Trouble with .222 reloads in T/C Encore

[doubleDarms]

I just installed a Bellm trigger spring on my Encore and was just itching to try it out. I grabbed box of just reloaded ammo, and headed out. I had full lenth resized some new Rem. brass and had put slight little dings in a couple of the case shoulders,,to much lube) I guess. But they were very minor dents, anyways I put a felt tip marker spot on them just to double check.

I fired a 5 shot group of the undented cases into a nice round little .755 group @ 100 yds. Out of the back of my pickup off the roof with my one little sandbag! The load was 21.5 grs. of reloader 10x w/ 40 gr. sierra SP. CCI SR primer. Seated .035 off the lands. There was absolutely no signs of pressure, high or low on these cases! Very normal light sooting on the necks, normal looking primers, reseated, no sign at all of craters, etc. etc.

Then I pulled out the shoulder dented rounds and fired them, both rounds left the primer only halfway reseated! With pretty heavy sooting on the necks. I rechecked the first five to be sure, nothing 100% normal. I fired a couple more undented cases and finally got another primer that didn't fully reseat! But it was just slighty so! Nothing like the 2 dented rounds, with the primers half way out.

Do you think the load is just light, and will show up with more firing? Or did the dented shoulders cause it? I din't have my chronograph, among other things, in my rush to the field so I'm not sure about the velocity. I don't think the lighter trigger spring could be involved could it?

Many Thanks,
Paul

 

[jb77]

Paul I definitely do not think the trigger is causing it. The soot around the neck does sound like the load is light, but if it is only sooting the dented cases there may be something else going on.

 

[Preacher]

Can you please explain the primer reseating thing ????
Primers should not move in the seat at all, EVER.......
If they do it's a real light load, or a headspace problem...
The dented cases will loose some velocity pushing the dents back out
and probably the cause of the sooted cases...
The dents are 100% caused by to much lube ....

 

[doubleDarms]

When you fire a rifle round .222 30-06 or whatever the primer actually pulls back out of it's pocket, after the firing pin drives the round forward. This all occurs in nano-seconds in the firing chain. I'm not enough of an expert to fully explain it to you, but I have read, seen, and heard the experts say it's so. Reseating is probably not the correct term, but in any event if you fire a round and the primer isn't back flush with the rim after firing it's a sign of a light load, normally.

I've seen this before with other rifle reloads, years ago in my early days of reloading. Primers left out of the case after firing,not flush) with the rim like when you seated them.

 

[Eddie Harren]

It can also be a result of excessive headspace. Maybe when you dented the shoulders, you also moved the shoulder back too far.

 

[doubleDarms]

Ya, that's what kinda has me worried!

 

[Preacher]

doubledarns--
If the firing pin is driving your cases forward you are going to have a case separation problem sooner or later...
Set your sizer die so that don't happen.....
If the case fits your chamber 100% the primer will not move....

 

[bsekf]

Read Mike Bellms articles on headspace in break open guns. Can't find the link but just do a Google search for Mike Bellm. Anyone having Encore or Contender problems should read Mike's stuff.