6.5 Creedmoor brass no longer chambers

[Yerman]

Hey guys, I’m have a problem that I just can’t get my head around.

Lapua brass, 42.2 gr of Reloader 16, 140 Berger Hybrids, 20 thou off lands.

My normal process when I am reloading goes like this:

• Clean brass
• Anneal
• Redding body die (small bump in the name of consistency)
• Redding busing neck die (2 thou neck tension)
• Prime
• Load
• Shoot
• Repeat

I have shot these pieces of brass about 4 times now and the above always works well for me.

I have been having some issues with flyers and I attributed it to possibly having inconsistent neck tension. I have also noticed different amounts of force being required to seat bullets. I invested in a K&M neck turning kit and did the following:

• Clean
• Anneal
• Redding full length size (brand new die - needed for OAL trimming - see below)
• Expand with K&M expander
• Turn neck
• Redding full length size again (This was needed to both bring the neck tension back down after neck trimming and to run my brass through a WFT trimmer. WFT requires a full length size because it indexes off the shoulder)
• Trim with WFT
• Chamfer and debur
• Prime
• Load
• Shoot (at least this was the plan)

My problem is that my brass will no longer fit in my chamber. It doesn’t matter if I send it back through the full length die, or the body die again. It just won’t fit. I even lowered both the body die and full length die to size it more and it still won’t fit. There are chamber marks on the base of the cartridge and just below the shoulder.

I just don’t understand what happened. Did I over work the brass and push excess brass down to the base?

 

[GIXXER2000]

That is strange!! I have some Hornady brass that is fired 7 time an still loads like new. I anneal every other loading. I was using the 3 die type S set but just changed to the FL die. I bump the shoulder .002 run through the power trimmer load the shoot with out issue. I don't know what could cause you issue.

 

[ZiaHunter]

Check your chamber and if you don't have access to a bore scope find someone who does. Is there a reason why you are using a body and neck sizing die? Have a shelf full of neck sizing dies and they only collect dust at this point and only use FL bushing dies any more. If you have a head space gauge check the difference between fired and sized brass. You should only be setting the shoulder back .002 to .003 for a bolt gun. If you are turning necks on fired brass you need to use a standard FL sizing die in order to size the neck all the way to the neck shoulder junction. I turn my brass as part of initial case prep prior to firing. Your brass may need to be annealed at this point.

 

[Yerman]

I do body and neck sizing separately because I feel it gives me better control. I forgot to mention I anneal after every firing.

Nothing is in my chamber. It's clean and free if any obstructions. Factory ammo fits fine.

 

[Steel head]

Time to anneal probably

 

[Milo 2.5]

I'd bet your die is not constricting the case base enough. do some caliper work here.

 

[918v]

Forster FL die?

 

[Sportin Wood]

Measure the casehead with your 4x fired brass and measure that of a case that has been fired once. I'd try a Whidden or Forster FL die and see of the Redding body die is causing your issue. Are you measuring how far back you are bumping the shoulder?

 

[ZiaHunter]

I do body and neck sizing separately because I feel it gives me better control. I forgot to mention I anneal after every firing.

Nothing is in my chamber. It's clean and free if any obstructions. Factory ammo fits fine.

If factory ammo fits fine the most likely culprit is your die not sizing the base of the case. Try a different die and preferably a FL one.

 

[padom]

You dont give any measurements above on how much your are bumping your cases... Are you taking measurements with calipers and a case headspace gauge of your 1x cases and writing that number down? Are you then adjusting your FL die to bump the shoulder back somewhere in the .0015-.003 range? Did you take a measurement of brass that fits in your chamber with the case headspace gauge and compare that to the brass that doesnt fit?

Most of the time I see this very issue its because the shoulder was not pushed back far enough and people are not using gauges to setup their dies according to once fired brass from their rifle. If the above doesn't fix your issue then as Milo said more measurements of different parts of the case will need to be taken and compared to brass that will chamber to narrow down the issue.

 

[Carl_Ross]

I'd find a case that's tight after sizing (sounds like you have plenty), give it a 100% coverage Sharpie marker job, chamber it, and see where your interference is originating. If it's on the face of the shoulder, you can just bump the shoulder more. If it's the shoulder diameter or the base diameter, then your die and chamber don't match well and you'll probably need a different die.