Finished product wont chamber!!!

[Hog Hunter]

Ive got a rem 700 chambered in 7mm rem mag. Ive been loading for this rifle for about 5 years. I have always used the same primers, powder and 2 types of heads. When I need caseings I just buy a box of shells, either winchester or remington, and just shoot them up to fire form the caseings during the off season.

I just got some more heads in and started my process. After I reneck the caseing (rem this time) I always check just to make sure the caseing itself will chamber in the rifle. I trimmed the caseings down to the same size as I always have. primmers are seated, put the powder in and went to dropin my heads in. Well when I get the first finshed product I always check to make sure they will chamber. IT WONT!!

When I buy shells to fire form befor I shoot I clean the chamber really good. Ive been reloading for this rifle for five years, and befor this one I loaded for my 270 bout 2 years befor I got my 7mm. Everything is the same as I have always done it and I cant figuer out why it wont chamber. Im stumped!!! Help Please!! If you need anymore info just ask Ill be gald to check any sizing of the caseings or anything. Thanks guys!!

[ligonierbill]

Did you crimp? Loading for the same rifle (Rem 700 in 7 mag) for a good while, I made a mistake on a batch and set the die down too far on the crimping operation. Could hardly see the little rim I made at the case neck, but it prevented chambering.

[Hog Hunter]

Naw no crimp, but just below the neck where the biggest part of the case starts there is a lil hump. looks like it gave when I droped the head in. There is a .004 differance in the finshed and the ones without heads. Like it mashed it down. Ive loaded three to see if they done it and they did. Could this cause the chambering problem and if so is my sizing die bad or something cause I dont recall it doing this befor.

[Brian Pfleuger]

What happens if you raise a case into the seating die with no bullet?

Is this a compressed charge?

[Hog Hunter]

No compressed charge.

When I raised just a case into the seating die it hits right befor the piston moves all the way up. I backed off on my die a lil bit and now they are chambering. I havnt moved anything on that die except the top small adjustment since I got it set the first time. I reckon somethin was different, I dont know but I got it goin now. THANKS guys great help!!!

[Brian Pfleuger]

When I raised just a case into the seating die it hits right befor the piston moves all the way up. I backed off on my die a lil bit and now they are chambering.

I wondered if that might happen.

[oneoldsap]

Is a head like a bullet ?

[dmazur]

Is a head like a bullet?

I'm trying to learn all the slang terms, but I'm not there yet...

ram (also "main shaft" and "piston")
bullets (also "boolits", "heads" and "tips")
cases (also "brass", "hulls" and "casings")
cartridges (also "shells" and "bullets")
magazines (also "clips")
a specific cartridge (also "caliber")
bullet weight (also "grain")

Some of the slang appears to be commonplace, such as exchanging cases for brass, and there doesn't seem to be any confusion. Nobody cares.

Some of it is commonplace, such as exchanging magazines and clips, and there doesn't seem to be any confusion. Nevertheless, this irritates many and the complaints are common.

Finally, there are the exchanges that involve cartridges and bullets, or bullets and heads, and these do seem to cause confusion. Some complain about the confusion, but most just do the mental translation and keep on...

I have resolved to try to avoid the use of reloading / shooting slang, in the interest of reducing confusion in posts. I believe there are enough problems we are trying to solve without throwing language into the stewpot.

The important thing is to ask questions, or (if you're on the other end), to try to answer them accurately.

[riverwalker76]

Originally Posted by oneoldsap

Is a head like a bullet ?

I'll defend him in this one. Country boys all speak the same language.

Yes. A 'head' is a bullet, and a bullet is a 'head'. Even though I don't call it that ... there is always at least one guy at the reloading shop that calls them that while I'm there gathering up my 'truck'.

[Hog Hunter]

Ive always referd to the thing that comes out of the bullet as a head, and the bullet as the finished product. Sorry for any confusion I may have caused because im southern and dont speak as "use guys" do

[kraigwy]

I think maybe you arnt setting your shoulder back far enough.

I know the 7 RM head spaces on the rim, but you still have to set the shoulder back to specs.

I dont know if you are full lengh or neck sizing.

Pull the bullets, set up the sizing die where it contacts the shell holder, re-size the case and see if the case chambers.

I do know the 7 RM (as well as other magnums) are critical to neck triming but you said you trim the necks so thats out.

[hooligan1]

We also call'em pills, holepunchers........ (sorry for that last one).

[isanchez2008]

I know the 7 RM head spaces on the rim

[Unclenick]

I think this may be a heady problem. Are you using the same bullets as previously? A different design may have a shorter ogive, even if the weight is the same. You might therefore be jamming the bullet into the throat of the rifling. To check this, just color the bullet with some black magic marker and attempt to chamber the round. If you have the bullet jamming into the throat, you'll see the rifling marks in the Magic Marker.

The cure for the above is seating the bullet deeper. Note that this can change your powder charge. Bullets seated either too long or too short will raise pressure, so a significant change must be combined with backing the load off at least 5% and working back up. The bullet maker likely can also be contacted for a recommended seating depth in your chambering.

Note that you can use the Magic marker on the case as well as the bullet. If something else is stopping the feed (over-thick case neck, for example) then you'll find a mark at the source of the problem. But since you fed the resized case alone successfully, I expect the bullet seating depth to turn out to be the answer.


Dmazur,

"Boolit" only applies to a cast bullet. I prefer the term "cast bullet", to avoid confusion with jacketed, solid, or swaged bullets. Either that, or we need different spellings for all these types and the attendant confusion that will engender.

[isanchez2008]

If you read post #5 he seems to have resolved the issue

[Unclenick]

Don't know how I missed that, but you're right. Still more carefully reading, post 3 shows he was apparently jamming the cases with the seater die. Curious situation. Getting a crimp he didn't see, I guess?

[isanchez2008]

I'm still not sure why it was said that the 7mm RM head spaces on the rim? It's a Belted Magnum