Help… what is going on? Not full battery…AR10

[NobullSKS]

I did this exact same thing on my first 308 reloading excursion...

I tried to seat the bullet and set the crimp all at once - like various pistol caliber rounds that I reloaded previously.

I broke it in to 2 steps. Yes, it adds an extra step but you are not pushing a bullet to depth while trying so set the crimp at the same time. This causes unwanted force on the shoulder and pushes it down causing the bulge.

- I fixed my mistake by pulling apart ALL of my loads.
- Run the cases back through the sizer die (ensure you remove your decapper, or run it all the way up into the die) so you don't push your primer out.
- Pour powder as you normally would.
- Seat all of your bullets to depth.
- Back out the seater - and - back out the die a little bit.
- Set up the shell for a very slight crimp.
- If all goes well you shouldn't mushroom the shoulder.

If all else fails purchase a Lee crimp die to do the crimping.... like i did.

Alright thanks…back to the bench with a plan. I do have Lee for half of my cartridge's. I did set these different now that I've been thinking about it. I think I discovered that crimp in the die and just ran the rest full blast. Dang…. I have to hit up father-in-law now for puller that grabs bullet. All I have is a pulling hammer and that sucks for crimped bullets.
Lemme ask… if I pull the guts out of sizer…. Couldn't I just resize the shoulder area by pressing the full cartridge back into sizer?

 

[Member 5605]

AR-15 (I have to keep mortaring to get rounds out)

So yeah.. Nearly new Palmetto built upper, PSA lower that I assembled. Dillon case gauge. No evidence that the shoulder OR body is wedging in the chamber. The round drops free from case gauge AND chamber. Case gauge is a true free I turn over and out it comes. Chamber it needs a gentle...

www.northwestfirearms.com

.005 excessive headspace can cause a problem.

 

[Member 5605]

Couldn't I just resize the shoulder area by pressing the full cartridge back into sizer?

It's been done. Carefully by some members. Ill advised but it's been done at one's own risk.

 

[NobullSKS]

It's been done. Carefully by some members. Ill advised but it's been done at one's own risk.

Risk? I do understand….. would you say it's less if these are not compressed loads? Haaa I wouldn't hold anyone liable. I wasn't raised that way.
I figure I was doing something similar pointing down range anyway….. just with the bolt slamming behind it….. before I realized it wasn't wise.
And….
I loaded these for accuracy ladder observations… so after squeezing these back down….. it would be safe to say the reliability is no longer there?

 

[Member 34319]

Question for the OP.

Did you trim these cases? I don't recall reading you state that.

 

[Member 5605]

Risk? I do understand….. would you say it's less if these are not compressed loads? Haaa I wouldn't hold anyone liable. I wasn't raised that way.

I cannot confirm or deny doing that process.

 

[Local Loader]

Risk? I do understand….. would you say it's less if these are not compressed loads? Haaa I wouldn't hold anyone liable. I wasn't raised that way.
I figure I was doing something similar pointing down range anyway….. just with the bolt slamming behind it….. before I realized it wasn't wise.
And….
I loaded these for accuracy ladder observations… so after squeezing these back down….. it would be safe to say the reliability is no longer there?

I'd say leave the "guts" of the sizer in and only remover the pin so to not break it by accident. A spray lube like Hornady OneShot would be good to use to try and reshape it, allows for tighter spaces than most lubes when sizing.

 

[AMT]

Lemme ask… if I pull the guts out of sizer…. Couldn't I just resize the shoulder area by pressing the full cartridge back into sizer?

I did run it back through the sizer. Then I dropped each shell into the chamber just to make sure that it actually did straighten it enough to reload and use.

It sucked to redo everything just because i "thought" i had it made and started pumping them out like you would 9mm or 45ACP. The longer cartridges like the 308 and 7mm caused me headaches like you are going through. I opted to buy specific Lee crimp dies for certain calibers and just add that extra step to the reloading process.

And yes, as mentioned above, don't forget to use lube on the outside, being very careful not to get it anywhere near where you are going to be dropping powder. I actually used Imperial Sizing Wax and hand lubed every single shell, then wiped it clean when powder was dropped and bullet reseated. Then ran through the crimper.

Good luck!

 

[Lilhigbee]

Lemme ask… if I pull the guts out of sizer…. Couldn't I just resize the shoulder area by pressing the full cartridge back into sizer?

What I found happened when I tried this was that the bullets were loose in the neck afterwards. The neck portion of the sizer die undersizes the neck so the expansion ball can open it back up to the correct size. With the bullet in the case the sizer squeezes the neck into the bullet, reducing the bullet diameter and leaving it loose.

 

[NobullSKS]

Question for the OP.

Did you trim these cases? I don't recall reading you state that.

Yes… ran the whole lot through Lee Quick trim. I usually do…… I don't trim much below Saami in the book….. I've had that particular trimmer set (Lee quick change press/die sleeve/lugs) since I've owned it since it's cartridge specific. I think it's been pointed out that my shoulder area has been bulged from incorrectly seat/crimp.
Yea I'm checking and resetting next sit down. Thx

 

[NobullSKS]

I'd say leave the "guts" of the sizer in and only remover the pin so to not break it by accident. A spray lube like Hornady OneShot would be good to use to try and reshape it, allows for tighter spaces than most lubes when sizing.

Yea, whatever it takes to fit a loaded cartridge in there. I currently have some Royal pump spray. "Drier than a box of sand…."

 

[NobullSKS]

What I found happened when I tried this was that the bullets were loose in the neck afterwards. The neck portion of the sizer die undersizes the neck so the expansion ball can open it back up to the correct size. With the bullet in the case the sizer squeezes the neck into the bullet, reducing the bullet diameter and leaving it loose.

Yeah……? Crap….. that's too sensical. Either way I think I really messed up the bullets regardless of making it work as is or pulling. As far as dependable group on paper data.

 

[Mikej]

Seagull management.

Ohhh, I get it. It's secret!
Shhhhhh.....

 

[Local Loader]

And yes, as mentioned above, don't forget to use lube on the outside, being very careful not to get it anywhere near where you are going to be dropping powder. I actually used Imperial Sizing Wax and hand lubed every single shell, then wiped it clean when powder was dropped and bullet reseated. Then ran through the crimper.

That's the nice thing about the OneShot spray, it doesn't hurt anything if you get it on the inside as it evaporates after a bit, doesn't hurt the powder or primer.

 

[NobullSKS]

Well not a lot of time but I ran 2 rnds into sizer….. (pulled seat rod) they chambered in rifle just fine. Super mega crimp now.
Well I gues this is reloading mistake of the year? I'll go look and post.
(Smack face)!!!!
2-4 thou over spent brass at shoulder….5-6 thou over saami. The few i measured
(Smack face again)!!!
Dang!!! 100 rounds all jacked.

Bullet seating too fast and hard….. got ahead of myself thinking I'm a master reloader? Really just in a rush. Still gonna see what they do on paper… should I be little more critical of reloading this brass or just junk?

Definitely something that's gonna stick and can share with people to follow.
Thank you everyone…

 

[Local Loader]

Well not a lot of time but I ran 2 rnds into sizer….. (pulled seat rod) they chambered in rifle just fine. Super mega crimp now.
Well I gues this is reloading mistake of the year? I'll go look and post.
(Smack face)!!!!
2-4 thou over spent brass at shoulder….5-6 thou over saami. The few i measured
(Smack face again)!!!
Dang!!! 100 rounds all jacked.

Bullet seating too fast and hard….. got ahead of myself thinking I'm a master reloader? Really just in a rush. Still gonna see what they do on paper… should I be little more critical of reloading this brass or just junk?

Definitely something that's gonna stick and can share with people to follow.
Thank you everyone…

View attachment 1353365

I normally try not to reshape loaded rounds for safety reasons. But glad it worked out for you and it looks like they might just need a little off the top. If they chamber than I'd say shoot them than reprocess them, fastest way yo reshape them back into form.

 

[Snip]

Ohhh, I get it. It's secret!
Shhhhhh.....

The other guy flew in, squaked and crapped in the thread and flew off. Similar to what a seagull does.