Having Trouble!

[Handi Man]

The rounds I have made are within length but when I open and close my bolt it is either very difficult to close and open or impossible to close the bolt. :banghead:

 

[Walkalong]

Brass sized improperly? Have any more details?

 

[cfullgraf]

Frequently, crimping too aggressively upsets the case mouth or the shoulder that makes chambering difficult.

But, there are other reasons as well.

Pictures might help folks trouble shoot your problem.

 

[918v]

Too much crimp collapses the shoulder which in turn bulges the body and makes chambering difficult.

 

[Handi Man]

The ends of the bullets are marred heavily.

 

[918v]

U mean the tip of the nose or just forward of the case mouth?

 

[Handi Man]

They are not crimped too heavily. Seating the bullets while using a very conservative amount of axle grease wouldn't matter would it ? Just the nose of the bullet.

 

[918v]

Since the tip of the bullet does not contact anything in the chamber it will not cause chambering issues.

This means you did not size the case correctly. You need to push the shoulder back a couple thousands of an inch.

 

[Handi Man]

how do you push the shoulder back ??

 

[clutch]

What cartridge are you reloading?

I had issues with my .22 hornet where I wasn't seating the bullet concentric. A RCBS Comp seating die fixed that for me.

 

[Handi Man]

.25-06 Rem.

 

[scottishkat]

More facts please

We need some more facts. What cartridge are you reloading etc. If you fired the case in one gun and then neck size and try to fire in another gun of the same caliber you can have trouble like you describe. You will need to full length resize brass fired from an AR prior to firing in a bolt action rifle.

 

[918v]

how do you push the shoulder back ??

With a Redding body die or by disassembling your rounds and resizing the case in your FL die.

 

[Handi Man]

I went from firing in a handi rifle to a marlin X7

 

[JohnM]

I went from firing in a handi rifle to a marlin X7

There ya go.
FL resize.
What did you size your cases with?

 

[Blue68f100]

The ends of the bullets are marred heavily.

This may indicate your into the rifling. Take a marker and paint the bullet. Chamber and remove. There should be no marks on the bullet where the rifling contacts.

 

[Handi Man]

Lee FL die.

 

[Handi Man]

i went over the entire case with expo marker and then tried to chamber it, it rubbed much of the marker off of the case neck ive tried warious methods of crimping to very little to very forceful.

 

[Tolkachi Robotnik]

Shoulder is head space and too long.

You will have to push the brass into die a few thousandths farther. Your die may have been set well enough for the one rifle but the second is tighter chamber. This should not be the case, as 25-06 head spaces on the shoulder and all should be same.

Take micrometer and measure the necks and shoulders. Compare to data in your reloading manuals.

You might be able to shoot all the loads in the former rifle with little problem.

 

[balderclev]

Having the same problem with 223. New problem that didn't exist before. About 25 rounds of various charges. Unloaded cases have the same problem of having to force the bolt down. After firing, the cases chamber fine. I can see where the shoulder is quite different before and after firing. I would expect some difference with fire forming but not so much that I can visually see it.

I suspect my Hornady FL resize die has somehow moved during this batch. Going back and reset the die which I suspect will fix the problem.

As a notation, all of these rounds grouped well with one set grouping in .5MOA.

 

[918v]

When you crimp and the case mouth has nowhere to go, the neck will bulge just behind the crimp. Why are you crimping a .25-06?

 

[Handi Man]

I would use a uncrimped and it would not chamber at all after crimping slightly it would chamber.....barely.

 

[gab909]

Trimming to minimum OAL? chamfering? I don't understand how it wouldn't chamber without a crimp? Are you into the Lands and grooves when chambering the round?

 

[Handi Man]

No I dont believe they've been sized correctly considering my case lube is less than adequate.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I highly suggest buying a tin of Imperial Sizing Wax. It's inexpensive, it works extremely well and you use very little so it lasts a ling time. it comes in a 1oz or 2oz tin, the 2oz tin is only a dollar more so it's the best buy. Look Here

It sounds like you aren't sizing the brass correctly and you need to bump the shoulder back just a little more. Try turning your full length sizing die into the press 1/8th turn more and see if the case fits better and the bolt closes easily. If not give it another 1/8th turn down and try again.