Stuck Brass

[Redmt]

I like using FC nickel plated brass for hunting loads. They are easy to identify, easy to recover. I've been using the same load in the same rifle with the same RCBS dies. It's still accurate as it ever was. Recently they are sticking in the chamber. Not bad but sticking the bolt to where I have to give it a pretty good whack to get it open. I had 3 out of 5 stick today. Any ideas?

 

[Waspocrew]

Which cartridge are you shooting?

 

[GeorgeBlack]

Am I wrong to think Nickel shouldn’t be reloaded??
Never done it myself.

 

[Redmt]

Caliber? 6.5 CM

 

[Redmt]

Am I wrong to think Nickel shouldn’t be reloaded??
Never done it myself.

Been using them for years.

 

[buckbull]

I'd give the gun a good cleaning and then bore scope. Perhaps a carbon buildup is causing increased pressures.

 

[Sheltowee]

Are they sticky feeding in, as well?

 

[Redmt]

I'd give the gun a good cleaning and then bore scope. Perhaps a carbon buildup is causing increased pressures.

I suppose that's possible. The rifle probably only sees 50 rounds a year tops. I'm not seeing any pressure signs but I have a pile of new brass as well as a bunch of once, twice fired brass that doesn't give me any issues. I'm starting to think that the newer nickel stuff is just funky. I'd still like to know why before I shit can it.

 

[Redmt]

Are they sticky feeding in, as well?

Nope. They measure out exactly after reloading.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Your group looks great, I see one flyer-was that one of the “sticky” ones? What about your velocities, are the “sticky” ones higher velocity? One of my rifles shows that tendency with brass that is nearing or actually has reached the end of useful life. With that particular rifle I get those sticky cases before I split a neck or get any separation. The brass has simply thinned out and as such cant take the pressures it use to handle with relative ease. If you fired them four or five times might just be time.

 

[Gravelyctry]

Redmt,

Having to smack your bolt open is almost always a sure sign of over pressure. Check your primers on fired rounds. Do you have velocity measurements of the ones you’ve shot that are sticking?

Did you develop the load when it was cooler and shooting them now when it’s hot?

I’d consider pulling some of them apart and checking powder charges. If it continues to stick the bolt, I’d back off the load.

George, Nickel can be reloaded, but I seem to recall they may not last as long because the nickel makes the case more brittle and prone to cracks.

Neil

 

[Carl]

Depending on the fit of your dies-chamber-brass to each other you can have the brass end up tight in the web area after multiple firings without excess pressure. Though they could be over pressure.

With the volume that you’re shooting and having other brass available I’d just skip the nickel stuff, I don’t favor nickel plated brass to start with.

 

[Redmt]

I don't check velocity after development. I've been burning the same load for probably 8 years.

 

[GeorgeBlack]

Thanks guys for letting me know about nickel plated reloading.
I do reload brass only.
That is all I have.
My two cents on the subject is ,when I see a sticky bolt always stop and check pressure.
It scares the heck out of me.
I do always use a chronograph,to compare and figure out things.
And taking apart a loaded cartridge is not a bad idea.
We are human and we all do mistakes
I have done my fair share.

 

[ropeup79]

How many firings? Full length re-size? Anneal?

 

[Laelkhunter]

As buckbull suggested in reply #6, check for carbon ring just in front of the chamber where the rifling starts. I understand it is more common in the smaller bores (6.5) than the larger calibers. I've personally never had any problems loading nickle plated brass (.270 Win and 30/06), maybe I've just been lucky. Some have been loaded 5 times.

 

[Redmt]

How many firings? Full length re-size? Anneal?

Actual record keeping on number of firings is a guess. I'm not that good on record keeping. A wild guess would be between 2 and 5 maybe more. I always full length size and don't anneal cases.

 

[Redmt]

I'll stick a scope in the chamber later this morning but seeing as how it's a random issue with the nickel stuff, I'm thinking it's the random cases that are getting too weak. I know that there's some brass that my 6.5's don't like . S&B being notorious for sticking in several different guns.

 

[cahunter805]

Have you checked trim length? Have you taken a fired case that’s sticky and colored it with a sharpie to see where the case is contacting?
If it’s fired 5X without annealing it’s probably work hardened also.

 

[Redmt]

Have you checked trim length? Have you taken a fired case that’s sticky and colored it with a sharpie to see where the case is contacting?
If it’s fired 5X without annealing it’s probably work hardened also.

Always
Sharpies aren't sensitive enough. We used to use a spray graphite for race engine checks. I need to get some.