Thread: Rounds jamming into lands

Originally Posted by kayneb

So would the head space gauge be the best bet to figure out the bomb size problem? I'm ordering one for another caliber so might aswell grab another

If thats the way you want to go but it is essentially the same tool as the cbto one ....if you have a bushing that will hit somewhere near the middle of the shoulder just use that is what I do.
The actual number you get is irrelevant so long as it is consistant and you can bump the shoulder 2-3thou.

You're tight on the shoulder and need to FL size.
As per my previous post and Mikees post measure headspace and resize all just enough to chamber easily.

Lots of wipeing of marker off of projectile presumably from feeding from mag.....but to be safe I would give it a good clean with a carbon remover and give the throat a scrub.

Fairly confident this is a sizing issue tho rather than a jamming in the lands issue going on the evidence provided.

how are you setting up your sizing die????
if neck sizing...maybe you should F/L instead...PERSONALLY I never just neck size....reason for this,my old rifle seemed to have off centre bore and large chamber and HATED chambering neck sized rounds....so I partial length resized from there onwards..and have just kept doing so.
I found a factory round that fitted well,and shot well...so set up my die using that factory round....
for ME having rounds chamber quickly and easily is paramount......having lost a red hind with mate using a 7x57 that had reloaded neck sized rounds started that as we couldnt get bolt shut no matter how hard we tried...funny as heck looking back...big red gal stood there laughing at us....

Usually screw the neck die down until it just touched the shell holder. Should I potentially be backing it off more?

Originally Posted by kayneb

Usually screw the neck die down until it just touched the shell holder. Should I potentially be backing it off more?

Possibly....depending on the die and your holder vs your chamber you are loading for what can happen is the die if set too low trys to push the neck part of the shoulder down.....with the rest of the case unsupported by the die and the shoulder being tapered it pushes the shoulder/case junction outward and you get tight chambering and extraction.
Regardless you now need to FL size.
Unless you have an abnormaly large chamber or are loading for Multiple rifles in the same chambering I would set up a Fl die as described above and use it every reloading.

I got caught out with neck sizing, loaded up a heap and they wouldn't chamber. Haven't neck sized since.

Saw a guy use another piece of brass to measure the shoulder bump, slipped it over the top zeroed his calipers and proceeded to bump until he got his 2 thou. Obviously it has to be something bigger than you're loading

Get rid of the neck die and use a F/L die. Set it according to the instructions in your loading manual ie screw it down on the shell holder, lower the shell holder and turn it another 1/8 turn. Lock it up. Then do some loads and see if you get a different result.

Yea sounds like FL size is the way to go, after watching Mr cortinas vids and hearing your guys thoughts on it seems like a no Brainer. I felt like when I started reloading it seemed like everything I watched and read pointed to neck sizing being the best for accuracy etc..doesn't seem like the case anymore

I did read/watch that after multiple neck sizing you'd have to fl size it to re fit the chamber. Didn't expect it so soon tbh

your issue ISNT the neck..or projectile...its more than likely the body of brass itself/shoulder...bump it back more and issue will simply go away...as will tight chambering.....in effect you trying to park a station wagon into a parking space just big enough...try it in mini and its really easy....try it in slightly smaller station wagon and happy medium is found.

partial length resize...sizes MOST of neck and some of case...it bumps case back a little..but not all the way true F/L does...its a bit of both sizing methods...if you dont screw die in enough you can sometimes see ring on neck where its down to...really shows up on 7.62x39mm if using 308 projectiles and sizing button..sort of a mini double shoulder... extreme eg to describe what I mean.

look at it this way.......supreme accuracy is all well and good sitting on a bench in city range,if round doesnt chamber...oh well carry on
now if you on top of mountain having busted your balls to get there and found trophy of life time and you cant chamber a round...well it matters LOTS AND LOTS now....... swear words would be forgiven.
all things in life are a compromise,you got to find happy medium YOU ARE HAPPY with....at end of day only you know what you need.
plenty of threads on here show the difference between our personal expectations...now me personally,who doesnt shoot past 400 fullstop and seldom past 200...any load around inch is perfectly OK... I go hunting and are happy knowing load will fill freezer.
guys who shoot paper or long range gongs would pull out their hair with my loads.....
hopefully our combined knowledge has helped bump you in right direction...
F/L size batch...it will chamber fine...then tootoo if you still have urge,maybe partial length resize...or neck size and F/L every third load or so...I dont change things which means I can be lazy,dont keep track of how many loads etc a case has been used for....it dont matter to me....within reason.

Quit neck sizing. Full length size every time, a hunting rifle should chamber smoothly and eject every single time without complication. The gains from neck sizing are in your head. Murphy is watching, and one day.......

I would make sure that the chamber is scrupulously clean as well as above suggestions. Had a situation myself with tight chamberings and it was a tiny bit of crud

This might be stating the obvious but When checking for length, Don’t feed them from the magazine, feed it by hand gently. When extracting it, try to not let the ejector push it to the side and rub the sharpie ink off the pill.

Thanks a bunch everyone for the input and advice.

I'll give it a good scrub out anyway.
Still worries me that diagonal gauge in the pill if it's not the rifling. Thinking back, it's definitely not the first time I've seen it..I think it's when I was doing the jam test.
I might seat a shallow round and see if I can replicate it.