More 308 questions!

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DM.Logan

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I just got done loading a batch of .308 did a chamber check and it seems like the rounds are too big!!!! I almost have to force the bolt all the way closed and its hard to extract. I full length sized them stuffed a primer in and 45gn of varget on top of a Speer 150gn spbt
To the Speer specified oal. Is it possible I need small base dies?
 
It is also possible that you have pushed the necks down when inserting/crimping the bullets and they will not chamber. Smoke or color the rounds with a dry erase marker and insert them to see where they are binding. This will happen when you do not first inside chamfer the necks of your brass before inserting a bullet on a brass casing that has tight or too much neck tension. The tip off will be a ring that shows all around that the brass is hitting at the base of the taper body junction when smoked and inserted. Try to insert a sized case before loading it and if it fits without binding I am willing to bet that crushing the neck is your problem if your bullets are the correct size to begin with.
 
I recommend next time to use a gauge or your rifle to check the brass after resizing. Then you will know how it is compared to spec or how your rifle likes that "shape" you put on the brass with the FLSD.
 
I chamfered the insides and barley put any crimp on em as they are going in a bolt gun, but you are probably right. If that's the case is that brass trashed?
 
It is also possible that you have pushed the necks down when inserting/crimping the bullets and they will not chamber.
Click to expand...

Yes. What he said.

You can fix them with a Redding body die. Or you can pull them apart and do over.
 
Hopefully your "batch" wasn't like a thousand or so. A lot of .308 brass is fired out of machineguns.. what kind of brass are we talking about?
There are a lot of variables.. hopefully you don't have to pull a whole bunch of rounds.
 
Once you've fixed the problem, it would be best if you just delete the crimp all together. For a bolt gun, it is absolutely unnecessary to crimp. And most of the time crimping a bottle neck only causes problems, which could be what caused your issue in the first place.

In the future, always chamber check your brass prior to moving forward with loading them. If you do it that way, you'll be able to know if it has something to do with the bullet seating process, or if the issue originates with the resizing process.

And always check brass trim lengths after resizing, never before, or you'll get false numbers.

Also, I don't know if you are expanding the mouths to seat the bullets, but if you are, don't, that could definitely deform the shoulders also.

GS
 
The expander could be pulling the shoulder forward as well. Just another variable to check. Did you lube the necks? A little lube on a brush run in the neck is all it takes. Just roll the brush on the lube pad.

And of course the sizer may just need to go down a hair more if none of the other things are going on.
 
"Does seating the bullet deeper in the case have any effect? "

It increases the bullet jump to the lands. That may or may not improve accuracy.
 
Thanks, all good stuff I do make sure
I resize then trim, no expanding mouths. Involved. I'm gonna pull bullets and reset see if I can track down issue ill let you know in a min what I did wrong and if I fixed it!!!
 
Ok y'all looks like just over half if them bind up. If you looking at the bolt lock its stuck out about a quarter inch. Pulling bullets now
 
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1368061263.776187.jpg Ok, pulled bullet, broke kinetic bullet puller pull sliver of plastic out
Of my tongue and this is what I found.... I ran case through resized again and it. Ow fits in chamber no problem. I chamfered after trimming but what the hell happened to this bullet? You can't feel it but you can see it! By the way I don't reload rifle all that often in case
You can't tell
 
I think he was more making sure I wasent trying to flare mouths. But I could be wrong
 
Wow I have never seen that happen to a bullet. Looks like the brass off the casing has rubbed off onto the bullet but the copper jacket should be softer. Or the gliding metal is brass with thin copper plating on the outside that has peeled off. If your bullets are entering the neck at an angle when seating this could cause both the bullet to shave and the neck to collapse. Check the fit of the bullet inside your seating die or for stuff stuck in it. Also what size does the bullet measure with your calipers? What brand are the bullets BTW?
 
Speer 150gm spbt dialed in at a legit .308 at widest point measured off of three bullets
 
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