Case Sizing

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Allen One1

Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2017
Messages
405
Location
Nashville, TN
This seems so simple but it has me in a knot right now. I have been resizing Starline brass with Redding dies for a couple of years. It has never fit in a case gauge but I haven't been too concerned about it because it is fire formed to the factory Savage barrel.

Now I have replaced the barrel and I have a little pressure when closing the bolt and I have narrowed it down to the base of the case. It is .0015 too large to easily slide into the case gauge even then it needs to be pushed out.

Questions: Will the cases fire form to this smaller base dimension when fired through the new barrel? Do I need different sizing die with a tighter base dimension? (thinking no) Do I need to start with new brass?
 
I have same problem (if it is a problem) with my custom 1973 270 win 1903A3. It was rebarreled by a top line barrel company to a minimum chamber.
When I started reloading for it I found only about a third of range brass I had assembled would chamber in it. It probably came from the once fired cases being fired in production chambers on the max side.
Starting with new brass gave no problems at all!

So I removed the extractor and firing pin from the 03-A3 and commenced to function fit about 300 cases I had on hand. The ones that functioned fine I used for future reloading in this rifle with no more issues. The rest I put aside or traded off.

The cases fired in this rifle, of course, never gave any problems with future reloading or functioning. Why? They are fire formed to this rifle’s chamber!

Hope this helps. Try some new cases and see if it helps.
 
The base most times will need a smaller sizing by a die. But have seen a guy chamber a round by hitting the bolt handle of a Rem 700 with a block of wood. The bolt locked closed on the 222 rounds and fire formed to normal size. NOT RECOMENDED.

If your rounds chamber with some lube on the lugs, i would shoot a few as a test. See if the form changes. Measure before and after.

Always best to buy new brass for a new barrel.
 
Allen One1 said:
6.5 Creedmoor
Base
Positive

New Proof SS barrel
Click to expand...
Good.

My suspicion is you'll end up with new brass, especially if the problem brass has been fired/sized numerous times in the larger chamber.

And, I would want new brass for the new barrel anyway.
 
fguffey said:
I do not have a case gage that will not measure a fired case from the shoulder to the case head and from the shoulder to the end of the neck.

or cases that have been fired with heavy loads.

F. Guffey
Click to expand...

I don't have any fired brass that will drop in my case gauge. I did find some once fired Hornady brass that was not fired in my original barrel. It would not drop into the case gauge but after sizing it dropped right in. Felt better in the chamber too, no bolt effort to close.

I don't think the rounds are loaded excessively heavy they are over book but are only running around 2700 fps.
 
Walkalong said:
Good.

My suspicion is you'll end up with new brass, especially if the problem brass has been fired/sized numerous times in the larger chamber.

And, I would want new brass for the new barrel anyway.
Click to expand...

The brass has been loaded 9-10 times and shot in the original barrel each of those times. It has been annealed but of course you don't anneal the base so that could be why it doesn't want to size back to original. I don't think this brass has ever sized back to a point that it would fit in the case gauge.
 
Allen One1 said:
The brass has been loaded 9-10 times
Click to expand...
I'd say you got your monies worth with them. No loose primer pockets? That would be a good sign as far as pressure goes.
Allen One1 said:
I don't think the rounds are loaded excessively heavy they are over book but are only running around 2700 fps.
Click to expand...
Hodgdon online data doesn't show that bullet, but with the 140 gr A-Max it only shows two powders pushing it over 2700 FPS, StaBall 6.5 (2806) & Hybrid 100V (2736) with three more coming close to 2700 in a 24" barrel. Pressure barrel? Actual barrel action?

What are people generally getting from the 140 Gr ELD M in 6.5 Creed? It certainly is a popular bullet for that.
 
You might want to look at this
RCBS 6.5 Creedmoor 32907 2-Die Set with Taper Crimp & Small Base die

 
Walkalong said:
I'd say you got your monies worth with them. No loose primer pockets? That would be a good sign as far as pressure goes.

Hodgdon online data doesn't show that bullet, but with the 140 gr A-Max it only shows two powders pushing it over 2700 FPS, StaBall 6.5 (2806) & Hybrid 100V (2736) with three more coming close to 2700 in a 24" barrel. Pressure barrel? Actual barrel action?

What are people generally getting from the 140 Gr ELD M in 6.5 Creed? It certainly is a popular bullet for that.
Click to expand...

No loose primer pockets and no signs of excess pressure. Only one split neck out of 200 cases. Using H4350 powder so it's over book by a full grain. Shooting a Savage Mod 10 GRS with factory barrel. Last (5) 5 shot groups for score measured 3.919" @ 600 yds.
 
I push the 140 ELD-M bullets to the 2700-2725 fps using H4350 but I have a 24" barrel, and tight (min spec) chamber. According to the data I have 42.8 gr is max, think it came from Hodgdons. I'm getting these velocities at 42.3 gr with no pressure signs in my AR.
 
Blue68f100 said:
I push the 140 ELD-M bullets to the 2700-2725 fps using H4350 but I have a 24" barrel, and tight (min spec) chamber. According to the data I have 42.8 gr is max, think it came from Hodgdons. I'm getting these velocities at 42.3 gr with no pressure signs in my AR.
Click to expand...
I'm loading at 41.9 grains with the old barrel. As several have noted above and I fully agree I need to back down and start a new load from scratch. Looking at new brass now.
 
highly unlikely that you would NOT need to start over . ...
Hopefully you have some adjustment available in your die setting as well.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

M
  • Locked
458 Socom Sizing issues
Replies
20
Views
1K
JimPGov
J
B
  • Locked
.223 /5.56 over size case head problem solved
Replies
14
Views
4K
Big-Bore
B
S
  • Locked
.250 Savage case forming
Replies
9
Views
3K
SavageManAntonio
S
B
  • Locked
Redding sizing bushing - seeking size selection guidance
Replies
3
Views
479
Walkalong
Walkalong
R
  • Locked
Case Neck Stretch
Replies
3
Views
656
Bill St. Clair
B
Back
Top