Chambering issue

[Itsazonik]

So my friend brought over his 7mm remington magnum along with 40 pieces of brass. All the brass was from brand new hornady factory ammo. After tumbling and resizing the brass with a lee full length die he tried to chamber a round and it would not chamber. So we decided to try the rest of the brass and almost half of them would not chamber. We checked trim length of the ones that would chamber and they are at 2.490. A few of the ones that would not chamber were the same or slightly longer at 2.500. I trimmed them all to 2.490 so they match but all the same ones would not chamber. I know the die is set right. Even tried going to 1/2 turn more. Still nothing. I can't for the life of me figure out why they won't chamber. I have had this problem with 308 and 223 military brass in a bolt action before but never a standard caliber that has been fire formed to a chamber. Any ideas?

 

[Ratdog68]

For bolt actions, I like to neck size only after they've been fire formed to that gun's chamber, keeping after the trimming to length step too. How is it with factory rounds, chambering fine with those?

 

[Itsazonik]

Chambers perfect, doesn't stick after firing, functions as it should

 

[Ratdog68]

Always had this issue with this die set, or is this something new (same gun/die set)?

 

[Itsazonik]

Alright...... So against better judgement I just forced a piece of brass to chamber. Here's the results.....

Round on the left is the one that wouldn't fit. After chamfering there are scuffs all the way around the case. The die isn't sizing at the belt enough for the brass to chamber. Solutions?

 

[Itsazonik]

Br

Always had this issue with this die set, or is this something new (same gun/die set)?

Brand new die set first time reloading for it.

 

[Itsazonik]

I just measured right in front of the belt and a case that fits is .5085 and one that doesn't is .5125. All of the ones that don't fit are running this way. Bad die?

 

[Ratdog68]

I'd call and inquire about it... sounds a little suspect to me... thoroughly cleaned as well (die)?

 

[Itsazonik]

I have cleaned it out a few times. Inside cleaned and I even stuck a 20 gauge barrel mop in it and scrubbed it out to make sure. I emailed lee to see what they say. For some reason it seems the die doesn't continue to size down at the belt. I tried reading reviews and got mixed comments. Some say it works. Some say it only works for a few chamberings and then the part by the belt expands and no longer will chamber. Lee makes a collet die that is supposed to size all the way to the belt but I can't get reliable reviews as to it working with belted magnums

 

[Shooter]

you answered your own question. You gat a bad die. Send it and the brass to the mfg and they will take care of it. Not all that uncommon!!

 

[Itsazonik]

I am waiting to hear back from them. Lee is pretty good about fixing dies

 

[JPK]

Was the original factory ammo fired in this rifle?

JPK

 

[Itsazonik]

Yes, it has only been fired in this rifle

 

[JPK]

I don't reload that much, but I shoot a wide variety of cartridges and I have never encountered a situation where a case fired in a rifle didn't fit back in the chamber.

It seems you resized all of the cases prior to trying to fit them back in the chamber. So whether the fired cases will load into the chamber without resizing is unknown.

I wonder if your die isn't pushing down on the case shoulder with inadequate support just above the belt, causing it to bulge a bit there.

Case diameter growth just above the belt would be a huge red flag for me for a reload, in so far as the pressure of that reloaded round, or for the condition of the case if it was more than once or twice fired.

JPK

 

[Itsazonik]

Belted magnums will bulge just above the belt. I have had that happen with my 338 win mag before. After talking to lee I was told that a normal die set will not size that part of the brass. They have a different die set that might work. Basically if I want to load these rounds I need to buy a sizing die that will take that bulge out of the case

 

[JPK]

The two cartridges I reload most for are the 375H&H and the 458wm. I full length resize because the ammo and rifles are used for dangerous game hunting in Africa, and every loaded round gets tested four times for it's ability to drop or feed into the chamber before it gets put in the MTM GTG box. Simple precautions that can save your bacon when elephant, cape buffalo, hippo, lion or leopard hunting.

My 458wm is a double rifle, and the rounds need to drop so the ejector pawl seats in the ejector groove so that without having to push the rounds home the rifle will close. About 95% of loaded rounds drop home. (The rest get used for practice.)

I have never had an undamaged fired case that wouldn't chamber in my 458wm double rifle (no camming power,) or wouldn't drop into the chamber of my 375H&H bolt rifle before the mauser style extractor cammed over the "rim."

I use Lee dies for those cartridges, fwiw.

Is Hornaday brass really soft? I only use Norma brass for those two cartridges. I won't use twice fired for DG hunting, but I do use once fired.

 

[Itsazonik]

I have a 458 win mag, 375 h&h and a 338 win mag. I have never run into this issue on any of mine. Apparently the case bulge is a normal problem from what I'm reading

 

[BigRedDog]

how did the reloads fit into the case gauge?

 

[Itsazonik]

I don't have a case gauge

 

[BigRedDog]

might want to consider getting one

I have found over the years that this keeps me from multiple trips to the range.

if it won't fit the gauge you are going to have issues. won't fix everything but does cut the issues down