Rifle ammo reloading help needed

[HuntMeister]

This question is specifically for a .243 caliber. I just purchased new Winchester brass, Hornady 58gr Vmax bullets, RCBS die set and a Lee case trimmer for this new to me caliber to start handloading. I used the die to resize the new brass and then went to check all of the with the trimmer but when I tried to insert the stem of the trimmer into the case it went about halfway and stopped. I also load for the .243WSSM, so I grabbed one of those already prepared cases and tried to insert the trimmer with the same results. At that point I contacted both Lee and RCBS about the issue. I gave them the two different measurements on the Lee trimmer stem, which was .226” and .237” diameter. I received a response back from Lee stating to take emery cloth to the stem while chucked in a drill to reduce the diameter to allow it to fit, which I did. I proceeded to load some developmental ammo to see what my new Encore .243 rifle barrel likes. I’m using Varget and started with 40gr and went in half-grain increments up to 44 gr. I checked 3 different manuals and I am below max charge by about  .5 to over 1 grain depending on the manual.  Bullets loaded into the case just fine with no apparent damage to the cases and no shavings from the bullet. I did a dummy round first and even tried it in the chamber for fit with no problems.

A few days later RCBS got back with me and suggested I check the expander ball diameter which they said should be around .242”, so last night I checked the it and I got .224”. Sorry for the long-winded start but I felt you needed all the details.
My questions now are,
1. Is this ammo I have loaded safe to shoot or should I pull the bullets & primers and start over?
2. If it is safe to shoot, when I get the correct replacement stem from RCBS and load additional ammo, will I need to start over with load development? IOW, will the different neck tensions make a big enough difference that I have to start over? I am not crimping this round.

Thanks for your help!

[fastchicken]

From what I have read on neck tension, and my own experimenting, they would be fine to shoot. Although the necks were undersized the bullet itself will re-expand the neck when seated, the brass can only maintain a certain amount of tension, not much more than .002-.003. Try this, run a case through the die with the too small expander and measure the neck, then seat a bullet and measure, then pull the bullet and measure. I think you will find that after the bullet is pulled, the neck did not "spring back" down to it's original size but will be where it should be from using a properly sized expander, only you used a bullet to expand the neck.
 Or just measure one of your loaded round then pull the bullet and check, it'll most likely have the .002-.003 tension. If it all checks out, I wouldn't bother starting your loads over.

[stimpylu32]

Hunt

From what you said , there is no reason that the rounds should not fire just fine , BUT have you tried to chamber the said rounds .

The reason I ask is that to expand the neck that much with just the bullet , theres a good chance that you have pushed the shoulder back and buldged the case body at the body / neck junction .

May want to check the rounds before you do anything else . 

stimpy

[wncchester]

Is this ammo I have loaded safe to shoot     Yes

or should I pull the bullets & primers and start over?    No

when I get the correct replacement stem from RCBS and load additional ammo, will I need to start over with load development?    No. 

will the different neck tensions make a big enough difference that I have to start over?   No.

[HuntMeister]

Thanks for the replies fellas!!
This is a T/C Encore, I will remove the barrel and see if they sit in the chamber OK.

[Dand]

what bullets are you seating?  I'm guess boat tails?  I would expect flat bases to crunch the case mouths or seem very difficult to get started into the case.

[Grumulkin]

Thanks for the replies fellas!!
This is a T/C Encore, I will remove the barrel and see if they sit in the chamber OK.

Why are you going to remove the barrel to see if they chamber OK?  Take your Encore, put a round in the chamber, and see if the action closes easily.

[HuntMeister]

what bullets are you seating?  I'm guess boat tails?  I would expect flat bases to crunch the case mouths or seem very difficult to get started into the case.

Yes, boattails.

[HuntMeister]

Thanks for the replies fellas!!
This is a T/C Encore, I will remove the barrel and see if they sit in the chamber OK.

Why are you going to remove the barrel to see if they chamber OK?  Take your Encore, put a round in the chamber, and see if the action closes easily.

Well I'm not the seasoned reloader that many here are and I was just trying to keep safety the priority as I was doing this in my garage. I checked all the handloaded rounds and all fit just fine. Thanks again for all the help!

[SHOOTALL]

might need a new lee case trimer pilot now  if it wobbles

[HuntMeister]

might need a new lee case trimer pilot now  if it wobbles

Yes, that had occured to me  Oh well, at least they aren't expensive. They always told me an education isn't cheap.