Thread: ZKK-600 7x57 Hard to chamber

Greetings All,
I note the replies regarding the US and European standards being different, perhaps I should have said the adherence to those standards varies. In my safe is a T3 6.5x55. Lapua cases emerge after firing having stretched little. To me this suggests that I have a close to minimum chamber and the cases are close to max. Happy days. It all turned to custard when I started sizing. A Hornady headspace comparator and set of Redding competition shell holders were on hand which showed that I needed to use the +0.010" shell holder to get the desired 0.05mm (0.002") bump with my Redding FL die so the total set back with the standard SH was 0.3mm (0.012"). Perhaps my chamber was as loose as a goose. Wrong. Measuring fifed cases from a friends Ruger 6.5x55 showed it's chamber was even longer. Maybe my dies were duds so out with old Lyman FL dies from the early 1990's. Worse again.
In the US manufacturers are reluctant to adopt wildcat cartridges due to the baggage that comes with them and perhaps it is the same with overseas cartridges as well. For those of us that like the 6.5 and 7mm European cartridges it is just something we have to work through. For my T3 the +0.010" shell holder and for my old M38 with the miss matched bolt light loads and neck sizing should do. I can always set the Lyman of the shell holder if I need to.
Regards Grandpamac.
PS. The 6.5x55 is still my favourite cartridge.