Small Base die

[Rtheurer]

Chris
The problem is actually with the Finish Reamer I own. Its a little tight at the back end of the cartridge. There for that makes the small diameter of the chamber to not be sized by a Body or FL die.
I have since speced all my Reamers to MATCH the off the shelf Full length dies so that I don't have to buy a custom die and additional sizing reamer/die which cost a whole lot more than just doing it right the first time. This project was before I had that idea or thought.
Really I need to either find a Die that is a little tighter at the base or buy a new reamer. Since this gun see's little use Ill most likely just polish out the back of the chamber as My Allen pointed out till the barrel is dead. That could be another ten years on a hunting rifle.
Thanks for everyone's ideas.
Ed
Its Norma Brass. Though I need some more. Been looking at the Nosler brass just yesterday. Trying to make a choice between more Norma or Nosler at the moment.

Russ T

 

[fguffey]

The problem is actually with the Finish Reamer I own. Its a little tight at the back end of the cartridge. There for that makes the small diameter of the chamber to not be sized by a Body or FL die.

There is unsupported case head and case head protrusion. It would help if the chamber diameter could be measured, it would be helpful if the case head diameter could be measured. When having trouble sizing a case a reloader should be able to determine if the ram made it all the way to the bottom of the die, anything hanging out of the die did not get sized. Because the shell holder has a deck height, the deck height is .125".

I do not struggle when sizing cases, if I wonder if the case was full length sized I remove the die from the press with the protruding case head. After removing the die I measure the amount of protruding case head, in the perfect world there should be .125". There are times the case wins and whips the press because the press is not strong enough to overcome the cases resistance to sizing.

Again, when it comes to difficulty to sizing and everyone has all the control with 'their' reames and 'their' dies. If there is a difference I can measure it.

F. Guffey

 

[spclark]

When having trouble sizing a case a reloader should be able to determine if the ram made it all the way to the bottom of the die, anything hanging out of the die did not get sized.

Even if the press ram cams over against the shell holder, if the sizing die is too generous at the base portion brass won't be sized properly for a chamber that's not dimensioned to suit the die dimensions.

Small base dies can be of help in some instances but as you said it's even better to have measurements to compare what the chamber's cut to at critical points against what your sizing-die-of-choice is going to provide.

Keep in mind too that even if you have a reamer print corresponding to the reamer that was used to cut a given chamber the final chamber dimensions may or may not reflect what the print indicates they ought to be. Same thing applies to dies.

 

[bigedp51]

Rtheurer

CatShooter posted the base hardness of .223/5.56 cases and Lake City was the hardest followed by Lapua in second place. Meaning I'm wondering harder cases might fix the problem and not expand as much in the base.

My carbide .45 die sized a .308 case to between .466-.467 at the .200 line of the case, would that make your cases fit your snug chamber?

If you stick feeler gauges under the case in a standard shell holder or lap the top of a spare shell holder the .45 carbide die may make the base even smaller.

It sounds like your Redding body die limits your ability to size base of the case smaller because of excess shoulder bump using it.

I'm asking because I have a new RCBS .45 carbide die gather dust here but I'm wondering if you have the equipment to cut the top off the die.

 

[expiper]

It sounds like the chamber is too tite at the .200 line and too short on headspace,,,some "gunsmiths" brag that they got the chamber cut to min specs and get it toooo minimum,,,,and nobodys dies can squeeze the brass enuff to get em bak into the chamber ,,,,Roger

 

[Rtheurer]

.266 feeds good. .267 just barely some snugness. anything over is not good. Actually the .200 area is mostly good on all cases its just above that area say.1 above is the problem area. That leads me to think that im not over pressuring anything so far and its for sure the reamer that is too tight. I tried my Dillon 45ACP die and its right at the same as .267. Close but no cigar.

RussT

 

[BoydAllen]

Does your die actually reach the area in question, or does the shell holder thickness combined with the chamfer/radius at the opening of the die keep the die from reaching it, with the proper amount of bump?

 

[bigedp51]

Rtheurer

I couldn't figure out why I just had a RCBS .45 carbide sizing die so I started looking, I just reorganized my reload bench and all the storage around it and can't find anything anymore. BUT I just found a Lee 3 die set for the .45 ACP and the carbide die sizes smaller than the RCBS die. I just stuck a .308 case into the Lee carbide die using a shell holder with .003 lapped from the top of the shell holder and was getting .263-.264 so we have a bingo.

Below is the smaller of the two carbide dies and if you cut off the top rusty part of the unused die your problems will be solved.

I will give you two payment methods if you would like this die.

1. A dollar a year for 20 years.

Or

2. Join the "I love the Enfield .303 rifle club" and get the die free, "BUT" I need your help keeping the vicious blood thirsty benchrest shooter off my back so you may need to take a "little" heat from them. :

The die is rusting from not being used and your welcome to it, I bought a Remington R1 .45 ACP and the grip and I didn't get along and I had too many targets without holes in them so I traded it off.

 

[CatShooter]

Rtheurer

I will give you two payment methods if you would like this die.

1. A dollar a year for 20 years.

Or

2. Join the "I love the Enfield .303 rifle club" and get the die free, "BUT" I need your help keeping the vicious blood thirsty benchrest shooter off my back so you may need to take a "little" heat from them. :

The die is rusting from not being used and your welcome to it, I bought a Remington R1 .45 ACP and the grip and I didn't get along and I had too many targets without holes in them so I traded it off.

Rtheurer... no matter what you do, DON'T pick option 2!! You will rue the day you joined BigEd's "I love the Enfield .303 rifle club".

You will be bombarded with pictures of the insides of old bananas that are painted to look like 303 British rounds with 12 feet of throbbing, pulsing headspace.

You will get emails of half naked women in tight jeans, and you won't be able to shoot anymore.

The English SMLE rifle, is, well...

.

... smelly!!

 

[bigedp51]

Dear CatShooter

May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your crotch, and may your arms be too short to scratch.

I was contacted by a film company to design a survival firearm for a upcoming end of the world movie.

I call it the Enfield 500, it has free floating barrels for better accuracy and a folding stock that when folded is the pistol grip for the 12 gauge.

P.S. And CatShooter you and Boyd Allen will not be in the move credits, eat your hearts out you benchrest types, its one accurate shooter.

 

[Rtheurer]

Good lord that took a turn for the worse in a real hurry... Ha!

Let me look for my Hornady 45 ACP die that for some reason is not in its box as of yesterday. I really think there are some sort of critters in there moving stuff around on me. The longer I spend away the more the stuff moves on its own.... Creepy. Im told that the older you get the more stuff moves on its own. Is that true?

Mr Boyd, you are most likely correct on both notes. I do have a Shell holder that I use that is trimmed down a few Thou. The Dillon 45ACP seems to have a lot of Chamfer.


Thanks
RussT

 

[CatShooter]

I really think there are some sort of critters in there moving stuff around on me. The longer I spend away the more the stuff moves on its own.... Creepy. Im told that the older you get the more stuff moves on its own. Is that true?

Thanks
RussT

Russ...

It's handloading Elfs. I spend a full day cleaning my loading benches and putting stuff neatly on shelves, and the next time I come down, the place is trashed. It looks like some madman was working on 10 projects at the same time

I tried spraying for them, but nothing works. They are especially bad in the spring, when the woodchucks come out of their dens.

 

[spclark]

It's handloading Elfs. I spend a full day cleaning my loading benches and putting stuff neatly on shelves, and the next time I come down, the place is trashed.

Huh.... Up here I think it's handloading trolls, they live under the rocks that abound up here. Elves I think'd tend to be more helpful, clean up messes & put tools away where they belong after the trolls get bored & fall asleep....

 

[FatBoy]

It's really a moot point anyway. This is a big game rifle and anyone who has shot with Russ knows this is gonna be a one shot deal.