why is random fired case sticking in chamber...no heavy bolt lift

[BoydAllen]

A couple of things....before you do anything else buy yourself one of what Hornady calls their headspace gauge. (It is not a headspace gauge, but rather a shoulder to head dimension comparator, but that is another thread. ) I have some considerable time in reloading for a Swift. What I found was that due to the body and shoulder tapers that once fired brass can be FL sized to the same shoulder to head dimension as it came out of the rifle after firing, and that sized that way it will have less tendency to separate from repeated firings and sizings. Always decap your reference fired case before measuring it, since any primer protrusion will invalidate your measurement, and slight cratering is common with warm loads. The problem that you have described can be attributed to differences of hardness of brass and perhaps chamber finish. Working with new brass, all of the same brand, and being careful to rotate through it so that cases have the same number of firings should keep things relatively uniform. Another issue could be uniformity of charge weight within a given set of loads. Also, different primers (brand and type) produce significantly different amounts of pressure.

 

[Swift4Yotes]

According to Hodgdon's site , you are at MAX on the powder, and over the max loads.

No I am not granted they only list soft point and I am using v-max. I am still a half of a grain off of max. This issue seems to be random.

From what I am understanding I need to not set the FL die so the press cams over, but rather back it off and creep it back down until the sticky fire round just chambers. BTW I am already in the process of ordering the head space gage.


TRY STARTING BACK AT 39 GRS OF H380 AND SEE IF THE CASES STICK, accuracy will improve as well. This is how I see it.

 

[Swift4Yotes]

Woops not sure how I put my response in the middle of the previous posters repose in my above post.

 

[Swift4Yotes]

The only load that was under an inch was 42 grains of H380 and the 55 v-max at 2.680 coal. It has long throat and I have not tried to lengthen them out yet. 41.5 grains doesn't seem to stabilize the 55 v-max. The holes weren't round and the group was about 3". 50's punched round hole with all load but groups were 1" to 2.5" :-[
The hotter 55 loads always had two touching and then one off by about .750". Most of the time it was above the touching ones. I am actually gonna work up to a max load of 42.5 grains. Slow doesn't seem to work. With 42, 42.5, and 43 grains and a 50 v-max groups weren't even close to the 55 groups. I didn't buy a swift to shoot 3600 fps.

 

[LHSmith]

RE: LHSMITH POST

Brass does not harden on the shelf. I don't think I need correction on this statement.

From the latest Norma website under Products/Cases ...."The case neck is annealed to become softer. This prevents gas leakage and enables the case to hold the bullet firmly for at least 10 years without cracking as a result of AGING MATERIAL."
The OP said the brass was "ancient." I'm guessing Norma brass was available in the U.S. in 220 Swift since the '60's hence it could be 55 years old and had been reloaded.
This notation about brass aging only confirms what competitors have known for years, especially service rifle shooters.

 

[CatShooter]

The only load that was under an inch was 42 grains of H380 and the 55 v-max at 2.680 coal. It has long throat and I have not tried to lengthen them out yet. 41.5 grains doesn't seem to stabilize the 55 v-max. The holes weren't round and the group was about 3". 50's punched round hole with all load but groups were 1" to 2.5" :-[
The hotter 55 loads always had two touching and then one off by about .750". Most of the time it was above the touching ones. I am actually gonna work up to a max load of 42.5 grains. Slow doesn't seem to work. With 42, 42.5, and 43 grains and a 50 v-max groups weren't even close to the 55 groups. I didn't buy a swift to shoot 3600 fps.

New information... BIG problem.

The 14"" twist is notorious for not stabilizing the 55gr plastic tipped bullets - bullets longer than 0.800" really need a 12" or faster twist... and you have a 14" twist.

The 50gr plastic tipped bullets, or the 55gr hollow points (like the 55gr TNT) are a much better choice.

Slow down and take a mental inventory before you buy a bunch of gauges that will not serve you well, and not solve your problems.

Pick some 50 gr plastic tipper bullets (BlitzKings for woodchucks, Noslet BTs for 'yotes) or some efficient hollow points, like the 55gr TNT, and shoot them in your new cases - it will give you a baseline and an idea of where to go from there.

Also... H-380 has a very bad reputation of increasing pressure when the temperatures go up - work up max loads in late winter/early spring, and pound the bolt handle open in the summer. My only 1/2 of a can of H-380 has a price of $2.85... I haven't loaded it in over 30 years.

If available to you, look at some of the temperature stable powders like H-4350, IMR-4320. etc.

 

[LHSmith]

My Speer manual say's the TNT's are not recommended for this cartridge (.220 Swift).

 

[CatShooter]

My Speer manual say's the TNT's are not recommended for this cartridge (.220 Swift).

 

[LHSmith]

My manual is dated 1999. Perhaps they changed jackets?

 

[Swift4Yotes]

I have some 40 v-maxes and 40 Nosler BT's which my 1-12 vls .223 loves. I might start with 42 grains of H380 and see if it will digest them. I think the BT's have bit solider base which might be good coyote medicine.

 

[Webster]

Your Comments:
Primers were fairly flat in all loads and most had very slight cratering.
I think the 42.5 and 43 grain 50 v-max loads where the ones that had the hang ups.
I still want to creep up on max loads.

My Comments:
The max load in a manual should only be for the rifle/rifles used to the collect data. From the below data you can see the max load is different for each manual (different bullets, primers, rifle, freebore, OAL ect.). Since you have occasional hard extraction and always flat primers my guess is that your starting loads are hot in your rifle. Why do you think you have to be near a max load to have a good varmint rifle? The Sierra manual list ten powders that give higher safe FPS than H380 with both the 50 & 55 gr bullets.

220 Swift Max loads from three manuals

Your load 50 GR VMax 41.5 – 43.0 gr. H380
Berger Data 50 GR Match FB Varmint 40.7 gr. H380
Sierra Data 50 GR BK 43.0 gr. H380
Hodgden Data Hornady 50 gr. SP 43.5 gr. H380

Your load 55 VMax 42.0 gr. H380
Berger Data 55 GR Match FB Varmint 40.0 gr H380
Sierra Data 55 GR BK 41.5 gr.H380
Hodgden Data Hornady 55 GR SP 42.5 gr. H380

 

[CatShooter]

Your Comments:
Primers were fairly flat in all loads and most had very slight cratering.
I think the 42.5 and 43 grain 50 v-max loads where the ones that had the hang ups.
I still want to creep up on max loads.

My Comments:
The max load in a manual should only be for the rifle/rifles used to the collect data. From the below data you can see the max load is different for each manual (different bullets, primers, rifle, freebore, OAL ect.). Since you have occasional hard extraction and always flat primers my guess is that your starting loads are hot in your rifle. Why do you think you have to be near a max load to have a good varmint rifle? The Sierra manual list ten powders that give higher safe FPS than H380 with both the 50 & 55 gr bullets.

220 Swift Max loads from three manuals

Your load 50 GR VMax 41.5 – 43.0 gr. H380
Berger Data 50 GR Match FB Varmint 40.7 gr. H380
Sierra Data 50 GR BK 43.0 gr. H380
Hodgden Data Hornady 50 gr. SP 43.5 gr. H380

Your load 55 VMax 42.0 gr. H380
Berger Data 55 GR Match FB Varmint 40.0 gr H380
Sierra Data 55 GR BK 41.5 gr.H380
Hodgden Data Hornady 55 GR SP 42.5 gr. H380

More often than not, flat primers do NOT indicate excessive pressure.

 

[fguffey]

why is random fired case sticking in chamber...no heavy bolt lift

The answer is simple, the difficult part comes when attempting to discuss these problems on the Internet.

F. Guffey

 

[CatShooter]

why is random fired case sticking in chamber...no heavy bolt lift

The answer is simple, the difficult part comes when attempting to discuss these problems on the Internet.

F. Guffey

We have now had a visit from the Zen Buddhist of Accurateshooting

 

[Swift4Yotes]

Light loads cratered the same. Heavy 55 vmaxes loads extracted with ease. I would think I could go 1 more grain with 50. Powder is not easily sourced here in communist Illinois!

 

[Swift4Yotes]

39 of H380 and 55 nosler bt's didn't crater if i recall and are only 1 grain below max. Shot about 1 "

 

[Gabe22BR]

Your about midway there with H380 powder and 55 grain Nosler bullet.
http://www.nosler.com/nosler-load-data/220-swift/

I say, if the cases don't stick , work up in .3grs to close the group.

 

[Swift4Yotes]

Only 1 grain off of max for 55 Noslers.

 

[jpretle]

Unless I have missed it, one thing not metioned is the amount of lube used on the cases. My experience has been uniformity in sizing is dependent on an equal amount of lube equally distributed, on all cases. When this is not the case, brass will size differently.

 

[CatShooter]

Unless I have missed it, one thing not metioned is the amount of lube used on the cases. My experience has been uniformity in sizing is dependent on an equal amount of lube equally distributed, on all cases. When this is not the case, brass will size differently.

The purpose of lube is to keep the cases from sticking in the die... if the cases don't stick in the die, the lubing was fine.

There is nothing else to it.