Barnes TSX copper shard

[Vaultman]

I was reloading some Barnes TSX today. I have reloaded other manufactures in the past, but I loved the performance I got an an elk a few years ago with some factory loaded TSX. And now I decided to reload some of my own. About the 10th bullet I seated I had a shard of copper come out of my die. I figured it was a fluke, and loaded some others. It happened again. I think what is happening is the groves of the TSX are catching on the neck. Any ideas what is going wrong and how to fix.

Caliber: 300wm
Press and Die set: RCBS

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[AMProducts]

This is actually a common bugaboo for match shooters... the solution is simple: chamfer the case mouth. If that doesn't work to your satisfaction, you can use a .30 carbine belling die and slightly bell the case mouth (.32 ACP might also work.)

 

[deadshot2]

What AMProducts said plus, how small are your necks before seating the bullets? If you're sizing using a regular Full Length sizing die, the expander ball may be a little small, leaving the neck ID smaller than it needs to be. Consider getting an expander die such as the Sinclair. When finished sizing, run the cases through again using the expander die. This will also yield a much straighter neck than just pulling a "ball" through as is done with most F/L dies. This will give you a neck ID about .002" less than that of the bullet which is all the neck tension required for most applications. Uniform neck tension, like that obtained from the use of a separate expander die, also gives better accuracy.

That and more chamfer should clear it up.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

This is actually a common bugaboo for match shooters... the solution is simple: chamfer the case mouth. If that doesn't work to your satisfaction, you can use a .30 carbine belling die and slightly bell the case mouth (.32 ACP might also work.)

^^THIS^^ If that does not work you have not flared the case mouth enough.. just adjust the die VERY gradually until it stops happening

 

[AMProducts]

Reloading 25:17

The righteous bullet seating requires a minimum neck tension of at least .002"
for .30 caliber bullets, and larger calibers may require correspondingly
more neck tension for proper functioning.

Blessed are such cartridges that always give adequate neck tension and do not cause stripping of the bullet.

Do not produce cartridges that have excessive or insufficient neck tension as they will never perform
consistently, or accurately in any rifle in the shadow of the valley of death.

And I say, if the tension and stripping problems persist, you must buy a neck turning tool,
and move to a bushing-style neck sizing die.

 

[Vaultman]

Thank you all for the insight. I will have to look up some of the terms as I am somewhat new to reloading. But it all makes sense.

 

[deadshot2]

Do not produce cartridges that have excessive or insufficient neck tension as they will never perform
consistently, or accurately in any rifle in the shadow of the valley of death.

Define insufficient. I shoot next to some shooters that can actually grasp the seated bullet in the case and twist it with their fingers.
Those guys shoot targets with 5 rounds in them and one funny looking hole with a black ring around it.

And then there are guys that don't even seat their bullets. They just stuff them into the lands and insert a charged cartridge behind it that has some green florist's foam in the neck to hold the powder in place. They make even smaller holes than the first group.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Define insufficient. I shoot next to some shooters that can actually grasp the seated bullet in the case and twist it with their fingers.
Those guys shoot targets with 5 rounds in them and one funny looking hole with a black ring around it.

And then there are guys that don't even seat their bullets. They just stuff them into the lands and insert a charged cartridge behind it that has some green florist's foam in the neck to hold the powder in place. They make even smaller holes than the first group.

In common parlance it depends on what your mission parameters are. For most shooters (like me) we want reliable, weatherproof reloads even if they are not pure tackdrivers

 

[AMProducts]

In general "sufficient" neck tension means two things... being able to mechanically support and hold the bullet in the case neck so there is no threat of bullet setback when chambering, and at the same time will consistently release the bullet so as not to have radical variations shot-to-shot in chamber pressure. Typically this is obtained by having a proper hardness gradient of the case neck material, usually about a 100 DPN hardness on the case neck.

 

[bballer182]

This is actually a common bugaboo for match shooters... the solution is simple: chamfer the case mouth. If that doesn't work to your satisfaction, you can use a .30 carbine belling die and slightly bell the case mouth (.32 ACP might also work.)

^^^
This for sure. Just a little chamfer should fix u right up.