Reload Issue Shell Sticking

H

huston_fam

Inactive
I am relatively new to reloading and am having issues I am hoping I can get help with.

Here is the issue:
I can chamber and eject the new loaded bullets without any issue at all but once I fire the reload round it takes all my strength and a few minutes to get the shell/bolt pulled back to chamber the next round. I have cleaned and oiled the barrel and unfired they slide in and out with ease.

Thanks in advance for advice.
Huston_fam
 
I have run out of luck; I can no longer assume I know what rifle a shooter is using and I can no longer guess 'correctly' the chamber.

I want nothing between my case and chamber but air and when it comes to the finish of the case and chamber I want 100% contact between the two. Nothing beats 100% contact.

When it comes to trouble shooting nothing beats measurements like the length of the chamber from the shoulder to the bolt face and the length of the case before and again after firing from the shoulder of the case and case head.


F. Guffey
 
I suggest you buy a good reloading manual or two and study the process of reloading .Your bullet maker's book would probably do.

I'm pretty sure you need to do that because what you describe is a serious danger sign that pressure may be too high.Maybe a little too much powder. Maybe.

I'm thinking if you had studied a reloading manual you would know that.

There is quite a bit to learn,and thats why they write loading manuals.

I would not keep shooting those.
 
Huston fam,

Welcome to the forum.

It sounds like you have what is called sticky bolt lift and it generally means you have loaded up well past normal pressures and into the proof load range. It might be due to the load or it might be due to the bullet being too close to the lands or some combination of these factors. It's also not uncommon for beginners to think any listed load in a manual is OK to use without verification when you really need to start with the bottom load in the list and work up in small steps while watching for pressure signs. This needs to be done in order to allow for variations in the characteristics of your lot of powder and your case volume and your gun's chamber. Some beginners actually try to substitute one powder for another or get them confused, and that can be a recipe for disaster, too. Powders are not interchangeable.

I don't know which situation might apply to you because of the lack of information Mr. Guffey referred to. Please provide the cartridge name for which you are reloading, the specific bullet name and weight, the primer you are using, the powder name and the charge weight you are using and what overall length you have loaded the cartridges to. Knowing the model of rifle you are using may also be helpful, but the cartridge details are most important. With complete information we can help you much better.
 
Who cares what gun. One of the most dangerous signs of over-pressure is a case that is hard to extract from a bolt action gun.
No matter what gun, break down all those rounds and start over at the START LOAD.
 
I'm shooting a 3006.

After the first couple getting stick I pulled all and started pulling back apart. I have one of the bench powder dispensers that you set the dial and turn the handle to one side and back to dispense the charge. I watch it close and if the bench is bumped it puts out extra. I am scrapping that one and have ordered a Auto Charge Powder Scale and Dispenser.

I do have several books I have read and read and load data I have been following. When I run home at lunch I will post the recipe I has established.

I followed the advice on loading 6 bullets at different grains and zero in on the recipe that fires best for your rifle. These all worked great and I found the recipe that gave me the best grouping. All of these worked and ejected without issue. This was last year and I loaded 100 at those settings. then I noticed the problem and pulled them.

I assumed the load might be the issue as well but has anyone experienced any other possible cause?
 
If it worked last year and is a problem this year, you have to worry about powder deterioration. If the powder was old or stored in hot conditions, it could have begun to break down, and with some powders this means the acid radicals from breakdown destroy the deterrent coatings first, causing an increase in powder burn rate. Do you have the original batch of powder to examine? If any of the pulled powder, when dropped on a white sheet of paper and rolled off leaves a red dust behind, it is breaking down. If it has an oily surface appearance or if grains are clumping together when you pour the powder out, they are breaking down.

Did you develop the loads in a significantly colder temperature than you have now? With some powders, that could spell the difference.
 
Just make certain also that you maximum overall length of the cartridge is not longer than what you chamber allow. You may have pressure signs like you mention even with moderate loads if the overall length of you cartridge is too long. Make yourself a dummy round, by size a scrap case. Then make a vertical cut through the case neck with a hack saw. Get rid of all burs and size it again. Then you insert a bullet in the neck of the case and chamber it in the rifle. Do it several times and you would quickly get the maximum allowable overall length of cartridges. Remember to do this for all types of bullets since they all differ.

Also check for donuts in the neck of the case. You must do then with all un-sized cases. Insert a bullet in the neck, if it has an obstruction, you have a guaranteed donut in the neck area and then you will have to cut it out first.
 
Check cartridge case length also. Brass may need a trim. Too long a case will make bullet release difficult and drive up pressures. Most cases will stretch a little with each firing. Rework to "trim length" found in your manual. A dial or digital caliper will be required to make the measurement.
 
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Sticky or hard fired case extraction is a classic sign of over/excessive pressure.
There could be a few reasons. Too much powder, the wrong type of powder, bullet too large for the bore, excess case length....you going to have to check a few things. Do not oil the chamber, the brass must grip the chamber walls .
Are you shooting reloads ?

Gary
 
Are you weighing your powder charges on a scale? I mean actually weighing them? What bullet and powder are you using? More info needed here to get right to the cause. All else is "best guess" on a poor description.
 
A few questions I've not seen yet -

Are you annealing the brass necks?

What's the primer look like on the fired sticky round? - Is it bulging out a bit or is there a hole in the primer? Did the primer come out a fraction?

Are there any small inward dents in the shell casing on any rounds fired after the first - especially around the neck of the shell?

Are there any marks on the back of the shell in the head stamp area? This could be mistaken as a primer crimp dimple perhaps? This may also manifest as an especially deep firing pin dimple in the primer?

What primer are you using? If it is an especially strong primer - was it something you looked up on the powder manufacturer's website or just what you had on the reloading bench? Is it possible you used a magnum large pistol primer instead of a rifle round primer?
 
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