[jstein650]

My nephew picked up some .223 reloads at the local flea market for me. Price was good, and I was grateful. It's 55gr FMJ stuff in decent PMC brass. It all seems to be seated to the right length, crimped in the cannelure, with what looks like a Lee FC die. The thing is, so far, about 1 out of 5 or so, the ogive on the bullet must be too far forward (picture "bulged") although you can't discern it at all by looking- 'least I can't. I can't even close the bolt without shoving the bullet into the case or getting it stuck in the rifling - and then pulling it out altogether. Upon close examination, you can see one tiny, or not so tiny, groove running up lengthwise with the bullet. WTH? Been shooting this rifle for many years with all kinds of ammo - NEVER run into this before. Anyone experienced this?

[jstein650]

Ok, I might be finding some things here... The necks on loaded rounds - the good and the bad - differ by as much as .008" But the no-go's don't seem that much out of spec at .255" - .256" (.253" is spec IIC.) My fired cases measure precisely at .255 The shoulders may not be perfect either, though that's harder to measure. I've always neck sized only, and 99% of its diet has been handloads. Still not sure why I pulled a bullet from getting stuck in the rifling though.

[willymc]

What's the case length? Maybe the case needed trimming, before reloading, and wasn't.

[rcmodel]

Sounds like the guy who loaded them forgot to resize them first.
Then tried to make up for no neck tension by crimping the snot out of them.
If he made that mistake?

You my friend, need to invest in a bullet puller.

No Way I would shoot those reloads!!

rc

[jstein650]

I did check the case length, most are well within spec. Yes, I'm thinking a real mix of sized vs. non-sized brass.
Oh, I have a bullet puller - wish I had my RCBS collet type puller with me, it's easier. Anyway I certainly have a plan for the bunch, just was hoping to avoid it.

[45lcshooter]

Take them apart, don't shoot them. I would never shoot some ones reloads, I always tear them apart and use as components.

[jstein650]

I'm gonna. I've always been a bit too trusting. Unfortunately it can get one into trouble.

[Maj Dad]

Unfortunately it can get one into trouble.

Not to mention someone reloading & selling ammo without the ATF license etc etc (and apparently without knowing how to do it as well). I borrowed some ammo for a Jimmy Clark Bullseye 38 spl for NRA centerfire pistol match back in the 70's. One of the loads, a standard 2.7 gr BE & a 148 gr WC, was double charged & blew the left grip off and did a full-bore sphincter check on me. Since then I use only my own, and I don't give them to others; if I screw up a round, it's on me, no one else. It's a lesson you learn that's not as stark as others, but it's one worth learning.

[Coltdriver]

So this is an example of the subtle difference in a 5.56 round and a .223 round.

I have a Ruger Hawkeye .223. It I put a true 5.56 round in it the bullet is stuffed in the lands. Because the ogive of the 5.56 round is further forward. It may not be true on all 5.56 rounds, but on the ones I have tested it is. Can't shoot em in the Ruger bolt rifle as the pressure is too much.

So, different bullet ogive, different seating length for your chamber regardless of col.

[kingmt]

The ammo is the same or is the throats are different. At least to my reading.

The only factory 223 ammo I have ever shoot was in my M16 & I really didn't care much at the time. I build ammo to fit my bolt rifle that work in my AR.

[ngnrd]

From what I read, the stated problem has nothing to do with case prep. It's a seating depth issue. The bullet is being jammed into the rifling, shoving the bullet deeper. In some cases, the bullet sticks hard in the rifling and stays there when the cartridge is ejected.

That's not to say that there aren't other issues.

[rcmodel]

I think you are wrong.

A properly sized .223 round will have somewhere in the vicinity of 50 - 60 pounds of case neck tension on the bullet. Thats without a crimp.

There is no way you will have a bullet stick in the rifling hard enough to pull it if it takes 50+ pounds of force to pull it.

rc

[ngnrd]

Yes, like I said, there may well be other issues with these mystery loads. But, it doesn't matter how bad the case prep is, or how little neck tension there is, that won't make the bullet jam into the lands. That's simply a seating depth problem.

If the bullet is not seated too long, it can't touch the lands. And if it can't touch the lands, it can not stick in the lands, nor can it be shoved into the case.

In either case, it's best to pull 'em down and start from scratch.

[Galil5.56]

I have bought new "surplus" WW .224" 55 grain FMJBT bullets and .308" 147 grain FMJ-BT bullets that had cannelures all over the place, and ogives all over the place too, and perhaps this is the culprit in lieu of me seeing the actual rounds.

I seated these 55 grain FMJBT's like always to the top of the cannelure, all cases properly trimmed, but had to re-seat/recheck the entire 1000 round batch deeper because of the screwed up cannelure and ogive combo to ensure an equalized OAL, so they would fit in my Galil mags. Ogive variance was no issue, as my IMI Galil has a very generous 5.56 chamber, despite being marked .223. I'm guessing these bullets were GI rejects, or they better have been with that much piss poor QC. many folks consider Hornady 55 grain FMJ-BT to be very good/best.

the 147 grain FMJBT's are a PITA too, as the varying ogives makes reloading 7.5x55 a chore, and to boot, a lot of these bullets were "small", mic'ing around .307", which did not play well with my 7.5x54 reloading, or even some 7.62x51 reloading. Again, If Hornady is available, I would go with them.

[gamestalker]

I strongly agree with RC on this, neck tension alone is so tight that you would have to pound on that bolt to get a bullet to dislodge from the neck, that is if, it was seated so excessively long to allow for more than just a few thous of olgive to get into the lands, I know I've jammed a bullet or two in my time, but I've never had one get puled out of the neck. So my take on it is there is more than one concern, as follows:

#1 Improperly resized brass. Those necks should not have that light of neck tension.

#2 Those reloads were not the correct OAL for your action. Just because they may have fit the action they were originally loaded for, doesn't mean they will properly fit different actions. An example is, it would be a crap shoot whether, or not, one of my cartridges I've loaded for my action, would fit a different action.

#3 I would never shoot a reload I didn't personally develop and build with my own two hands, of which I still have all 5 digits on both. Pull all of them and start from scratch with the brass and bullets. I don't even reuse primers, because I know not what they are, magnum or standard, small pistol / rifle,
or large pistol / rifle.

GS

[jstein650]

I've been pulling the bullets, and the offending rounds pull way too easily, and the brass as it is will not chamber either - seems he didn't resize right, then crimped the heck out of them like rcmodel and others have guessed.