Day at the Range

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Alright, I finally got my new set of dies from RCBS in the mail. Here were the results of shooting this morning.

The bolt isn't nearly as sticky as before with my Lee dies, but they are still stickier than the factory ammo...

I tested it two ways, first with the RCBS dies both full length sizing and bullet seating and the Lee dies FL sizing with the RCBS seating the bullet.

All brass was trimmed to 2.010" and BLC2 powder at 44g, with bullets seated to 2.777" overall length (used lead bullets to save money while testing...)

I'm wondering if this is the issue point, after firing this round I cycled this through my action many times. You can see it got scuffed up toward the rear of the case:



Here is a factory round that I cycled the same number of times roughly, notice how it doesn't have those scuffs?:



Could this be the issue point? And if so, how do I fix it??


Thanks in advance everyone.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

@JLS , not sure you saw this pop up or not, but you've been helping a lot so I'll tag you!

 

[JLS]

@JLS , not sure you saw this pop up or not, but you've been helping a lot so I'll tag you!

If that were my gun, I’d take some JB Bore Paste and polish the chamber.

 

[BrentD]

i don't know how to help you except to try measuring some of your reloads before and after firing and the factory loads that don't stick before and after as well.

Also, when I have cases that stick, I "paint" a couple with Sharpie pens and then run them through the chamber. The ink is negligibly thick and shows the rub spots well. Dry-erase whiteboard pens work also.

 

[Don Fischer]

Once you get this elusive problem straightened out, I'd just like to put in a recommendation you try H4895 and Varget. I always seem to find good loads using those powders in my .308. With several different bullet designs.

A number of powder's have always worked for in in the 308. BLC/2 is one of them. IMR 3031, W748, IMR 4064. Seems like everything I've fed toe 308, it liked!

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

i don't know how to help you except to try measuring some of your reloads before and after firing and the factory loads that don't stick before and after as well.

Also, when I have cases that stick, I "paint" a couple with Sharpie pens and then run them through the chamber. The ink is negligibly thick and shows the rub spots well. Dry-erase whiteboard pens work also.

Took your advice, see photo below, shell on the left is reloaded, right in factory. Cycled both of the half a dozen times each.

I also measured each at that scuffed point by the base,. 0.470 for the reloaded and 0.468 for the factory.

 

[BrentD]

Well, now you know where, but why is another thing.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Well, now you know where, but why is another thing.

Too soft of brass expanding in the chamber? I mean all brass will expand to some extent, but why my reloaded ammo is having the issue is truly the question here

 

[BrentD]

that's all that makes sense to me, but even so, does it mean you have a slight bulge in your chamber? With the right tools, you might be able to measure it, but it would be difficult.

Did you anneal too much? At all? What if you reload the factory brass?

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

that's all that makes sense to me, but even so, does it mean you have a slight bulge in your chamber? With the right tools, you might be able to measure it, but it would be difficult.

Did you anneal too much? At all? What if you reload the factory brass?

Never annealed, and most if not all the brass I'm using is once fired factory ammo, once I reload it we start getting the sticky bolt...

Also I doubt I have anything to really measure my chamber accurately...

 

[BrentD]

Do you full length size your brass every time?

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Do you full length size your brass every time?

Yes, tried just neck sizing once with the same sticky bolt as with FL

 

[BrentD]

Well, you have me stumped. When I get some stickiness, a FL sizing will do the trick for another 8-10 reloads. But my world is very different.

What I can't get around though, is that your chamber must have a bulge. I don't see anyway it can't. That is sort of concerning.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Well, you have me stumped. When I get some stickiness, a FL sizing will do the trick for another 8-10 reloads. But my world is very different.

What I can't get around though, is that your chamber must have a bulge. I don't see anyway it can't. That is sort of concerning.

Bring it into a gun smith you think? I'm think I should give weatherby a call about it and see if they have any thoughts... Probably should have called them a while ago, but oh well.

 

[BrentD]

Yes, a smith, but a good one is hard to find. Definitely call Weatherby for their thoughts.

if you take a freshly fired factory case and reinsert it, it goes in okay but sticks after firing.

But, if you FL size the sticky case, will it go in okay before you reload it? After you reload it? And only stick on the way out after being fired with the reoload? If that's the story, then I think I would take it to a gunsmith and I might also do a chamber casting. But I'm pretty much in over my head here.

 

[ImBillT]

Bad chambers do exist. You might have to set it back an inch and rechamber, or just re-barrel.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Talked with Weatherby, they didn't think it would be a bad chamber with the factory ammo not having the issue, but they instructed me to bring it into an authorized gun smith (in this case Scheels) and have them look it over.

 

[BrentD]

Bring all of your cases and your pictures. I'm interested to see how this works out. I'd really like to see a Cerrosafe casting of the chamber.

 

[BrentD]

BTW, were your reloads on the hot side? I don't know what constitutes a safe, middle of the road load for your caliber.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

BTW, were your reloads on the hot side? I don't know what constitutes a safe, middle of the road load for your caliber.

Lowest end, actually bare min according to my reloading guide.