Sticking Cases/ Sizing issues 300 RUM - Need Help

[Nellej12]

If cases are too long before sizing can they stick in the die?

I am having case sticking issues or the shoulder is getting a small dent when Full Length sizing 300 RUM rounds. I am using a small amount of wax on each case, dies are clean and very lightly lubed. Decapping pin has been removed after pushing 2 shoulders in( See Pics) and if it goes in I can't pull the expander ball out of the case/ if it gets stuck it's a bigger head ache. I have tried 2 dies both with the same results, Redding FL and Forster FL

Brass is factory HSM (Not sure if that's good or bad, I'm thinking bad at this point)

Case length to the shoulder before firing is 2.462, Length after 1 firing is between 2.469 - 2.470. I'm trying to bump the shoulder back to 2.467.

The shortest Overall case length after firing is 2.849 ( Longest is 2.855, the Berger Book says trim length should be 2.840

Side note the Redding case removal kit works great.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[dkhunt14]

The case sticking in the die is not enough lube. The collapsed shoulders,are,from either the brass is way too long or the expander is too tight and not going in the case mouth. Can you get a bullet to fit in a fired case? Matt

 

[Nellej12]

The case sticking in the die is not enough lube. The collapsed shoulders,are,from either the brass is way too long or the expander is too tight and not going in the case mouth. Can you get a bullet to fit in a fired case? Matt

I have tried to use more lube on a case and that stuck too. I'm leaning towards the case is to long or the brass is cheap. I will check if a bullet will fit tonight.

 

[Shaggy357]

I will venture to guess these are new dies and this is the first time you have tried to size brass with them. You will need to "sweeten" your sizing die to get it to seat well. A dry die will hold your brass. I touch my tin of imperial sizing die wax with thumb and index finger and then rub outside of case neck, and outside of case barrel. Nothing on the taper above the shoulder. I also use a q-tip to rub some imperial sizing die wax inside the case neck. I run the case in and out of the die maybe 10-15 times. Sometimes you loose this first case due to too much lube, but if you do this correctly, you spread a thin layer of lube throughout the die body and along the expander ball. The expander ball is most important as that is more likely than not what caused your shoulder to cave in.

Good luck.

Steve

 

[DeadEyeDick45]

1+ on what Shaggy has said, with emphasis on the "expander ball". As a matter of fact, lots of reloaders are removing the expander ball all together. I still use the expander ball, but I'm kinda old school.

 

[Preacher]

Ditch the expander ball and the cave in's will go away.
The little photo with the dent on the shoulder is caused by to much lube....

 

[Nellej12]

thanks for the info. Yes the dies are new.
Could the cases being too long also play a role here. Should I neck size, trim, full size( To bump the shoulder) and then re-measure/ trim again.
Could the brass from HSM just be junk too? Would changing brass help, Nosler or Norma? I use Nosler for my 7mm Rem mag and Lapua for my 6BR and have not had any issues with either.

Just a thought on the brass, I'm reaching. lol

 

[ab_bentley]

1. Clean your dies with carb/ choke fluid
2. Polish your die with a .50cal bore mop and flitz.
3. Clean your die.
4. Imperial sizing lube, nothing else.

Adam

 

[Milo 2.0]

Ditch the expander ball and the cave in's will go away.
The little photo with the dent on the shoulder is caused by to much lube....

I agree, but ditching expander may result in an ungodly amount of neck tension, he may need a way to open it back up again.

 

[Preacher]

I agree, but ditching expander may result in an ungodly amount of neck tension, he may need a way to open it back up again.

At least it should be measured and tweaked until it's not dragging hard on extraction...
I always run sized (with a WTC die) into a K&M arbor before loading....
Another thought is that the decapping assembly is not adjusted correctly and the ball is hitting before it should..

 

[mac86951]

The case sticking in the die is not enough lube. The collapsed shoulders,are,from either the brass is way too long or the expander is too tight and not going in the case mouth. Can you get a bullet to fit in a fired case? Matt

Or expander ball is too high in the die, try lowering the ball down.

I had one with expander ball inadvertently adjusted into the neck size area and got cases exactly as pictured.

-Mac

 

['Freak]

The expander ball in the Forster die is supposed to begin entering the lower end of the case neck while a small portion of the upper end of the neck is still within the neck sizing portion of the die. The expander in a new Forster die would’ve/should’ve been positioned proper before leaving Forster. If the expander adjustment instruction weren’t packaged with the new die, they’re on Forster’s website.

 

[dkhunt14]

Does a bullet fit in a fired Case? Matt

 

[eric32]

Make sure the vent hole isnt clogged.

 

[Nellej12]

Does a bullet fit in a fired Case? Matt

Yes a bullet fits in a fired case.

Jeff

 

[ebb]

I had some 300RUMs do that, not that much but the same thing. Chamfer the neck.

 

[MagnumManiac]

The first step I would take is to remove the expander and measure it, if all good, should read .3055”-.3065”, then polish it by putting in a drill press and polishing with wet/dry 1200/1000 grit with plenty of WD40.
Spin it up, polish, check diameter and get it shiny by removing a tenth or so. This will make your life so much easier. I also lube the inside of my necks with powdered graphite.

If this doesn’t help, you may need Forster to hone the neck of your die for a reasonable fee, I get this done with every Forster FL die I buy, I determine the proper OD of the neck prior to ordering the dies.

TBH, I have had more issues using bushing dies than I have using PROPERLY SIZED die necks and the same polished expanders.

Cheers.

 

[Webster]

If cases are too long before sizing can they stick in the die?

I am having case sticking issues or the shoulder is getting a small dent when Full Length sizing 300 RUM rounds. I am using a small amount of wax on each case, dies are clean and very lightly lubed. Decapping pin has been removed after pushing 2 shoulders in( See Pics) and if it goes in I can't pull the expander ball out of the case/ if it gets stuck it's a bigger head ache. I have tried 2 dies both with the same results, Redding FL and Forster FL

Brass is factory HSM (Not sure if that's good or bad, I'm thinking bad at this point)

Case length to the shoulder before firing is 2.462, Length after 1 firing is between 2.469 - 2.470. I'm trying to bump the shoulder back to 2.467.

The shortest Overall case length after firing is 2.849 ( Longest is 2.855, the Berger Book says trim length should be 2.840

Side note the Redding case removal kit works great.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

View attachment 990324View attachment 990325

View attachment 990326

View attachment 990327

As far as small shoulder dents. Check the die for a build up of wax. It's not only how much you put on the case but how much gets left in the die.

 

[ultraedge]

When using the Forster die, the expander ball should be positioned lower . Screw the expander ball down on the shaft until it bottoms out against the unthreaded part. Then adjust the entire shaft downward in the die until the decapping pin protrudes about 1/2 or 5/8 inch below the bottom of the die. The problem should go away. I have no experience with Redding dies.

 

[Murray Brook]

You can position the expander ball where ever you like on the spindle,but that defeats the purpose of the threaded spindle. Forster recommends positioning it as high as possible but not high enough to interfere with the function of the die. Most neck run-out comes from the expander ball when you pull the case down out of the die. When the expander ball is positioned high enough on the spindle , on the down stroke, the ball enters the case neck while the upper portion of the case neck is still supported by the die. This reduces case neck run-out.