Take a look at my rifle reloads :problem: - Page 2

rogn · November 16, 2010, 09:29 PM

The way the case heads show burnishing on only 1/2 or less of the head indicates the chamber, or mostlikely the boltface is not completely perpendicular to the bore. The end result is the case head is also no longer square to the axis of the case. Equals lousy accuracy, necksized cases are longer on one side than the other and wont neatly rechamber. Brass is brittle in the neck shoulder area, or is being overworked due to misaligned chamber. Rifle needs to be seen by qualified gunsmith.

flashhole · November 16, 2010, 09:36 PM

The burnishing looks pretty even to me. One thing I do when prepping brass is drag the headstamp across a sheet of fine emery paper. It removes any high spots on the base left from stamping and makes it easy to see how the brass is engaging the bolt face.

Colorado Redneck · November 16, 2010, 09:45 PM

I have had some problems similar to your yours. I started this adventure with some old stuff I inherited from the wife's grampa. He NEVER tumbled or cleaned brass. His dies were filthy. I was a noobie and used that stuff, and was baffled with the amount of difficulty chambering necksized brass. The stuff was not hard to extract, but 75% was either darned hard to close the bolt or impossible after neck sizing and reloading. If I took those rounds home, pulled the bullets, dumped the powder, and FL sized, then they would work after reassembling.

I trashed the old dies and bought new.

The old brass I got from Grampa was Frontier brass, and every time I shot some, probably 10% would get cracks in either the neck or on the junction of the neck and the shoulder. Those all went in the trash.

Cleaned all of the other brass thoroughly by tumbling and then using 000 steel wool on the case necks.

Pointed the gun down and douched the chamber and barrel with "Quick Scrub" and then used a brass brush (can't remember...might be 44 mag) on a short pistol rod and worked on the chamber. Cleaned everything up good.

Necksized 10 rounds and checked to see if they fit, and they worked like new. Haven't had any difficulties since. Probably have shot 2-300 rounds of neck sized ammo.

My gun is a Savage and shoots 50 gr v-max fine. It loves 40 Sierra Blitzkings at 3900 fps.

New dies are Hornady. Love them things!

Good luck! And those dark spots---One time I had to leave some brass in the cleaning media for an hour or so after I shut the tumbler off---mama had to go someplace right now! All of that brass was speckled. Just a thought. The next time I tumbled that brass it came clean.

November 16, 2010, 09:36 PM	#27
flashhole Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2005 Location: Owego, NY Posts: 2,000	The burnishing looks pretty even to me. One thing I do when prepping brass is drag the headstamp across a sheet of fine emery paper. It removes any high spots on the base left from stamping and makes it easy to see how the brass is engaging the bolt face. __________________ ,,, stupidity comes to some people very easily. 8/22/2017 my wife in a discussion about Liberals. Are you ready for civil war?

November 16, 2010, 09:45 PM	#28
Colorado Redneck Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2008 Location: Northeast Colorado Posts: 1,993	What kind of gun and what brand of dies? I have had some problems similar to your yours. I started this adventure with some old stuff I inherited from the wife's grampa. He NEVER tumbled or cleaned brass. His dies were filthy. I was a noobie and used that stuff, and was baffled with the amount of difficulty chambering necksized brass. The stuff was not hard to extract, but 75% was either darned hard to close the bolt or impossible after neck sizing and reloading. If I took those rounds home, pulled the bullets, dumped the powder, and FL sized, then they would work after reassembling. I trashed the old dies and bought new. The old brass I got from Grampa was Frontier brass, and every time I shot some, probably 10% would get cracks in either the neck or on the junction of the neck and the shoulder. Those all went in the trash. Cleaned all of the other brass thoroughly by tumbling and then using 000 steel wool on the case necks. Pointed the gun down and douched the chamber and barrel with "Quick Scrub" and then used a brass brush (can't remember...might be 44 mag) on a short pistol rod and worked on the chamber. Cleaned everything up good. Necksized 10 rounds and checked to see if they fit, and they worked like new. Haven't had any difficulties since. Probably have shot 2-300 rounds of neck sized ammo. My gun is a Savage and shoots 50 gr v-max fine. It loves 40 Sierra Blitzkings at 3900 fps. New dies are Hornady. Love them things! Good luck! And those dark spots---One time I had to leave some brass in the cleaning media for an hour or so after I shut the tumbler off---mama had to go someplace right now! All of that brass was speckled. Just a thought. The next time I tumbled that brass it came clean.

November 16, 2010, 09:29 PM	#26
rogn Senior Member Join Date: December 25, 2005 Posts: 203	The way the case heads show burnishing on only 1/2 or less of the head indicates the chamber, or mostlikely the boltface is not completely perpendicular to the bore. The end result is the case head is also no longer square to the axis of the case. Equals lousy accuracy, necksized cases are longer on one side than the other and wont neatly rechamber. Brass is brittle in the neck shoulder area, or is being overworked due to misaligned chamber. Rifle needs to be seen by qualified gunsmith.