Reloading Problem

[rockbilly]

:oops: First, I have been reloading for many years, and never had a problem of this nature, but I stumped now as to cause.

I recently reloaded some once fired Federal 270s for a friend that he had orginally fired from his Sako.  After I loaded them we took a couple of boxes to the range to check them out. The bullets would go into the rifle chamber, but the bolt was really hard to close.  I fired several of them, they were accurate, ejected ok, but all of them presented the same problem with closing the bolt.

A while back, I had several cans of powder in a 20mm ammo box, along with primers, bullets and several sets of reloading dies.  One of the cans of powder ate through the can and caused the primers to corrode and the dies to rust.  I threw the powder and primers away, cleaned the dies with 0000  steel wool and oil.  the rust came off, and the dies looked like they were not harmed.  Now I don't know.

The 270s were full length sized, trimmed to proper length, and the bullet was seated at the proper depth.  

What is the problem with the tight fit on the reloads?

[Leftoverdj]

First thing to try is chambering a sized case. If the sized case chambers easily, you are bulging either the shoulder or the neck when seating. Back the seating die out a bit. (Check case length, too. The dies could be adjusted right, but the cases have stretched too much.)

If the sized case chambers hard, either you are not sizing it enough, or you are stretching it getting it back out. Usual reason for stretching is a rough expander or unlubed inside case necks. If you are really having to grunt to get the case back out, the inside of the die is rough and needs to be polished more. That could sure bend the rims enough to cause hard chambering.

[Jack Crevalle]

Not germaine to your question but how did powder eat through it's can? Was it in the original can?

Also, storing powder and primers in a metal ammo can? Thank God that this corrosive action didn't generate heat.

[Mikey]

rockbilly - I had the same darned problem with a 308.  All I can think of was that it was the last chamber cut with the chambering reamer and just inside the specifications limit.  The darn thing would chamber new factory loads without a squeak but reloads met the same problem you are experiencing.

I wound up first using a 30-06 sizing die, then a 308 trim die, then the 308 sizing die and after charging the case and seating the bullet, the 308 sizing die again to tighten everything up.  Only then would my reloads feed like new rounds.  It was such a pita that I finally got rid of it.  Mikey.

[Greybeard]

The most likely problem is you have your seater die set incorrectly and when seating the bullets you are slightly buldging the case. What I like to do is to set it up using a case at the maximum length I'll ever load. Then with all cases you should be able to load without the buldging.

When seating if you go slowly you can usually feel the resistance as the case mouth contacts the die. There is a definite hesitation you have to over come.

The other possibility I see is that the bullets are seated out far enough to be contacting the rifling but this is unlikely if they feed thru the magazine.

As long as the cases were fired in that rifle it is unlikely a sizing issue but chambering a sized case before loading is always a wise step.

[rockbilly]

Thanks to everyone.  I will start over and follow your tips.

Jack Crevalle.
To answer your question.  The powder was in the original can.  At one point I did a lot of reloading, powder and primers never stayed around long enough to worry about them.  I got involved with another interest and backed off reloading for several years.  I had several new cans of powder and several thousand primers at that time, they were all stored together in the ammo box.  The box was stored in my shop.  Looking back, I can see this is not a smart practice.  The shop is tin, it is finished off and has plenty of insulation to keep out the cold and heat..........but, that closed building must reach 150 degrees during these hot Texas summers.  In the future I plan to only buy what I need at the time and will not store powder or primers.  The loaded stuff is in small ammo cans in a temp controlled room.

[JBMauser]

My suspision is that you are sizing the cartridge properly but that the Sako had a generous chamber and allowed the shoulder to migrate.  Your full length die will not bump it back.  Redding and RCBS make a set of shell holders that are thinner in steps than standard.  They allow you to press the shell further into the die as it bottoms the shell holder.  They are used to bump the shoulder back.  I had a similar problem when I would form 7.65X54 brass from cut down 30/06.  I could jam the brass all the way in and the bolt would not just close.  the Lee die would work flawlessly in sizing correct brass but it just would not push the shoulder back far enough to overcome the spring back.  So..... I ground a bit off the bottom of the die, just took off the curved mouth.  Bingo.  shoulders are fine, bolt closes and when I reload in a normal fashion I just leave a little space to the shell holder.  Your problem is that your die is fine, your shell holder is standard and you just need a little more to bump the shoulder back past the springback.  Order the stepped shell holders or grind the die or just buy a bag of brass.  You have three options..))) JB

[JBMauser]

I wanted to add something as an afterthought.  My dad who was a machinist thought me something about tollerances.  The Sako and your rifle can both be in spec.  Tollerances are generally plus or minus a few thousanths.  Problems can ocure when the two extremes come together.  If his chamer is at the Max for the spec.  and yours is at the minimum of spec. you may have more than a couple of thousandths variance.  This is how come some engines are made with all parts to spec and yet they are truely Lemons.  This deals with mating surfaces and the additive errors of opposing tollerances.  I will bet you a cold one that the reload you made will cycle easily in your friends Sako.  JB