223 not chambering

If not done already, mike a bullet to make sure they are .224 rather than .227s in error intended for the .22 Savage Hi-Power. Oversized bullet could expand the case neck and prevent chambering.
 
I'll agree its hard to ignore that scuff on the bullet.

Generally,whan a long seated bullet engages the rifling leade,the impression of the rifling lands is clearly visible,.Its not a broad scuff.

You might try using marker on the bullet for a better impression.Look to see a mark from each rifling land.

There is the full diameter portion of the bullet.These Hornady bullets are secant ogive.vs tangent ogive.With both ogives,bullet dia decreasesat the beginning of the ogive. If the cylindrical portion of the bullet is seated to similar depth,the secant ogive geometry will probably generate clearance for the rifling sooner than a tangent ogive.

It was mentioned above,I would look at shoulder collapse.

OP,does your seating die body touch the shellholder as set? If so,you are likely collapsing and expanding the shoulder via the crimp function built into the die.

This shoulder collapse is likely to be causing bullet eccentricity,particulrly as the shoulder becomes tight to the chamber.

You may have an unfortunate situation in your chamber.If the reamer pilot was undersize the bore diameter,the neck/leade may be slightly eccentric of the bore.That creats a little step which could scuff a bullet

On cartridge gauges: Guages can be made to check about any variable. Be carefu lthat you understand what your gauge is designed to check.

PLEASE,lets NOT go off in the weeds here,the gauge that is commonly called a bushing type "cartridge headspace gauge" (I know,cartridges don't have headspace,spare me)......these bushing gauges ARE NOT plunk gauges to qualify cartridges will chamber.They are gauges to optimize setting your resizing length.They check LENGTH,not diameter or eccentricity.

In order to do that,they must have CLEARANCE on the diameter.

Diametrically oversize ammo or eccentric ammo may pass the bushing gauge and still not chamber.

Try this without changing anything .Measure the diameter of the case at the shoulder after sizing,when it chambers easily.

Then seat a bullet,and measure the shoulder diameter again. Did it change?
 
PLEASE, lets NOT go off in the weeds here, the gauge that is commonly called a bushing type "cartridge headspace gauge" (I know, cartridges don't have headspace, spare me)…...these bushing gauges ARE NOT plunk gauges to qualify cartridges will chamber. They are gauges to optimize setting your resizing length. They check LENGTH, not diameter or eccentricity.
Click to expand...

I said the Wilson case gage could be used to measure the diameter of the case but? I was outnumbered , it was at this time I decided some reloaders understood their limitations or they just did not want to know. And then I said I make datums and now datums are available on the Internet, in my opinion they are expensive; but the packaging is attractive as in attractively packaged.

F. Guffey
 
In post 9, Ninosdemente said he has the Wilson gauge on order. I am interested to hear what he finds.


Ninosdemente,

At this point, I think the thing to do is measure OD's of the bullet and up and down the case neck and the case body below the shoulder and compare the results to a commercial round. Assuming commercial rounds don't have this chambering problem we are looking for an error in diameters somewhere. Every once in a while a chamber escapes the manufacturer having been reamed with a roughing reamer but having missed the finishing reamer step, so it has no proper throat. While unusual it's not impossible, but it needs to be inspected to know it that's the case. It's what the severity of the scuff on the bullet makes me think of, but I'll admit I am grasping at straws here.

In your shoes, I might buy a box of the Black Hills loads with that same bullet to see if they fit and I would compare their outside dimensions to yours. If they don't fit, the chamber has an issue and should be returned to Savage.
 
Check your resizing die readjust per the manual. Make sure the ram hits it. It sounds like you're not resizing the full case due to poorly adjusted resizing die.
 
The scuffs say he's bumping the bullet against the throat. Remember, he already checked that his cases chamber after resizing (see third sentence of post #1).
 
The problem isn’t with the Resizing step. The problem is either with the bullet seating step, the bullet itself (not likely), or the chamber (not likely) if it’s too short. I think he’s rolling the shoulder ever so slightly.

Resized cases chamber.
Factory loads chamber.
Everything works till the bullet seating step.

Borrow a reload from a friend and see if it chambers. If it does, re-examine the seating step. Something going on there,

One last thing. Mic the neck diameter of a factory load that chambers and compare to the neck diameter of a reload that won’t chamber.
 
FOR THE OP:

Please -- before anything else -- follow the BREAK BREAK instructions in Post 28
Step 1. Eliminate or isolate the bullet itself as part of the problem.
Step 2. Then we'll work on the other possible contributors, one at a time (of which crimping while seating is just one).
 
One more important test.If you won't do this and reply with the results,I can't help you.

Whether a piece of your sized brass or any ammo or brass that will chamber easily.take a sample or two and measure the diameter of the brass at the shoulder. Write that down.

Now,take a couple samples of your ammo that has gone through your bullet seating process.The ones that don't chamber. Measure the diameter at the shoulder. Write that down.

Is the diameter at the shoulder larger after seating the bullets?

This one bit of information is critical to answering your question
 
 
603Country, unfortunately I am scarcely limited to friends who own firearms let alone who reload. Not even family have firearms only myself and two brothers and they don't reload. Basically I am the first one trying to reload.
 
I agree.

I started using Hornady XTP's instead of plated round nose. The XTP's seem to suffer from the ogive issue that some here have mentioned (I'm no ogive expert), but since I wasn't loading to max, I was comfortable seating them a little deeper until they chambered. All was good again after that.

The XTP bullets seem to be just a smidge wider closer to the tip, which apparently was causing them to hit the lands when seated at the published OAL.
Click to expand...
I like XTP bullets, with the scored jacket at the tip, they mushroom dramatically when fired into mud. They are Flying Ashtrays. But "ogive" seems to always be different for Hornady.

Another thing that can help is Slotted Case Gauges. They have a 45 degree cutout of everything away from the rim. In this case a slotted gauge would give you a very clear view, and the possibility to use a feeler, or micrometer the "fit" and "no go". Sheridan engineering makes them:
http://sheridanengineering.com/index-2.htm

I have and like my Savage Rifles very much. In 223 I have a heavy barrel Model 10 that wont load anything longer than 2.255 (with typical bullets). I have an Edge (old name for Axis, but their was a copyright issue with Ford who make an Edge motor vehicle) that has a noticable longer chamber and throats and can by loaded longer for use in that gun only.
 
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HiBC,

Here are some pictures of the test you suggested. Hopefully I tested it correctly.

The first two pictures are from two factory bought ammo, Remington. Those two did chamber in the rifle. The next three are the one's I seated deeper. I also checked the other cartridges made that don't chamber and are not seated deeper are giving me .2460" and .2465".

http://www.mentegraphics.com/pictures/51.jpg
http://www.mentegraphics.com/pictures/52.jpg
http://www.mentegraphics.com/pictures/53.jpg
http://www.mentegraphics.com/pictures/54.jpg
http://www.mentegraphics.com/pictures/55.jpg
http://www.mentegraphics.com/pictures/56.jpg
 
the gauge pictures still look to me like you haven't resized them right. A few look well outside the tolerances. The shoulder or base may be hitting.
 
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ninodimente: We have a terminology problem.I asked for diameters at the shoulder.You are giving me diameters at the neck.
Maybe you could look in a reloading manual .

I want the diameter over the fat part of the case,but right at the sharp corner of the shoulder.I want to compare the ones that chamber easily before you seat the bullets to the cases after you seat the bullets.

My hypothesis is that you will find the diameter over the shoulder is larger after you seat the bullets.If it is,we have probably solved your problem.

Its already been explained a few times. I'll explain it again about setting the bullet seating die properly after you measure.

A very common rookie mistake is to screw the seating die into the press till it contacts the shellholder. With most seater dies,thats wrong.

The die has a built in crimp function.Too much! And the crimp has no place to go. If this is the problem,you are crushing your ammo lengthwise just a bit.

This shows up as an increase of diameter at the shoulder,because,as it collapses,it cantilevers outward.

I'd explain the scuffing as eccentricity.

If you do not measure shoulder expansion,well,its something else.
 
1. Execute the BREAK BREAK measurement. Tell us the difference between the cleaning rod marks. (hopefully more than 2.25")
2. Assuming you get 2.25"++, back the seating off the ram one full turn, seat the bullet to 2.25", and tell us the results.


.
 
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Check the diameter of the bullet just above the case neck to see if it possibility my have bulged from seating . My mistake in thinking of seating , I have been seating with the Redding Competition Seating Die for so long I forgot the built-in crimp on standard dies . Your full length and trimmed case chambers fine so that part of your reloading is correct , with the seating die your using can you adjust the die to eliminate any crimp and seat the bullet lower until it chambers ?
 
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