Checking reloaded ammo for chambering before the hunt

[Dave in WV]

Does anyone else check their reloads for chambering in their rifles before taking it hunting? I had a Rem 760 I had to cycle the rounds through the rifle once before I used it. It would chamber fine but woudn't extract easily the first time. After the first time cycled it would cycle like factory ammo. The case length was in spec and I full length rersized with the bullet well off of the lands. I didn't use a small base die. I checked the .243 rounds I loaded Sunday in my M77 and the bolt closed little stiff the first time they were chambered. After the first time they cycled like factory rounds. The cases were FL resized and trimmed with no bullet contact with the lands. My 30-06 ammo cycles through my M70 as good or better than factory ammo. BTW, I remove the firing pins from my bolt guns before chambering live ammo. Dave

[Hcliff]

I always do too.  Hunt time is to liited for a goof up. :grin:

[Questor]

By the time I hunt with them, I've already fired the brass at least  once in the same gun during practice, and I've practiced with rounds from the same batch of hand loads that I'm hunting with.

[Lee D.]

I also run every round that goes into my pack through the gun I wll being using.  Never had a problem but I have had shells at the range that "fit" differently.

[jhm]

Making sure your ammo fits your gun has always been a good idea weather you reload or not, we had a guy show up to deer camp in mich years ago who used to shoot a 300 sav. 99 like the rest of us well he went out and bought him a new rem 740 now I am dating myself in 06 and sighted it in packed the rifle and a brand new box of 300 sav. shells in the case, guess what was said when he opened the case up to show everyone his new rifle it started out oh s&^% and then we made a trip to Mio for some new ammo 30-06 of course. :-D      JIM

[Arrroman]

I own a couple of case length gauges but still cycle every loaded round through the gun at least once before I put away the loading equiptment. The first few rounds always get tested just to verify that the dies are set right. Everything gets a second sizing to verify its overall length and the finished crimp. I haven't hunted with a factory round in 25years because I QC each and every round I make. Good luck hunting!

[Jack Crevalle]

If everything else is in spec, have you considered that the bullet's ogive
might be resting on the lands and when you chamber the first time you are seating it deeper? Maybe you should put some whiteboard marker on one and see if you get impressions of the lands.

Just a thought.

[Dave in WV]

Jack, thanks for the input. I used a RCBS head space and chamber length gauge to set my seating die. I also used a marker to blacken a bullet and chambered a round and after ejecting it saw no marks from contact. The bolt resistance was not great, just enough to notice the first time a round was chambered. Thanks again for the input.
                                                                      Dave

[Muddyboots]

Sounds like the shoulder is not pushed back enough to allow easy cycling. I like to push back the shoulder at least 0.002-0.003 to insure the rounds feed flawlessly. I know a lot of folks out there swear by neck sizing but when you are at 10,000 feet and something brown and hairy is in front of you, it better feed perfectly whether it is an elk or something with teeth. Interesting enough, the guys at Sinclair full length size their bench rifles so if it is good enough for them for bench work it should be good enough for hunting. I use the Stoney Point headspace gauges to set up the sizing dies and it works great. Each lot of brass will have a different springback and even from Win to Rem, the brass springback is different so you need to set your sizing die every time if you want to be in the 2-3 thousand setback every time. Is it anal? I don't know but I do know the brass lasts longer, the brass is consistently sized for your chamber which is always good for consistent accuracy, eliminates a variable when chasing down load performance. Using the cam over approach for setting the sizing die is not a consistent way to size brass for best accuracy and suggest looking at the Stoney Point of Sinclair tools to more accurately set the sizing dies. Just my 0.02.
Muddyboots