I'm probably just old and forgetful, but I just stuck a bullet in the bore of a 22-250 when checking some new reloads. The cartridge didn't want to go in the chamber so I was a little forceful and when I ejected it, the bullet was left in the barrel. I was able to push it out with little problem. I then tried another cartridge and the bolt wouldn't close. New Hornady cases and Speer bullets, OAL ok but I haven't loaded or fired the rifle before. I was sure I checked the cases before being loaded, and they chambered, but possibly not.
I'm tempted to remove the decapping pin, and run them thru the resizing die to set the shoulder back.
I don't understand why, if that is the problem, the bullet would stick.
Anyone have any ideas? Thanks.

Pull the bullets, FL size, check OAL of sized brass, trim to length (if necessary). Load a dummy or two and see how they work. Also, be sure and check max COAL for the bullet you are using.

Could be simply that you have more than one issue. Get a .410 or .20 gauge bore mop and screw it onto the end of a short cleaning rod. Moisten it with some rubbing alcohol and use it to wipe out the chamber to see if there is any gunk left in it.

I would advise to not check reloads in that manner unless you are at the range and can just shoot the thing. Best to make up a dummy round or 2 for that purpose.

Didn't full length resize new brass, just bumped the shoulder, and as I said, thought I checked the empty brass by chambering it.
Brass length is OK and COAL is OK. That's why I can't understand how the bullet sticks.

quote:

Originally posted by thirdbite:
Didn't full length resize new brass, just bumped the shoulder, and as I said, thought I checked the empty brass by chambering it.
Brass length is OK and COAL is OK. That's why I can't understand how the bullet sticks.

Your rifle probably has a short throat I would guess.

Thanks. I'm embarrassed to admit, but I checked COAL again just to make sure as that seemed the most obvious thing. These old eyes are apparently not as good at reading a vernier caliper as they used to be. COAL was actually about .06 too long. Will see if seating deeper solves the problem.
Simple fix - just seated a little deeper.

Make sure there's nothing stuck
in the chamber.

George

quote:

Originally posted by thirdbite:
Thanks. I'm embarrassed to admit, but I checked COAL again just to make sure as that seemed the most obvious thing. These old eyes are apparently not as good at reading a vernier caliper as they used to be. COAL was actually about .06 too long. Will see if seating deeper solves the problem.
Simple fix - just seated a little deeper.

Would not cause this.

I have said this many times but hasn't sunk in; book OAL means NOTHING with regard to a cartridge fitting the chamber. Maybe it will fit the magazine at a particular length, but chambers can be different in throat length and taper. IE, it is the Ogive shape that matters, not the cartridge length. All makers don't use the same reamer and definitely don't, and don't have to, follow any SAAMI drawing. That fact is hard for some to grasp.
Have to set it for each rifle, and sometimes even bullet lots.
Ignore what I said and eventually you will stick a bullet into the throat.

I totally agree dpcd. I normally seat bullets just short of the lands by trial and error using smoke or a marker so I can see any marks on the bullets and then making sure they fit the magazine. I don't measure COAL. I only did this time after the bullet stuck to see if that was the problem, and then compared to Speer manual for the same bullet.
Anyway, seating slightly deeper solved the problem and cartridges now go into chamber with no problem and no stuck bullets.
Saeed, none of the cartridges would go into the chamber without lots of force originally, but after seating deeper they all go in readily.

If you can see scars on the bullet, the you need to seat the bullet deeper everytime, its not that complicated, sometimes we make a mountan out of a mole hill on AR..get et up with tech..that problem has happened to me on two ocassions,both times cost me a kill and a magazine full of powder!!

Bottom line is dpcds post!

The bottom line is, the max COAL listed in reloading manuals is pretty much a suggestion, not a set in stone number. But not all reloaders are aware of that.

Have you cleaned the chamber out since sticking the bullet? Typically, when a bullet is pulled by the rifling, powder dumps into the chamber, and stays there until you clean the chamber. One kernel will keep you from closing the bolt, without forcing it.

As a rule, I normally load ammo to the book maximum over all length.

This does not work with light bullets.

For these I use a minimum of one caliber in the case.

Works in most cases.

the guy that wrote the book didn't have my rifle sitting there with him.
books are suggestions full of 'tested in their equipment' data sets.

your on your own.

I seat all my bullets with the OAL that the chamber allows, as most are custom barrels and set up with long throats that match the magazine..so I can seat bullets out with a bullet seated the given caliber, such as seat 30-06, 308, that would be.308 deep into the case neck..

A Brno mod 21 or 22 for instance has a 06 length box, and the throat is cut to fit that box, so the bullet seats .284 deep into the 7x57 case, works like a charm and they all have shot short 130 gr. bullets to 175 gr...The myth of bullet hop ruining accuracy is just that a myth and got blamed for a bad barrel or what ever not that short jump!!

Cleaning rod and calipers is all that is needed to determine the maximum overall length of any cartridge and bullet combination, no need for any other fancy equipment. Close bolt on empty chamber, insert rod to touch bolt face and mark rod at muzzle - insert bullet into chamber push in with pencil or finger until it kisses the rifling, insert rod to touch bullet tip and mark cleaning rod at muzzle again. The distance between the two marks on the rod is the COAL for that bullet when just touching the rifling in that rifle. Do this for every bullet you want to use and these are the definitive maximum COAL's for that particular combination of bullet and rifle.
Use this method and you won't ever jam bullets into the rifling.

I do what Eagle suggests most of the time and it works, but to be safe I seat the bullet just a hair deeper..I use a hard wood dowl rod the same way.

Other times, and its faster, I seat the first round of a bunch of cases with powder in them just barely into the case with the intended bullet, then seat it deeper and deeper as I try in in the rifle I am loading for until it seats with just a tad of resistence or none at all depending on the intended use..When its working slicker n snot, I set my seater to match that round of ammo and seat the rest of the bullets to match, it works real well. If you change bullets no matter the instance, you need to reset your seating depth or at least check it, one bullet working in your action does not include different weights or brands in many cases..do your homework, before you hunt..These little mistakes have cost a lot of trophy bucks or whatever to slip away forever...