Stuck Cases

[RonS]

I bought a set of Lee Deluxe dies for my .308 and I'm having a problem with cases getting stuck in the full length sizer die. I use Imperial die wax on my cases. When I am inserting the case into the die it gets hard just before the web area of the case. I have Winchester and Federal cases and it doesn't matter, both cases get stuck. Since Lee does not sell small base dies I don't understand why my brass is so hard to size. Can anyone shed some light on this problem? Thanks

 

[bozo699]

Ron,
How did you adjust your die? how much shoulder bump? how much and how are you applying your wax? Have you tried different lube like maybe Hornaday one shot? do they stick in other makes of dies?
Wayne

 

[jonbearman]

Was this brass shot out of your gun? I would use the rcbs older type lube if they need alot of resizing in this area.Now if the brass is shot out of your gun and was new stuff with only a couple firings on it,then I would have a chamber cast made to see if the chamber reamer wobbled or something rendering the base of the chamber too big for normal resizing.I ran into this with a new remington sometime back with factory loads and then we tryed resizing the base of the case and it was like we needed a hydraulic press to reform it back.It turned out my go and no go fell in and the field gage was sloppy straight from remington,they replaced the barrel and all is well.

 

[TheOtherZilla]

I have yet to stick a brass using Imperial.. Methinks maybe the die isn't cut correctly. Or as Jon stated. Do you know someone who has a different die you could try?

 

[Old Navy]

Jon pointed you in the right direction when he asked where the brass came from. I started back in 67 loading for my 06. I picked up brass where I could find it. I ran into the same problem a couple times. Both times the brass was too big at the web. You cannot re-size that area even with a Rock Chucker. Tell us more about your brass. I have seen a few oversize chambers over the years. Usually you could see a little bulge ahead of the web area. Later! Frank

 

[Webster]

Range pick-up brass? Does anyone know if semi-auto chambers are cut a little bit larger? Measure the head diameter one new factory brass and your brass.

 

[bozo699]

Jon pointed you in the right direction when he asked where the brass came from. I started back in 67 loading for my 06. I picked up brass where I could find it. I ran into the same problem a couple times. Both times the brass was too big at the web. You cannot re-size that area even with a Rock Chucker. Tell us more about your brass. I have seen a few oversize chambers over the years. Usually you could see a little bulge ahead of the web area. Later! Frank

Frank I resize that part of my case always, on like my 6ppc I have a harrells with changable inserts (varibase die ) just so I can fine tune how I size it, I like to size it back about .001 total and at the top of the case just below the shoulder about .0005 and I can resize the base with very little effort. if it is taking so much effort a rock chucker won't do it something else must be wrong.
Wayne.

 

[RonS]

I screw the die in until it touches the shell holder and then another quarter turn. I apply a very small film of lube to the case. I also used Sharp Shoot R Precision's Royal Case & Die Lube. Unfortunately I only have the one set of .308 dies. I've had this gun for 8 years, a Savage 10FP with about 100 rounds through it before it sat in the closet for about 6 years until this past November 2012. Some of the brass is range brass, some of it was fired by a friend in his M1A. And I don't have a set of headspace gauges yet. Ninety percent of the shooters I know with .308's don't reload and those that do don't shoot .308. I guess I will have to get better set of dies soon plus use only my brass when it comes to .308.

 

[bozo699]

Yes Brass is cheap, buy new and use it in your rifle, your problem will probably go away.
Wayne.

P.S that is not the proper way to set up a sizing die, take a fired case from your rifle and measure it from base to datum on shoulder it is best to do this with one case and neck size only and fire it about three times but once will probably be much closer then what your doing, then set your die to give about .001 to .002 shoulder bump, I assume this is a hunting rifle so I would go .002-.003 but no more then that I have no idea why die makers put those directions with there dies there not even close to where they need to e for proper shoulder bump.

 

[RonS]

Wayne when you use the term bump, do you mean move the shoulder forward by setting the dies .001 - .002 above the shell holder?

 

[Cort]

I set my full length resizing die (or shoulder bump die) by removing the firing pin from my bolt and then trying a case in my rifle. If the bolt handle falls with no effort then the shoulder is set too far back and I screw the die out a bit. If the bolt handle will not fall and requires effort to close, then I screw in the die a little and try again. I keep trying until the bolt handle just falls. I tighten everything down and test on a couple of other cases to confirm that the case is sized to just barely close the bolt with little-to-no effort on the bolt handle.

Cort

 

[BoydAllen]

Is there any chance that you have your expander/decapper set too low in the die? If it is, it will run into the web of the case.

 

[Killshot]

Get the correct measuring tools and set up your die properly. One set will cover most anything you'll ever load, or you can just get one for .308 and the base. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/479704/hornady-lock-n-load-headspace-gage-5-bushing-set-with-comparator

Shoulder "bump" means moving the shoulder down, back toward the base of the case - so the shoulder of the case is not in contact with the shoulder portion of the chamber.

 

[1holeaddict]

I had the same issue with once fired 308 brass and a brand new Forster die using imperial wax. I sent it back to Forster and they said it was the wax that i was using. I sized the same cases in an old RCBS die i have and not a single issue. In the Forster i stuck 3 in a row. The tech said to leave the stuck case in the die and send it to him. He then wanted to charge me $12 to remove the case. He said i should be using Forsters sizing lube and stay away from the waxes. I now use that same die on the same cases with the same imperial wax and no stuck cases. So what exactly did Forster due to this die besides remove the stuck case???

 

[22BRGUY]

Some years ago while reloading 22 250, I had some stuck cases in a Hornady FL die. I had forgotten to lube a case and it was stuck. I created a "case remover" with a wood screw with a hex bolt head. I drilled out the primer hole, used a couple of washers as spacers then put the wood screw bolt into the primer hole and turned until it caught and pulled the case loose of the die. After going through this process, I noticed that the cases after that still felt like they wanted to stick even when lubed properly. I called Hornady and a gentleman in their shop told me I could send it in if I wanted but all they do is polish the inside of the die with Flitz and an electric drill. I did it myself using the Flitz metal polish and an old bronze brush wrapped with cotton cloth soaked in Flitz......it worked.
Best Wishes

 

[bigedp51]

Put your range pickup brass in a case tumbler and "clean" the brass of any surface grit and contaminants. Then dissemble the die and put the body of the sizing die in your case tumbler and polish the inside of the die. If the cases still stick then try a shotgun cleaning mop with Kroil and J&B bore paste applied to the surface of the mop. Now chuck a short piece of cleaning rod and mop in a drill and polish the crap of the die..

 

[Old Navy]

Wayne, I am referring to cases that have been over pressured and expanded the web (base) area. Now on my 6BRX cases all but approximately .050" of the .167" web is in the shell holder. My Redding BRX die does nothing to that .050 above the shell holder. I am an old fart so possible I am not grasping what you are trying to tell me. None of my standard off the shelf died would would decrease the diameter by even .0005". Later! Frank

 

[RMS]

I will try polishing my FL sizing die with some Flitz and put that range brass in my scrap bucket. If that doesn't work i will look into purchasing a better die. I have learned another lesson about reloading, so I want to thank you guys for your help and I will let you know how it works out.

 

[bozo699]

Wayne when you use the term bump, do you mean move the shoulder forward by setting the dies .001 - .002 above the shell holder?

No sir ,..what I mean is you need a way to measure from base to datum line on shoulder, Sinclair sell a inexpensive set that goes on a vernier caliper that works okay, not what I use but it will work, measure a fired case from your chamber, three firings from same case in your chamber is best, remove primer with a primer removing die or punch then measure the case, then screw the die down tell it touches the shell holder and back it off just a little, lube your case and run it into the die, check measurement, you can actually feel when you start to bump the shoulder but for the first few times go slow, pay attention to the feel of the press and screw die in each time maybe a 1/4 turn and try again and measure, at some point you will feel a difference and when you measure it the measurement will have changed, it should be less, adjust the dir from there in very small increments up or down until you get your desired measurement, for bench rifles I like between .0005 and .001 bump for hunting rifles depending if its a brush gun or long range rifle I like between .001 and .003 bump. Hope this helps some.
Wayne.

 

[bigedp51]

I will try polishing my FL sizing die with some Flitz and put that range brass in my scrap bucket. If that doesn't work i will look into purchasing a better die. I have learned another lesson about reloading, so I want to thank you guys for your help and I will let you know how it works out.

We have RonS as the OP and posting the stuck case question and RMS saying he will toss the range pickup brass and polish his die.

Are the cases getting stuck in the die because they have a split personality or are two people pulling the handle on the press at the same time or could I be missing something?