.22-250 Primer backing out

36.0 is 2 grains over max for the 45 in my data

Primers can only back out if there is room in the chamber to do so. Use your comparater and measure from base of primer to shoulder. Minus .001 and that should be the demensions of your sized brass. You have to much headspace

Theinkman said:

What manual are you using? I just double checked both the Lyman and Hodgdon manuals and they are exactly as I stated for .22-250.

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Hornady 9th edition.

Any chance the bottom of the brass is cuped you have any pictures. Did you try different primers.

Theinkman said:

Troy-the brass looks fine-just like new! I don't have any other primers. Currently using Federal GM210M. I will try to get pictures of the brass in a little bit. Honey do's are happening right now.

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Ok take your time, I had a Remington 700 22-250 that did the same thing. I never found out why, it would close right on a fl sized round.

I only know one way to check for sure and that's to shoot a jammed bullet if that's even possible based on the length of your throat. That's not favored by some shooters and I would not do it with a max load. It will pin the case to the bolt and blow the shoulder forward.

Theinkman said:

I get the concept of too much headspace but my brass is not stretching at all. These rounds were not FL sized prior to loading. I sized the neck to ensure there was adequate tension to hold the bullet. If I take the measurement you suggest, I come out with 1.566. My brass going into the chamber is 1.561 and after firing it is 1.561. I don't understand how that can suggest excessive headspace.

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.005 Headspace ?

@AJC1 hit it:

AJC1 said:

Primers can only back out if there is room in the chamber to do so.

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and your pressure is low enough that you're not stretching the brass back onto the primer.

It's not an immediate concern, but DON'T bump shoulders until the brass stretches out enough to leave 0.000" headspace (no primer backing), then bump 0.002".

This /\ /\ +1

Gentlemen,

A load that is too heavy doesn't make primers back out. It will flatten them out to the edge and you can get pierced primers but they don't back out. It's also highly unlikely that the problem is too much headspace. Excess headspace will cause incipient head separations and head separations but I have never found it to make primers back out. In addition, primers backing out 0.005 inches is minimal and would give me no worries at all.

So, what is the problem? The load is a little light. My Speer manual for the 22-250 loaded with Varget and 45 grain bullets has a maximum load of 38.5 grains and the maximum load for that combination in my Lyman manual is a compressed load of 39.5 grains. Loads in the manuals are based on pressure guns, different brass, different bullets, etc., so probably aren't going give exactly the same pressure as what the handloader will get.

The accuracy of the load is apparently excellent. It could be left as is or could be increased. My practice is to increase a load until the groups start opening up and consider that the maximum load and then go back to the one that gave the best accuracy. That would be assuming I wasn't getting sticky extraction or primer signs of excess pressure.

There is a lot of mis- information on the internet.
Im not sure what a low pressure fired case is supposed to be.
There are virgin cases
Once fired cases
Fully fire formed cases
FL sized cases
Neck sized cases

AJC1 said:

I only know one way to check for sure and that's to shoot a jammed bullet if that's even possible based on the length of your throat. That's not favored by some shooters and I would not do it with a max load. It will pin the case to the bolt and blow the shoulder forward.

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Another way is expand one to 243 and size just enough for the case to chamber. I have done this with good results. I do anneal though.

Theinkman said:

Exactly what I was planning on doing. There is advice floating out there that low pressure fired cases should never be loaded with higher pressure loads. Doesn't make sense to me and I think my next load wouldn't have to be higher pressure. I think the case is going to stretch over time even with the same loads. Accuracy is great-I'm going to continue to work with these loads.

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That is in reference to cat sneeze/ bunny fart loads.
People use extreme low charges of pistol powder or too low charges of rifle powder that don't create enough pressure to resize the brass.
The primer pushes the shoulder back causing excessive head space after multiple uses.

Bfh_auto said:

Another way is expand one to 243 and size just enough for the case to chamber. I have done this with good results. I do anneal though.

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I forgot about the false shoulder. Great thought.

AJC1 said:

I forgot about the false shoulder. Great thought.

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He shouldn't really need to false shoulder a 22-250 just to get a case to fill out, I also would not do load work up on virgin cases to avoid chasing the tune.
I suggest jamb that bullet and hit um again

South Prairie Jim said:

He shouldn't really need to false shoulder a 22-250 just to get a case to fill out, I also would not do load work up on virgin cases to avoid chasing the tune.
I suggest jamb that bullet and hit um again

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I wasn't trying to suggest doing that. Just that it is another way of the headspace is off.