I had just loaded some .500NE loads. As I was placing them into the ziplock bag to go to the range I noticed that I could turn some of the loaded bullets within the case despite a fairly heavy crimp. I was unable to move the bullets back or forward, it was just that 4 or 5 of the bullets could be turned fairly easily by hand. One of my reloading buddies thinks the brass is just worn out and too thin. This is the fifth or sixth reload, but it has been my experience that the more times you reload a case, the thicker the neck becomes and the tighter it becomes. I only pass the expander head in 1/8" or less. Any ideas?

BTW all the loads shot as normal to the same POI

Geronimo

Brass sounds work hardened. It takes as long as it takes. Probably don't want to try and resurrect them with an anneal job. Too much at stake.
JCN

510Wells,

I believe what Butch is speaking to is the fact that the brass will thin around the area of the extractor/ejector and lead to a head seperation in that area. This is due to the action/barrel/extractor deflections during firing. It is the primary reason that in the old days double rifle cases were VERY thick. That is the typical case failure mode for a double rifle anyway.

ASS_CLOWN

Hot-Core, don't forget that since it's a straight wall case the resizing die doesn't technically have an expander, it only has holder for the decapping pin. Mostlikely the ball in his resizing die is going to be way undersized... it's supposed to be. The "expanding" on straight-walled cases is done in the second die. The same one that flares the mouth.

Just a reminder.

Hey Geronomo, First off, I've got ZERO experience with this cartridge.

That said, I'd suspect your problem might be happening due to the "heavy crimp" being too HEAVY. And there is a way to find out for sure.

1. Take one of those same cases with the problem. Pull the Bullet, save the Powder in a cup and Resize the Case again. Completely remove the Deprimer/Expander and resize the Case.

2. Set a bullet on the Case mouth and it should not go in. If it does go in, either the Case is bad(unlikely) or the Die is not Resizing it enough and you are done.

3. If the Bullet doesn't go in, replace the Deprimer/Expander in the Die and just push the Expander through the Casemouth and withdraw it without punching the Primer out.

4. Set a bullet on the Case mouth and it should not go in. If it does go in, then the Expander is too large and it needs to be polished down a few thousandths and you are done.

5. If the Bullet won't go in, return the Powder to the now Resized and Expanded Case. Then begin to Seat a Bullet. But, don't have the Seating Die screwed in where it will "Crimp". Seat the Bullet to the normal Seating Depth without crimping and then see if the Bullet is loose. (I suspect it won't be loose.)

6. If it is loose, your Seating the Bullet at an angle and it is skewing the Caseneck(very unlikely), but if it is, that is the problem.

7. If it is still tight(won't turn) then the probelm you are currently having is due to "Over Crimping". If you Over Crimp, it can force the Caseneck to "Flare slightly" like a Funnel and create the same condition you described.

If that is what happened, do your "Crimping" as a separate operation from Bullet Seating and of course back-off the Seating Stem. When you "set the Crimp", check to see if the Bullet is loose, if it is, set that Cartridge aside, back off the Die a bit and continue Crimping.

Your Seating Die is using a "Roll Crimp" and you only need the Crimp to turn the Case mouth into the Groove or the Cannelure to stop the movement due to Recoil.

Best of luck to you!