Thread: First time reloading 270win

Originally Posted by Steelisreal

This looks an awful lot like your seating die is set too low in the press. The marks on the case mouth could indicate that it is contacting with the crimping part internally.

If your seating die is still set up in the press go and run a scrap case with no primer powder or bullet in it up into the die until the handle stops. If the neck comes out munched and squashed you have your answer.

Most seating die instructions suggest to put an empty case in the shellholder and raise the press handle. Then back the seating adjustment right off and wind the die body down into the press. At some point the crimping function will contact the case mouth - at this point back the die out one full rotation and nip the lockring. Now you can go ahead and adjust your projectile seating depth.

Did setup up the die for non crimping but this makes sense to me. I may have missed the critical step of not winding out the die enough.
Will run through this again. Thank you.

Looks like your seating die is set too low. I run mine by hand down to a trimmed and ready case, then 1 full turn back. On occasions I have run it 2 turns back for loads for other shooters or long cases etc. And I've seen others reloading without trimming, or chamfering and they still reload fine, and shoot fine. The chamfer really is just to take the sharp edge off.

One question. Is this brass recoverable or do I bin it?

Originally Posted by Sidetrack

One question. Is this brass recoverable or do I bin it?

If they can be chambered they can be fired and this will push the brass back out to match the chamber, with one proviso, that the brass has not had the shoulder pushed back making it short. When this happens the firing pin strikes the primer, ignites it and drives the case forward, the brass expands as the powder ignites and grips the chamber wall. The case stretches backward toward the bolt and separates (splits). If your cases chamber firmly they can be fired

Did you check to see if your cases are close to the same length and chamber in your rifle before loading them?

Set your seating based on your longest case?

Did you chamfer the inside case mouth?

If not you should do. Looks like you either have some long cases or screw the seating die down a little to far.


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Got back to it yesterday and confirmed that the seating die, while screwed out, wasn’t out by a full turn. Obviously must have been distracted by something and didn’t complete that stage of the operation. I’ll sideline the first lot and start again. Another lesson learnt.
Upside is that, while it hasn’t exactly been plain sailing, I’ve learnt a great deal more than if everything had been a breeze. Onwards and upwards as they say.

Side note: As most of the affected rounds won’t chamber, I’ll have to dismantle so a bullet puller of some type is in my future sooner than I expected. I’m sure there’ll be suggestions.

Ive pulled more than a few ove rthe years with a set of vicegrips on top of press ....slip round up,grip projectile and move case back down....MOST come out without fuss.... think I lost 2 projectiles out of 50...and I may or may not have used them anyway,garked up n all !!!!!!!

Be careful you don't damage the thread on your press with those vice grips. I may or may not have first hand experience with this.......

laid flat across the top...no chance...LOL.

they tell me over on castboolits forum the pincers like what a farrier uses are ideal for removing cast pills this way.

Do you know the brass history ? How many times fired ? They may be fire hardened and need annealing.

Originally Posted by Huntertoo

Do you know the brass history ? How many times fired ? They may be fire hardened and need annealing.

After this round, will be the first thing that happens.

Finished off a fine day today by running through the whole process again. Went sweet as apple pie. Out for a hunt in the morning so if the day settles, will head down to the range and smack them through. Just need to work around the ghost recticle I’m seeing now and keep consistent.

I'm looking forward to beginning my reloading journey in the near future. This thread as been a really informative read. Please keep it going.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Ive pulled more than a few ove rthe years with a set of vicegrips on top of press ....slip round up,grip projectile and move case back down....MOST come out without fuss.... think I lost 2 projectiles out of 50...and I may or may not have used them anyway,garked up n all !!!!!!!

I actually tried the vicegrip method on my blank bullet seating test round before I reset the seating die. It worked fine except there was a tiny mark on the projectile. The OCD kicked in hard and had to have a bit of a lie down on the concrete floor to calm my nerves. Will get the polish out later to rectify.