A while back I received some berdan primed once-fired (Turkish) brass casings from the PIF thread. After hydraulically depriming, I full length resized and trimmed. Reprimed and, using IMR4198 and some 190 gr. lead gas-checked bullet, I did a workup of loads. This was the first time reloading with lead bullets in 8x57.
I get to the range, and I'm finding I can't close the bolt on the rifle on several rounds. The bolt handle would start going down, then a dead stop. I went on to some other reloads with 170 gr. bullets that worked fine. I figured maybe because I didn't crimp, that could have caused this.
I eventually got around to running all these loads through the crimping die. But still the same thing. I put them on the back burner, went on to other things, and forgot about them until last week. I began to think maybe the bullet was hitting the rifling lands, though I seated them to the suggested depth, per Lyman's manual.
Got out the ol sharpie and marked three cartridges from the shoulder up, thinking maybe the shoulder wasn't sized back far enough. There was scuff marks on one side of the bullets. But I determined that was the bullet entering the bore (throat) before centering. No marks on the neck or shoulder. One of the three allowed me to close the bolt, but with a bit of resistance.
Next, I marked the whole of the three cartridges. After running them in, when I met resistance, I pulled them out. After a bit, I seen the slightest scrape just above the extracting groove, in the web area. I found if I rotated the cartridges, I could get them to chamber with the slight resistance.
It seems that at their first firing, either from high pressure, or low quality of brass, the web area to the head had expanded beyond the norm. Then I checked them with the shell holder and had trouble inserting the cases into the holder, like they snapped in.
So now, I'll pull the bullets and scrap the brass. Sharpies tell the tale.
Man, I like a good challenge.
I gotta give due credit. It was rcmodel that I first read of him suggesting to someone the sharpie (permanent marker) approach.
I get to the range, and I'm finding I can't close the bolt on the rifle on several rounds. The bolt handle would start going down, then a dead stop. I went on to some other reloads with 170 gr. bullets that worked fine. I figured maybe because I didn't crimp, that could have caused this.
I eventually got around to running all these loads through the crimping die. But still the same thing. I put them on the back burner, went on to other things, and forgot about them until last week. I began to think maybe the bullet was hitting the rifling lands, though I seated them to the suggested depth, per Lyman's manual.
Got out the ol sharpie and marked three cartridges from the shoulder up, thinking maybe the shoulder wasn't sized back far enough. There was scuff marks on one side of the bullets. But I determined that was the bullet entering the bore (throat) before centering. No marks on the neck or shoulder. One of the three allowed me to close the bolt, but with a bit of resistance.
Next, I marked the whole of the three cartridges. After running them in, when I met resistance, I pulled them out. After a bit, I seen the slightest scrape just above the extracting groove, in the web area. I found if I rotated the cartridges, I could get them to chamber with the slight resistance.
It seems that at their first firing, either from high pressure, or low quality of brass, the web area to the head had expanded beyond the norm. Then I checked them with the shell holder and had trouble inserting the cases into the holder, like they snapped in.
So now, I'll pull the bullets and scrap the brass. Sharpies tell the tale.
Man, I like a good challenge.
I gotta give due credit. It was rcmodel that I first read of him suggesting to someone the sharpie (permanent marker) approach.
