Trouble Chambering Rounds/Brass 6.5 PRC

[Hams42]

I am having issues with some 6.5 PRC loads. I'll start with the fact that factory loads have no issues cycling and it's a very smooth action. My reloads however are not so smooth. Out of 35 rounds I made about 2/5 are not able to chamber. I have practically no movement when I go to push the bolt down. The other 2/5 I am able to close and shoot but have varying amounts of stiffness. If it is really stiff I do not shoot it but some of them just have a bit of resistance. The other 1/5 has zero problems cycling.

At first I was wondering if I had issues with my seating depth. This is because on a few of the rounds I can see marks on the bullet. I'm wondering if its making contact with the lands but my OAL is right at SAAMI specs and is the exact same as the factory loads that I'm shooting with no problem. So I don't believe my seating depth is the problem.

Next after some forum surfing I found that maybe my resizing is the problem. This is ADG brass that I am shooting. I have sized it once, fresh out of the box before the first load. Out of the first 50 rounds I only had one round that wouldn't chamber. I just shrugged this off as a misnomer and set it off to the side. I then went through the steps of tumbling, full case resizing/priming, loading with powder and seating the bullets. Back to the forums... someone mentioned to try to cycle a piece of unloaded brass that has been resized. I have the other 25 that I hadn't loaded yet but I had sized and primed them. I go to cycle them and sure enough some cycle just fine, some are stiff, and some the bolt won't even budge.

I am still relatively green on reloading I've only been doing it for a couple years and I am brand new to the 6.5 PRC. I would love some input from some more veteran reloaders/shooters on what I may be doing wrong.
TIA

 

[brockel]

Have to bump the shoulder a little more on them when resizing

 

[p_ham]

Hornady makes a brass headspace comparator kit that works well. Measure the brass that chambers easily against brass that does not. Then it's just a matter of die adjustment.

If you are already getting heavy cam-over with your press and still need to bump the shoulder more, you can get modified shellholders.

 

[Addicting]

Hornady makes a brass headspace comparator kit that works well. Measure the brass that chambers easily against brass that does not. Then it's just a matter of die adjustment.

If you are already getting heavy cam-over with your press and still need to bump the shoulder more, you can get modified shellholders.

@Hams42 don’t swap shell holders to your primer tool. Have a separate one for each. Mark the one for your die and always keep it with your die after you adjust for your chamber.

Shell holders vary dramatically and can cause the issue if you are not using the same dedicated one all the time.

 

[MThuntr]

agreed with everything above. When sizing you can actually see the shoulder get ever so slightly longer until you get the shoulder/brass "sized". You may end up turning the die in deeper than the instructions suggest. I had that problem with until I bought a comparator tool. Hornady's isn't too pricey and a valuable tool to know exactly how much you're moving brass. Until you get that tool turn your die in ever so slightly until the brass fits to your liking. Unfortunately loaded ammo will need to be pulled. Get a collet puller. It's a tool you're going to need eventually anyway. You should be able to remove the primer pin out of your sizing die so you can save your primers.

 

[Hams42]

Thanks for the input everyone I'll make a few purchases and see if I can't fix this problem.

 

[brockel]

Thanks for the input everyone I'll make a few purchases and see if I can't fix this problem.

If your die is bottomed out on your shelf holder my cheap ass would take a grinder to the top of my shell holder and grind it down a little to get that extra shoulder bump. I had to do that with a 7mm mashburn when I was using FL die to form brass

 

[Redmt]

I'd try a couple different brands of brass. I've had same type issues with S&B brass over 4 different rifles and 2 different sets of dies. I never did actually fix the real problem except 2 Rugers and 2 Savages didn't chamber the brass smoothly. The rounds that did chamber were a SOB to get the bolt open after firing.
They were all 6.5 Squeezemoors.

 

[ImBillT]

with factory rifles stiff chambering of reloads is usually seating depth or lack of shoulder bump. Screw your sizing die in a little deeper. With customer chambers sometimes the web is fat, depending on brand of brass, and that can cause some minor problems, but usually not to the degree you’re discussing. You need to bump the shoulder a little more.

 

[Laelkhunter]

You say you size it once, fresh out the box before you reload it. Does the new brass chamber without any problem before you resize it? If no problem, then it could be when seating the bullet, maybe crimping the case a little? Bumping the shoulder back when it really doesn't need it might be over working the brass.

 

[antelopedundee]

Or just try rechambering the fired cases. If fired cases chamber just neck size. If not then partial or FL resize the case.

 

[danr55]

Take three cases that meet the following:
1. New case that cycles easily through the rifle.
2. Fired and resized case that cycles easily through the rifle.
3. Fired and resized case that will not cycle.

First, measure the overall length of each case and record it.
Next, measure the diameter of the neck of each case and record it.
Next, measure the diameter of the base of the case.
Last, measure the distance from the base of the case to the shoulder. Record it.

Use the new case as the basis for the comparison. If any of the three measurements taken on the case that does not fit, adjust your die to correct the situation, or trim the neck of the case if it is too long.

Make sure you have plenty of lube on the cases when you resize them.
Danr

 

[300stw]

If your die is bottomed out on your shelf holder my cheap ass would take a grinder to the top of my shell holder and grind it down a little to get that extra shoulder bump. I had to do that with a 7mm mashburn when I was using FL die to form brass

i kinda did same thing, took 4 shell holders to a guy with a lathe, had him take .002, .004, .006,.008 off the face, then marked them, makes it easier to bump shoulders for me

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

I think you could be moving the shoulder during seating. So it’s not a bullet seating depth issue, rather the depth of the die in your press. Check these fubar cartridges by running you fingers over the shoulder and comparing that to factory. There may be a slight ridge bump on the reloads which isn’t on factory loads. Even though I now use cartridge checkers during the reloading process, I’ll still chamber on occasion during the steps. So if you chamber fresh brass no problem, chamber resized fresh brass no problem, then the depth of the seating die may be the problem.