223 not chambering

Other than the VMAX... What other bullets might be concerned about getting then? More like a trial and error, buy and find out the hard way? Lol.

At least now I know what will work for the meantime.
 
The ONLY bullet I've ever found that gave me that problem was Hornady's shank/ogive design..
Speer, Sierra, Berger, Nosler... all fine (for me) in anything else I've loaded for.
 
nino
No reason to be embarrassed , Hornady makes comparators that attaches to the caliper , I like the RCBS Precision Mic , very accurate an very easy to use . Only way to check your case sized measurement and bullet seating to the ogive .
 
Congratulations!

Keep in mind you only moved it back about 4 thousandths, so the pressure will be higher than if you moved it back another 15 to 25 thousandths, which would produce a more normal pressure in your particular chamber. The usual Maximum-10% starting load should handle it just fine.

Since you are measuring something critical to location of the bullet with respect to the throat, I would buy the reliable old Sinclair hex tool. Unlike other comparators, its holes are cut with actual chamber throating reamers so they stop on your bullet exactly where they would meet a chamber throat. You have the advantage now that you know your actual bullet contact with the lands occurs to within 0.004" with that V-max bullet, so you could fine-tune the location of all your bullets with it from that information.
 
Curious, when one uses a bullet remover, does one reuse the powder? Not looking to be cheap by any means. I'm not risking safety either... just don't know if people would reuse the powder.
 
Yes, by all means reuse the powder as well as the bullet, if not damaged, and some will reuse the primer if ejected during resizing.

I'm still curious about the cases that displayed the obvious shoulder bulges. I assume you pulled the bullets on those and resized the bulged cases. How did it go from there? Did the resized cases chamber OK? I think you indicated in a post that you did back off the seating die a couple turns which would prevent further shoulder buckling during bullet seating.
 
I threw out the primers. Some bullets did get some damage, where there are markings, rings, scuffs. Just a few which I can live with if thrown away.

Yes, the cases from the pulled bullet were resized and trimmed. They chambered after seating to 2.2405" as Uncle Nick suggested i do to the vmax rounds. I seated some nosler cc at 2.250" and those chambered. The vmax did not chambered at 2.250".

The seating die when set up was turned back two full turns.

Want to thank everyone who helped with this problem and for your patience. Must have been frustrating as there is 6 pages...lol. I also know I wasn't much of help to some of the questions left unanswered. Still in the learning process and not trying to pretend to know much as I don't. Doesn't help when an op doesn't follow with answers. This I do apologize... As this has truly been a big learning experience.
 
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Thanks for the feedback which is always appreciated. One thing you found out was that OAL is controlled by the bullet shape which may not necessarily conform to a loading manual figure.
 
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The seating die when set up was turned back two full turns
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Backed off from what? Contact with the crimp and neck or the die with the shell holder. I am the fan of aligning the case, die and shell holder, Backing the die off .142" Is not necessary. If my dies do not come with directions, don't worry', I have a drawer full of instructions.

F. Guffey
 
dunno about yall but my shellholders allow the cases to float so they align themselves into the die. Unless you are running a Forster CoAx where the case is gripped by a universal shellholder and the die floats and aligns itself the the case

No need to over complicate, or stress. Contrary to what some would here want you to believe it is all pretty simple.

Thanks to the internet you can find plenty of videos on how to set up a sizing die. Just use your fave search engine and do a search for <insert brand name> sizing die adjustment
 
"...your drawer of instructions. Lol...."
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By George, I think he's got it !
(an inside-the-Forum-joke here)
;):D

Actually Nino, I believe you were fighting two problems: first, the peculiar Hornady bullet shape that can produce an interference fit in some chambers; and two, shoulder bulge from crimp-while-seating syndrome.

Taken together, they drive`ya nuts. :eek:

But (by George :)) you're Good2Go now -- Press on.
 
No need to over complicate, or stress. Contrary to what some would here want you to believe it is all pretty simple.
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Contrary to what some would here want you to believe
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I hope I am in the group that wants the OP to know some reloaders are full if it. The deck height of the shell holder is .125", that added to the part where I insist many reloaders are driven to the curb by tappers; when the die is "backed 'WAY' off" like 2 turns of .071+" there is no way to center the case in the die.

I have shell holders that fit the case like a hand-me-down shirt, it fits where it touches; if the die is backed off 2 turns or way-off the case can only touch on one side or not touch at all.

Again, I have loose fitting shell holders, loose fitting shell holders are my favorite; a lose fitting shell holder has more utility. And then? I have good fitting shell holders. The loose and tight shell holders serve a purpose and then there is the reloader with shop skills, he looks for utility.

A builder of wildcat rifles ask for help, seems he build a number of rifles that required expensive ammo. He wanted help forming cases; the first thing he ask for was 'the other #4 RCBS shell holder'. I knew the belted cases he was attempting to form had been overloaded and the cases heads had shortened from the cup above the web to the case head and the case heads had increased in diameter! Because the case would not fit the 'normal' #4 shell holder (typing slower) because the case had been hammered and the shell holder was a loose fitting shell holder.

Back to a good fitting shell holder, when I size fired cases and find the case head has expanded I know I overdid it. There is no reason to check the primers for signs of pressure. And it is not written anywhere the shell holder is designed to check for case head expansion. It is not written (or typed) anywhere the reloader should have a small gasket cutting ball peen hammer for such emergencies.

F. Guffey
 
i just bought a savage 223 and i have the same problem kinda i have loaded 2 batches of rounds 30 each the first were fine. i only had one that was tight. the second batch my buddy was reloading his 223 and asked me to see if one of his rounds fit in my gun. one did not one did. i then reloaded my own ammo and 10 out of 30 didnt fit the only thing i changed was the powder. so i made them a little longer to start high and work the seating down more until it fit. the first one i made fit no problem so i made another it didnt fit. i tried another round from my friends batch it fit. i dont know whats going on with this. his rounds are almost 2.30 and mine the first batch were 2.095 why would some rounds fit and some not. in that much of a size gap
 
i dont know whats going on with this. his rounds are almost 2.30 and mine the first batch were 2.095 why would some rounds fit and some not. in that much of a size gap
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I can only guess someone has you in a dead run; I am not the fan of putting reloaders into mortal combat with the press, die and shell holder. When I size a case there is a chance the case wins because it has more resistance to sizing than the press can overcome. When sizing a case I always have the opportunity to measure the gap between the bottom of the die and top of the shell holder to determine if the press won or the case won.

And then there is seating and crimping; crimping while seating can be a bad habit. I suggest your avoid crimping until you learn how. It goes back to the part about the reloader believing he can move the shoulder back; it is impossible to move the shoulder back with a die that has case body support. I repeat myself: The seating/crimp die does not have case body support.

F. Guffey
 
Overblownhorse, what projectile did you use? Curious to know what you and your friend are using. Not trying to offer advise as I'll leave that to those with many years under their belt.

But, I used VMAX 60gr that started the problem for me. I changed to Nosler CC 69gr and it worked better for me. I am still determine to at least use the VMAX, somewhat stubborn to let them go to waste.
 
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