Thread: Re-sizing Issues-Tight Chamber?

My current press (lyman crusher 2) with rcbs dies would not bump the shoulder on my 284 even when camming over. This was using hornady shell holders. I knew this by measuring with a headspace gauge and calipers. I simply grinded down my shell holder a touch and adjusted the die down some more until I could achieve the required shoulder bump (2 thou). The lesson being, shell holders are universal but still slightly different. You need to measure using a headspace gauge to ensure you are bumping the shoulder enough or not bumping too much.

So are you guys saying that I should keep working to avoid any bolt tightness when chambering a fully sized round? Presumably people who neck-size only have some chambering resistance?

Your problem is likely work hardened brass. Anneal your cases. Some times even if you screw your die in you still are not fully sizing.

Neck-sized rounds. The idea is for all of the rounds in a set to have exactly the same resistance (via the turning of the bolt). Any hard turning of the bolt (particularly of individual rounds) is not helpful to accuracy because it upsets the hold or placement of the rifle (and is very distracting). My neck sized rounds do not have noticeable resistance when turning down the bolt. If the rounds begin to have resistance, I full-length size the cases and test them in the rifle to be sure they do not have resistance, checking that the cases are not being sized more than necessary (which leads to case-head separation, which is also distracting).

I haven’t met a rifle yet that isn’t slightly tighter on closeing with a round in it than no round

It’s working out what’s tighter than normal for the gun with a round in it
What it does without a round is really In material imo

Funny I have seen this as having troubles with my 284 still after getting back from the Smith. Bolt has to be whacked foward and shut on some cases but it is fine on others. Think the reamer has left a bur as it marks fired cases. Will try trimming some of the necks and see what happens

had this issue with a BLR .308 found an old set of .30/06 dies that somehow or another worked the web area MORE than the hornady new dimension .308 ones so I poked them through the 08 set then again through 06 and it sorted issue for those rounds the S&B brass I threw out as it was just too hard to put through the dies. a set of small base dies was suggested as the answer to issues.

Hi Pommy, not sure to be truthful. I did try coating a shell in marker pen but did not find anything definitive.
I had assumed that my brass was oversize in the body and to size that down I had to run the brass all the way into the dies.
never had a miss fire with reloaded or factory ammo.
In hind sight it's possible the brass was hard and needed dumping or annealing.
cigar, I was trimming back to min length 2.035
Z

You could always try another shell holder aswell they Are not very expensive
Incase the Tolerances are a bit off on the current one

It’s quite possible they need a bit of neck turning also