.300 wsm reloading problems

[MarshalTex]

Ok guys need yalls help with this one to make sure im on the right track.

My buddy came over yesterday to load some shells for his new rifle (Snipershide GB Special-Stiller Action Rock Creek Barrel in 300 wsm) and I am having a issue that I have run into only slightly on other factory built .300 wsm's.

Heres was my process for first load development:

Measure O-give with hornady tools to find the lands with intention to hold off .002"

Resize one sacrificial piece of Winchester once fired brass (fl sized and trimmed) to set up seating die for proper bullet depth and to check for markings on bullet (assuming bolt closes)

Did all this to find that the rifle was set up to factory specs when comparing custom load ogive to factory loaded ogive.

We placed the blank cartridge in the rifle with bullet seated and the stinkin bolt wont close. (repeated 4 times seat bullet in .005" every try with no luck"

Called the armorer here in dallas who built the gun ( i dont know him yall probably do) and went through the process with him with no luck.

While he and my bud were on the phone I took a resized (swapped rcbs fl for a horandy fl) and trimmed piece of never shot norma brass and stuck it in the gun. Bolt closed perfectly. Seated a bullet in it .002" off of ogive and bolt closed fine.

What gives??

He probably has 300 pc of winchester brass that is looking like it will be usless, and as I type this am wondering if once that norma brass gets shot once it will do the same thing. I know from other research and loading for a couple of factory wsm's that this is a common problem when reloading. In my experience every fourth or fifth casing would do this in factory gun.

My thoughts and questions are:

After searching and reading some people are saying that the FL sizing needs to go all the way to the head of the case just before the ejector groove. I have read that some people have modified there die to allow the case to go all the way in by grinding the inside of the die. This could make sense.

Would the back of the case make this much difference in the bolt closing? I guess it could but if this was the case why wouldn't hornady and rcbs make their dies to compensate?

Do we need custom dies?

Thanks for the help!!!

 

[bullfisher]

Re: .300 wsm reloading problems

This happens to me with my 300wsm and a rcbs die. When you Fl resize them you have to apply a considerable amount more pressure on the down stroke of your press. You really have to press the case up in there.

 

[rlb223]

Re: .300 wsm reloading problems

Was the once fired brass originally shot from this rifle? I just ran into this problem with my Weatherby 300 WSM. I had it re-barreled and some of my fired Norma and Win brass would chamber the rest would not. I have Redding bushing dies and no matter what I did I could not re-size the brass to fit the new chamber. Turned out that any brass with a max diameter over .554" would not chamber but .553" and under was smooth. My bolt would go forward but I could not lock it down because of the tension on the walls. I ended up buying some new Rem brass and have not had any issues since.

 

[ehryk]

Re: .300 wsm reloading problems

get a redding body die, problem solved for me

 

[lanwickum]

Re: .300 wsm reloading problems

Had one 300WSM the chamber was out of round. Fired brass would only go back in if clocked the same as fired. It was also a tight chamber. Had to FL size all the way everytime. Make sure the die is all the way against the shell holder when the ram is in the up stroke. Then turn the die an extra 1/4 turn in. Sometimes makes the diffrence in a tight chamber.