My friend got his .22-250 at the same time I did . We also assembled loads at the same time , using 55 gr Sierra Spitzers his chamber measured 63.4 mm . I loaded his bullets to a OAL of 62 mm to be just short of the lands. These were all once fired Winchester brass, that were full length sized . When closing the bolt it feels like there is a solid stop in the action . This is a Ruger M77 all wheather light weight rifle. Factory loads chamber with ease , eventually I seated the bullets to factory length (59.2 mm ) the bullets still wont chamber . Is this just one of those very tight chambers , or what ?

Regards
Rudie

One of the first things you will learn when reloading is not to mix brass from different rifles.Fired brass should be used only in the gun that they were fired in as they have formed to that chamber and may not even chamber in other rifles.Even if they do they will not fit perfectly and accuracy could suffer.At the very least every time the brass is used in a different chamber it will form to that chamber causing a great deal of working of the brass and short brass life.

Hi again Rudie

I just posted a reply on your other post.
As you have f.l. sized the brass, your problem
does sound like a very tight neck. Be carefull with that.
Have the neck measured.

K&B Niels

Rudie - I just experienced a similar problem with a new .243 I acquired. My situation turned out to be a combination of issues including a slightly rough bolt face, a very tight chamber and some very marginal reloading dies.

I miked and double checked EVERYTHING humanly possible to measure and could find nothing that I was doing wrong.

I've got a sneaking suspicion your problem has nothing to do with the bullets. I think if you had an excessively tight neck, this would have shown up and some serious pressure problems even with factory rounds. If you have a mike or can borrow one, why not mike the necks of factory ammo and your reloads. I suspect you will find the diameter almost identical.

Also check the SHOULDER of the brass very carefully to be sure you did not have the seating die body set low enough to produce a bulge there. Were you trying to crimp these reloads? If so, I wouldn't...not with a roll crimp.

Anyway, if nothing shows up from the above tests, I suggest you PULL the bullets from a couple of the rounds that refuse to chamber and very carefully full length size them again. And without a bullet or anything in the case, see if the rifle will chamber the empty brass. If it will not, I'd say you have a problem with your dies and/or the rifle chamber. He COULD just have one of those blessed chambers cut near the end of the reamer's life and it is basically an undersized chamber and you'll have to order a set of small base sizing dies.

It the sized, empty cases will chamber with difficulty, then remove and inspect them carefully. The brass should be rubbed shiney whereever it is binding. This will give you an indication where at least some of your problem lies.

As Stubblejumper suggests, do NOT mix your brass with his. Some rifles are really sensitive about this, even if you full length size it.

If none of the above suggestions work, take it to a competent gunsmith and let him figure it out. Good luck.

By the way, what brand are the rifles?

RUDIE,
There are several reasons why a cartridge will not chamber. First, some questions. Where the cases fired in the same chamber for which they were loaded? If not, then they must be full length resized. If they will not chamber in the same rifle in which they were fired, how did you resize them? If it was with a neck sizing die then the cases may need trimming for length. If you used a full length sizing die the cases were not properly resized. A full length sizing die that is not correctly adjusted will result in a "partial resizing". Thismay rresult ia a case that has been enlarged in the area of the case body in front of the extractor so the case will not chamber. Try chambering a sized that doesnot have a bullet seated. If it does chamber then the problem is in the seating depth. If it doesnot chamber the trouble will be due to the case needing trimming or the partial resizing. I hope that this is of some help. Good luck.

Ok , I will try to answer most of your questions . First of all the brass was not mixed , in my book this is the first commandmend that you have just broken. The brass in his specific loadings , are Winchester once fired in his own chamber. As I am one of those very tedious loaders , I check every single round after sizing for possible shoulder problems etc.
What you guys suggested with the empty brass case , I have tried it and noticed some scratch marks on the brass which did not realy bother me at the time. So I do think that the problem lies with the sizing process , and will have to try another set of reloading dies.

I will keep you guys posted
Rudie

Oh yes , Pecos45 .

The first rifle & the one in question is a Ruger M77 all weather .

And mine is a custom built still being completed.
Mauser 98 action
Wilson Target barrel (Heavy Profile)
Grade 4 Turkish Walnut ( Weatherby style roll over comb )
Timney trigger ..... and blah blah blah .

Regards
Rudie

Rudie,
This problem seems to be similiar to one a few threads down, "Neck Sizing and Chambering"
Do you clean and lube the inside of your case necks? Have you polished the expander of your die? If not, the expander can drag on the case neck on the downstroke of the ram, pulling the shoulder forward. This can result in a condition that seems to be one of inadaquate headspace, but in reality the shoulder angle has changed and the cartridge no longer fits.
Check it out.

Rudie,
It not unusual to have a set of dies that are not capable of moving the shoulder back although the case is full length sized. In addition it not unusual that the rifle chamber is a little on the large side. When you add the two together you get a situation where when you size the brass it is reduced in diameter but the shoulder is bulged forward. The solution is to shorten the die or the shellholder so that you can set the shoulder back to it's original location. This has to be approached with some caution of course since you don't want to create excessive headspace.
If the necks are too thick they would have been too thick from the start so this isn't likely to be the problem. Regards, Bill.

I had the same problem once. resized cases will chamber OK, but once the bullet is seated they won't chamber. Check you cases right at the shoulder to see if there is a slight bulge. If so, you may have set you seating die too far down in the press. The seating die may be trying to crimp the case mouth too much and is pushing the neck and shoulder back into the case causing a bulge. Try a empty resized case in your seating die to see if there is any resistance right near the top. If so, back off you seating die a turn or so.

Thanks for all the info guys , I will try them all , and keep you posted

Regards
Rudie

I hate to say this but sometimes it is also possable to have a chamber that is out of round.
Try all other options mentioned earlier first if that dosn't work put a once fired case in your chamber and if it dosn,t chamber try turning the case if it goes in your chamber is hooped. and hopfully a gunsmith can fix it.

I have seen this happen several times and each time it was because of the bullet seating die being adjusted improperly just as David said. The crimping feature built into most dies will always try to crimp the brass into the bullet if the die is adjusted down against the shellholder. If you're using bullets without a cannelure or the cannelure is in the wrong place the die won't be able to crimp and something has to give. What gives is the shoulder area of the brass and it'll have a tiny ridge that prevents chambering. It's almost impossible to see but can usually be felt by running your fingernail over it. As David said try backing your seating die out a turn or two and re-adjust your seating depth with the top screw.

I had that same problem with the bullet seater being to close to the case. I had let the ram all the way up with a case and THOUGHT i had turned the die back far enough. After the first round i checked it in the chamber and it was a good thing i did. it feed pretty good up to the last little bit then it wanted to stick.

I checked the neck and everything was looking good so i checked the rest of the brass. I was using fire formed brass for my 338UM and a neck sizer. Well i apperently didn't turn the bullet seater back out far enough and it just touched the brass and expanded the case that little bit so it wouldn't feed.

Point being i didn't feel the bullet seater hitting the brass but the little it did touch kept the round from chambering.

probably not your problem but you might turn the bullet seater back a turn just to check.

Rudie, you don't mention where the "scratches" are on your brass... this might help answer your question.

First, I think you may not be setting your shoulder's back enough... keep adjusting the sizer die downward (a little at a time) and keep chambering a case until ichambers without too much effort. Now the die will be "set" and you won't have to go through this process again.

Second, you may have an overly small chamber and/or overly large sizer die. I had this happen on a 338 WM. My RCBS dies (that had succesfully sized brass for two other previous 338's) wouldn't size the brass small enough to chamber in my then new rifle. Turns out the chamber was cut at the very end of the reamer's life-cycle and I ended up with a smaller than normal chamber. I sent once-fired brass and sized brass (from this gun and die) along with my 338 WM FL sizer die to RCBS... they checked it out and cooked me up a new die (at no charge) that would size to my chamber... talk about a GREAT company!

BA