Hey Gang:

I just started loading for my new .204 Ruger. I am using brand new Winchester brass. The first 20 I loaded to break in the barrel were loaded with 26 grains of H4895 w/ 40 grain VMax balls. I had NO problems at all.

Tonight I loaded up 200 using 27 grains of H4895 and the same 40 grain VMax bullet. Out of 200 cartridges, I had 10 that had severly crushed shoulders. I had another 15 with very slightly crushed shoulders. All of these seemed to be shaving a little of the jacket off of the ball. Every now and then I would use compressed air to blow out the shavings that were in the die. It would only be a couple thou shaving. All the cases were full sized. The remainder of the cases loaded just fine. I checked the seating die several times to ensure that I was not running the case all the way into the die and I was not.

Any ideas on what might be causing my problem. I don't like a 15% defect rate!!!

Thanks.

You say you are using new Winchester brass. Did you inside and outside chamfer the cases before loading.? Are you sure you are starting the bullets straight and not slightly cocked off to one side?

Chamfer the inside of the case necks. Inadequately chamfered, or not chamfered at all would be the most common cause of your problem.

Usually this is caused by having the seating die too low in the press and what's happening is the die is crimping the case mouth just as you finish seating the bullet. Try raising the die 1.5-2 turns and then lower the seating stem to make up the difference. (And of course be sure to chamfer the new cases which I'm assuming you did)

I think Kraky's got it, I had some cases do this once, and when I sleuthed it out, I hadn't trimmed and the cases that were getting crunched were a few thou long, and that's all it took to get into the crimping portion of the die, and cause the crunchies.

Howdy,

I ran into the same thing, then all the same loads shot differently ! All were new 204 winchester brass fullsized, wilson trimmed, chamfored, & some were inside lubed. Still 10 or 15 crushed out of a hundred. Then atleast 20 split after their first firing.... My conclusion is the newest winchester beancounter brass is turning out to be junk.. I guess somebody in winchester cut the factory annealing step out to save them time & money.
I have one dedicated Forster press to load, & competition seating dies for the 204,..... & have NO problem with Rem., Hornady, or Nosler brass. The solution... I annealed all the new winchester ones which creates a problem of different neck tension than the non-annealed brass, which shoot different. Now I have to keep these remaining 500 + or - ( out of 700 new pcs. ) segregated, and don`t try & use them in a Lee collet die, or you will end up with more scrap. Looks like the Chinese will get more scrap brass.
That`s my two cented opinion.
Wiskers

Being new to rifle reloading, I was not aware that it is critical to chamfer the necks, so I was not doing this. I am positive that I am not screwing the die into the press too far - this has been checked a number of times.

It is possible that some of the problem is bullets starting slightly crooked, as I have very large fingers, and these things are awfully small.

I will get a chamfer and see if that will solve the problem.

Regards,

If you have the seating die set correctly (it wouldn't hurt to check it again anyway), then this is surely a chamfer/deburr problem. Most folks will tell you to do this on all loads (I certainly do), but I believe it is even more critical on the smaller bore cartridges than the larger ones.

LWD

Idlechater, I had the same problem with 22/250 and I solved the problem with a Lee die that flairs the case mouth. I don't recall the exact name of it but it will work on any size case mouth up through the 45's. It doesn't take much and the bullets will seat without crushing the case, just set the seater die so that it puts the mouth back straight again when seating the bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by Luckyducker:
Idlechater, I had the same problem with 22/250 and I solved the problem with a Lee die that flairs the case mouth. I don't recall the exact name of it but it will work on any size case mouth up through the 45's. It doesn't take much and the bullets will seat without crushing the case, just set the seater die so that it puts the mouth back straight again when seating the bullets.

Whatever works, but if your loading technique is correct and your dies are within spec you shouldn't have to flair case mouths to seat jacketed bullets.

Belling/flairing the case mouth is SOP when loading cast bullets.

I've loaded up my first two batches of 204 Ruger. But I haven't had time to fire them.

I hope that WW brass holds up better than previously described.

I did buy a RCBS competion die because of that small bullet (I'm using 32 grain Vmax), which allows me to drop that little bullet into the window in the seater die.

I still had to take a pencil and push that little pill so it would fall into the correct position prior to seating.