223 chamber issues

Hello - My 223 target rifle is a Keiger barrelled Omark. It shoots very well with 24.5 gns of 2208 behind 80 gn sierra's. It came with a bunch of brass, all FC (Federal) nickel plated stuff. The stange thin is that this rifle (and brass) was one of Din Collings own one's - why he (or Val) chose Federal nickel brass is anyones guess.

However the rifle has an annoying habit - unless I champher the hell out of the outside of the case necks it will flatly refuse to chamber them. Its not a sizing issue, if I pull the projectile and re champher one of the problem rounds it then goes in fine.

I don't think its a neck thickness issue, fired cases measure .2485 to .250 (loaded ones at .247).

I want to get a new batch of brass but it would be good to have the chamber sorted before I commit to that.

Is it possible to have a fault in the chamber that would be causing the feeding issue and how could it be sorted (without messing up a rifle that shoots superbly)

Thanks

Is the projectile touching the lands?
If all else fails send it to Mike collings in whakatane.

No - its not the projectile touching

At what point is chambering an issue, do they start and get half way or just not start at all? If extra chamfering is required it sounds like the case mouth/ lip is catching on something

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Originally Posted by Tentman

No - its not the projectile touching

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Doesn't make sense, you say if you pull the projectile the case Chambers fine.
I don't think a chamber can suddenly go bad, can only check all measurements, smoke, soot, vivid a case.

whats the case LENGTH like???

Case length is fine. The case goes in 90% plus and catches the case neck, hence if I pull the projectile and champher THAT case, it then feeds fine. Its always been like that and I originally thought it had a a tight chamber in the neck area, but its not that as the measurements show.

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Originally Posted by feratox

At what point is chambering an issue, do they start and get half way or just not start at all? If extra chamfering is required it sounds like the case mouth/ lip is catching on something

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Yeah that is what is happening but how can it catch ??

My guess is a slight burr on the feed ramp or the round sits on the "wrong" angle (too low or high) relative to the chamber for chambering. You obviously have to work out where it is catching to solve the problem

Freebore to leade.maybe

You either have some form of misalignment or some form of scour mark / carbon ring ?

I'd start off by getting a few cases and shave a fet thou of the neck thickness, size, seat a bullet and try chambering.

If you are dropping the loaded round into the action and closing the bolt the case could be catching on the locking lug the Omark was designed the take the 7.62x51 Nato
not the 5.56x43 they have no problem with the bigger cartridge get hold of Mike Collings he will know how to fix it

you say it does it with THESE reloads.....what is it like with a factory round???
MAYBE JUST MAYBE.... the dies that were used were somehow "off"
if it handles other loads fine....you might just be right once you finish off the first batch and reload them again.

As above. Have you tried normal cases of various brands rather than the nickel cases?

I read somewhere that those nickel cases are shit for reloading, something about going brittle iirc. Not the answer to the issue tho soz.

I have used the nickel cases in 7mm mag and a few others and seem to load up fine. The necks do seem a bit harder than normal brass shells though.

Do you have a tight chamber or is it a standard one?