Bulging case below shoulder

brian4161 · May 1, 2009, 08:04 AM

I just started loading for my 30-06. I'm having problems with the case bulging just below the shoulder while seating/crimping. It doesn't happen all the time, one out ten or so. After I got home I thought about it and think it might be from to long of a case causing the case to crimping down on the bullet before it's seated and then pushing the neck and shoulder down. Does that sound right? Thanks

Dingoboyx · May 1, 2009, 08:12 AM

or you need to back your projectile seating die off a bit OR trim your cases, (depending on overall length), Sounds like you are seating the projectile too far in. Have you checked your OAL?

How many times have the cases been reloaded? or is this the first reload?

The ones you have made already, to save pulling them apart, you might be able to take your deprimer pin out of your FLSD and run them thru the FLSD again to get rid of the bulge..... Can someone please correct me if I am wrong, I reload mainly for HG calibers, I am not an expert on rifle cartridges by any means

PCJim · May 1, 2009, 08:29 AM

Do not use your FL sizing die as a final check on those loaded rounds. You will end up with a stuck case in the die.

It would help if you could take a pic or two of the problem. But it sounds like you may not have the seating/crimping die set properly. The directions for their setup are known to be a little confusing. Additionally, if the case lengths are not uniform, it can greatly compound the results of an improperly set seating/crimping die.

brian4161 · May 1, 2009, 08:29 AM

Once fired cases, loaded oal is 3.2 per the Lyman manual, crimp is in the middle of the crimp groove on the bullet. I have not measured the empties, I will as soon as I get back to the shop. I think I can size out some of them, but I don't think most of them will even fit into the sizing die. I've already pulled all that won't chamber.

ETA I can't take pics, no camera. Since most of them turned out fine it's got me thinking that some of the cases are long and the die is basically set wrong for those long cases.

bozhoz · May 1, 2009, 08:53 AM

Brian, it has been my experience that this usually is caused from the crimping action of the dies. The prime candidate in my opinion would be that the cases have not been trimmed to uniform length. Once that has been done, your crimping and seating action should result in uniform OAL without any buckling of the neck once the dies are set up properly.

rwilson452 · May 1, 2009, 08:55 AM

I had this happen to me with a Lee FCD. It turned out it was too much crimp.

Quote:

Bulging case below shoulder
I just started loading for my 30-06. I'm having problems with the case bulging just below the shoulder while seating/crimping. It doesn't happen all the time, one out ten or so. After I got home I thought about it and think it might be from to long of a case causing the case to crimping down on the bullet before it's seated and then pushing the neck and shoulder down. Does that sound right? Thanks

wncchester · May 1, 2009, 09:42 AM

"think it might be from to long of a case causing the case to crimping ... and then pushing the neck and shoulder down. Does that sound right? Thanks"

Exactly so. Trim your cases to the same lenght and the problem will go away. Or don't crimp. Or get a Lee FCD, which is my choice.

brian4161 · May 1, 2009, 04:49 PM

That's what I thought, thanks guys.

snuffy · May 2, 2009, 02:37 AM

My question is; why are you crimping?

Quote:

I just started loading for my 30-06.

30-06 what? If it's for a garand, or even a 7400 or B.A.R., then you may WANT to crimp. Otherwise it's a wasted effort. You do not have to crimp just because there's a cannelure there. Neck tension should hold bullets just fine.

That said, your buckled shoulders are most certainly caused by inconsistent case length. When the edge of the case mouth bottoms out in the cannelure, further seating just bulges the shoulder.

brian4161 · May 2, 2009, 10:24 AM

I have a Mossberg 4x4 and my buddy's Remington 770, I want to crimp because the ammo is likely to get jostled around a bit on the way to the range and I don't want the OAL changing.

ETA I trimmed the cases and it solved the problem.

Slamfire · May 2, 2009, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Otherwise it's a wasted effort.

Unless you are shooting a Vulcan chain gun, you don't need to worry about the bullets coming out of the case mouth due to ramming speed.

I shoot Garands, M1a's, PTR91's, FAL's, AR's, they don't need crimps. All you are doing is buckling your cases and swaging your bullets.

Tex S · May 2, 2009, 05:53 PM

+1 on no need for crimp.

May 1, 2009, 08:04 AM	#1
brian4161 Member Join Date: December 24, 2008 Posts: 52	Bulging case below shoulder I just started loading for my 30-06. I'm having problems with the case bulging just below the shoulder while seating/crimping. It doesn't happen all the time, one out ten or so. After I got home I thought about it and think it might be from to long of a case causing the case to crimping down on the bullet before it's seated and then pushing the neck and shoulder down. Does that sound right? Thanks

May 1, 2009, 08:12 AM	#2
Dingoboyx Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2009 Location: South East Queensland, Australia Posts: 1,513	either that or you need to back your projectile seating die off a bit OR trim your cases, (depending on overall length), Sounds like you are seating the projectile too far in. Have you checked your OAL? How many times have the cases been reloaded? or is this the first reload? The ones you have made already, to save pulling them apart, you might be able to take your deprimer pin out of your FLSD and run them thru the FLSD again to get rid of the bulge..... Can someone please correct me if I am wrong, I reload mainly for HG calibers, I am not an expert on rifle cartridges by any means __________________ Muzza If you cant blind them with brilliance, Baffle them with BS Be alert...... there is a shortage of LERTs

May 1, 2009, 08:29 AM	#3
PCJim Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2008 Location: FL Posts: 570	Do not use your FL sizing die as a final check on those loaded rounds. You will end up with a stuck case in the die. It would help if you could take a pic or two of the problem. But it sounds like you may not have the seating/crimping die set properly. The directions for their setup are known to be a little confusing. Additionally, if the case lengths are not uniform, it can greatly compound the results of an improperly set seating/crimping die.

May 1, 2009, 08:53 AM	#5
bozhoz Member Join Date: March 15, 2009 Posts: 82	Brian, it has been my experience that this usually is caused from the crimping action of the dies. The prime candidate in my opinion would be that the cases have not been trimmed to uniform length. Once that has been done, your crimping and seating action should result in uniform OAL without any buckling of the neck once the dies are set up properly.

May 1, 2009, 09:42 AM	#7
wncchester Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2002 Posts: 2,832	"think it might be from to long of a case causing the case to crimping ... and then pushing the neck and shoulder down. Does that sound right? Thanks" Exactly so. Trim your cases to the same lenght and the problem will go away. Or don't crimp. Or get a Lee FCD, which is my choice.

May 1, 2009, 04:49 PM	#8
brian4161 Member Join Date: December 24, 2008 Posts: 52	That's what I thought, thanks guys.

May 2, 2009, 10:24 AM	#10
brian4161 Member Join Date: December 24, 2008 Posts: 52	I have a Mossberg 4x4 and my buddy's Remington 770, I want to crimp because the ammo is likely to get jostled around a bit on the way to the range and I don't want the OAL changing. ETA I trimmed the cases and it solved the problem.

May 2, 2009, 05:53 PM	#12
Tex S Senior Member Join Date: November 12, 2008 Location: Fort Worth, TEXAS Posts: 909	+1 on no need for crimp.