Case gauge issues but chambers fine

E

ECM4

New member
Reloading some 6.5 creedmoor. A few rounds seem to have problems in the case gauge but they chamber in my rifle just like the others. No extra force to close the bolt. But a few are extremely tight in a case gauge. Some I forced down into the gauge and got them to go in pain to get out without damaging the tip but got them out. All the same brand brass with the same loading process. All was once fired. I ended up shooting them and had great groups with no signs of extra pressure. Reloaded some more and have the same issues with a few of them. Out of 25 rounds loaded 6 of them have this same problem. The 2nd time I reloaded some I started over and took my dies apart and set them all back up. What could be the cause of this for only part of them to be different.
 
I was worried about shooting them at first but they shot great. But I just don’t want something bad to happen but the bolt closes easy each time. I’m not very experienced in rifle reloading. Use to only do pistol.
 
I only reload pistol calibers, but it has not been unusual to find case gauges that were tighter than my barrels. A lot of people who use gauges do it because they feel like if a given round will fit the gauge, it will fit almost any barrel. That's the way I use them.
 
The gauge is tighter than your chamber. If the round fits in the gauge it should chamber in any gun without issue. Its a fairly common occurrence.

Next step should be to figure out where the round is hanging up in the gauge. Is it the case body, shoulder, neck, or bullet?
 
Very often extractor burrs on a case rim, especially if your rifle is a semi-auto, can prevent proper seating in a gauge and you have to identify the burrs and lightly reduce them with a file.
 
reddog81 said:
The gauge is tighter than your chamber. If the round fits in the gauge it should chamber in any gun without issue. Its a fairly common occurrence.

Next step should be to figure out where the round is hanging up in the gauge. Is it the case body, shoulder, neck, or bullet?
Click to expand...
I’m not sure how to figure out where they are hanging up. I took measurements from different areas of the case and keep getting same measurements on all of them.
 
Sometimes when I have a cartridge that won't fit a gauge, I turn it around and put it in the gauge rim first. This tells me if there is a burr on the rim or farther in if there is a bulge in the body. Burrs can happen after several firings.
 
Thanks for the info guys. I was just worried about things being too tight but chamber seems fine. I will just keep shooting them.
 
Bart's question was a good one. A gage can't do a good job of measuring both length and diameter. Its generally one or the other.

A bushing type gauge that is designed to check the resized length of the case,relative to how it fits the chamber headspace must have clearance on its diameters,and it does not serve as a "plunk" gauge.
And,FWIW,I cant see how the round would do anything but drop in,drop out.

If you can get a cartridge stuck in one of those,something isn't right.

If this gauge is supposed to represent a minimum chamber,particularly on diameters,
Realize a sizing die does not size down the diameter all the way to the case head. There is a "dead zone" maybe 1/4 or5/15 in forward of the case head that does not get sized.
Your chamber may not care,as the cartridge does not enter the chamber to the case head.

But the gauge may be at minimum diameter clear to the mouth of the gauge.

When we et a tool to measure something,it helps to know exactly what we are measuring,why,and what the tool measures,and how.
 
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