Unexpected pressure signs

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Jughead88

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Recently, i improved the 6.5x65 RWS cartridge. Basically, blowed shoulders out to 6.5 creedmoor dimensions. For those of you that know, rws brass is VERY STRONG brass. I fireform using 48 gr 4831 with a bullet into the lands. Works pretty well. Anyway, when i started load development, i worked up 7828ssc powder first. Got up to 60 gr, cratered primers at 3340 fps. Loading 100 gr ttsx. First thought was powder TOO slow. Jumped to my short mag powder win 760. 55 gr, cratered primer, 3,450 fps. Now, thinking powder too HOT. RL-17 same tbing at 58 gr, 3,500 fps. Ended up settling on H-100v at 60 gr for 3,600 fps avg, but primers look like "moon craters"! I thought i might have a tight bore, but i sanded a bullet down .001, with same load, lost 100 fps. Im seeing all this that roughly 80-85% load density. I am now wondering if neck tension may be causing some problems. While the RWS only has .26 neck length, it is also .015-.016 neck wall thickness and pretty hard for virgin brass. My fired loads are expanding neck to .295 which is not too tight for chamber. Ive noticed that seating bullets is hard. It takes quite an umph to seat em. Wondering if neck sizing with .293 bushing vs .292 bushing will help. Any ideas out there?
Thanks
 
If I'm reading your measurements correctly, you have at most 0.001 clearance for the neck or none, depending on which neck thickness number used.
 
Thanks, all, for the replies. I miked the 6.5 creedmoor reamer that i used to deepen this chamber at .296 at the neck diameter, so i believe i have adequate relief for neck expansion during firing. When i reloaded my 270 wsm, the bullets seated much easier than this setup. I appreciate the letter, but my headspace is right at .001, and since i fireform weak loads, im not TOO worried about incineration. I will not crowd this powder another tenth of a grain though unless i figure it out. My fired brass looks fine, but if i crowd it much more, my firing pin will get a backblast from a cci! I am probably just asking for more than my design will allow. Im really fine with the velocity now. It equals 264 win with 8 gr less powder, but if i could relieve About 5,000 psi at that speed, i would love it! It shoots about .48 moa at 100 yds, which is good for my hunting. I will order .293 and .294 bushings and try it.
 
P.s. The edges of my primers are still rounded, but a crater. May have a weak firing pin return spring.
 
When i first bored this chamber out, i used P.O.'s method for chamber depth measurement, and set headspace at +.004 so it would chamber tight when fireforming. It was too much, as i had a "jelly filled donut". I pulled the barrel and took it down to .001, and that got rid of it, so no donut now after fireforming.
 
I took a bullet and pushed it into one of my fired cases, it didnt just fall down in the case, but i pushed it through with little effort.
 
Read an article recently about neck tension. In that article, they talked about neck wall thickness. They say that a case with .014-.015 neck thickness can actually have more "bullet grip" at .001 neck tension, than a case with .011-.012 neck walls, with .003 neck tension. I can drop one of these cases from eye level at an angle on a concrete floor, and it just barely dings the edge of the case mouth! I did that same thing with a win 270 case, and it folded the edge into the case mouth. Hmmm
 
There are many guys shooting 6mmPPC benchrest with necks turned so little that loaded ammo neck size so close to the chamber neck size that firing does not reach plastic deformation. They do not have to resize the brass.
But that clearance is so small, you don't want a spec of dust on or in the neck.

I only turn necks to form wildcats, and I go for at least 0.002" clearance on loaded ammo, and resize the brass after each firing. I want things to work when dirty. Lots of times I have dropped ammo in the dirt while hunting and wiped it off on my pants.
 
How deep is the throat in your barrel ?

If your bullets jump right into the barrels lands and grooves... you will see pressure signs easily.

On the other hand, if the bullet has a decent amount of freebore...it allows the bullet to bump out ( increasing the available space ) prior to being squeezed into the bore.

Just a thought.

BTW... Weatherby rifles have long freebores to help control pressure.
 
Jamming into the lands may give 5% more pressure.
Pinching the neck with a tight chamber can make 50% more pressure.

DSCF0032bulletpinch308brass243chambercropped.jpg

This 308 brass I necked down to 243.
All three had the same load.
You can see how much difference a little more neck pinch makes.
That last one I could feel it was hard to close the bolt.
 
Yep, no need to cut it that close with neck clearance. It can be dangerous.

There is absolutely no need to have necks that tight unless you are shooting Benchrest with tight necked chambers and you are doing all the things needed to do it safely, which includes keeping everything very clean and no dings from being dropped.

You'll never shoot the difference in your gun, so there is no need to take the chance.
 
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