extraction groove juncture(ample grease was needed). the shoulder was pushed back so that the case would chamber with just the right amount of bolt closure resistance(firing pin/spring removed). this die will f/l size the case but doesn't do anything to the neck which a f/l sizing die would. i'm shooting these cases today and hope the gun's accuracy returns. as an aside, bullet runout was .000 to .002 which suggest the f/l sized case is NOW straight. i'v always been a necksizer/body size when necessary but might have to change to a f/l sizer.

 

[sparky123321]

I only neck size brass that is going to be fired again in the same bolt action rifle. No reason to overwork the brass for a bolt gun. I want my brass sized to my chamber and only neck size no more than 0.25" down the neck. I only use small base dies for my semi auto rifles.

Everyone does things differently though and I can't say there's any right or wrong way. The results are all that matter.

 

[snakepit]

i'v always been a necksizer/body size when necessary but might have to change to a f/l sizer.

With my 6BR I had done the same thing as you and made the change with the runout results being about the same, but the F/L method saves time. Then recently I went to a Harrell's 6BR F/L die which seems to be slightly better than the Redding and uses my Redding neck bushings.

 

[lpreddick]

shot the fl/sz cases and accuracy returned! i understand most long range shooters full size their brass prior to each loading. i will try this for awhile.

 

[Erik Cortina]

shot the fl/sz cases and accuracy returned! i understand most long range shooters full size their brass prior to each loading. i will try this for awhile.

Now you know why!