kilotanker22
New member
Well today I realized there was a problem with my seating die for my 6.5 creedmoor.
I have used the same die all throughout load development for multiple rifles. A couple weeks ago I sat down and loaded about 400 rounds. Now I find that not all of them even fit in the chamber.
No it is not the bullet depth, the case itself is not fitting into the chamber. Not even close. Only about the first half of the case fits. Of course this is all brand new never fired Hornady brass.
So I was scratching my head trying to figure it out. So I took a new piece that was not loaded, measured the length and dropped it into the chamber. Fit just fine. Then I ran it through my sizer die and dropped it into the chamber. Again, fit was perfect. So I chamfered the case mouth, seated a primer, weighed a charge and seated a bullet. Double checked the OAL and the CBTO. Went to drop it into the chamber and nope! The center of the case is too large diameter to fit into the chamber and come back out without pounding the bolt open. When I say only half the case. I literally mean only the first half of the case fits the chamber after seating a bullet.
Since after my step by step test proved that whatever action was causing this was happening I side the seater die. I took the die apart and wouldn't ya know there was a thin ring of brass right where the die transitions from the neck area to where the bullet seating stem sits.
I am assuming that this build up of brass inside the seating die was smashing the case as I seated a bullet.
The only problem now is what to do with 300 rounds of ammo I have to force into the chamber.
I can pull the bullets I guess and re size them, but dang.
So there this advice. Keep your does clean!! Don't load a thousand rounds without at least checking your dies and dimensions. Out of the thousand rounds I have loaded in the last 4 months. This problem only developed in the last 300 rounds.
I have used the same die all throughout load development for multiple rifles. A couple weeks ago I sat down and loaded about 400 rounds. Now I find that not all of them even fit in the chamber.
No it is not the bullet depth, the case itself is not fitting into the chamber. Not even close. Only about the first half of the case fits. Of course this is all brand new never fired Hornady brass.
So I was scratching my head trying to figure it out. So I took a new piece that was not loaded, measured the length and dropped it into the chamber. Fit just fine. Then I ran it through my sizer die and dropped it into the chamber. Again, fit was perfect. So I chamfered the case mouth, seated a primer, weighed a charge and seated a bullet. Double checked the OAL and the CBTO. Went to drop it into the chamber and nope! The center of the case is too large diameter to fit into the chamber and come back out without pounding the bolt open. When I say only half the case. I literally mean only the first half of the case fits the chamber after seating a bullet.
Since after my step by step test proved that whatever action was causing this was happening I side the seater die. I took the die apart and wouldn't ya know there was a thin ring of brass right where the die transitions from the neck area to where the bullet seating stem sits.
I am assuming that this build up of brass inside the seating die was smashing the case as I seated a bullet.
The only problem now is what to do with 300 rounds of ammo I have to force into the chamber.
I can pull the bullets I guess and re size them, but dang.
So there this advice. Keep your does clean!! Don't load a thousand rounds without at least checking your dies and dimensions. Out of the thousand rounds I have loaded in the last 4 months. This problem only developed in the last 300 rounds.