I hope someone can help---------I have a brand new 308---new cases------dies----after one firing I found the die wouldn't push the shoulder back far enough so I could easily close the bolt. Doing a lot of measuring----I discovered the die was cut too deep---sent die back---returned die was face cut 10 thou-------took me 10 cases to find the exact length so as NOT to dent the shoulder-------QUESTION--------why in the heck won't a fired case fit back in the same chamber?????? Just neck sizing is out--- In all my other rifles I have never had this trouble. Has me flat puzzled--------Thanks

A few years back I bought some once fired .308 brass, full length resized it and some of it wouldn't fit in my chamber.

I usually set up my die so at the top of the stroke the shellholder would be about 1/32" from the die. After I set the die to the point that the shellholder actually made contact with the die at the top of the stroke the problem went away.

Maybe this will help. MM

M-M I understand what you mean----all my brass was brand new--all prepped---trimmed fired once in my rifle----then cleaned & sized------I have my press so there is a bare contact as it goes over center----I can't screw it down any more----I can't back it off any less----or they absolutely won't chamber------what I don't get is--------why------the darn things were shot in that chamber?????
Thanks R-L

I don't know, that is puzzling. MM

Is it possible that there is some debris or bit of patch in your chamber or on the boltface that is preventing the case from entering fully?

MM

[This message has been edited by MontanaMarine (edited 01-03-2002).]

You may have an oval chamber....Mike

In a bolt action rifle a fired case should be able to be chambered without sizing. If you can't then i would re-examine the load. It may be over pressure in YOUR weapon whether or not it is a "maximum" listed load or not. Drop the charge 2% and see if the problem persists and keep dropping the load until:

1. Your problem goes away
or
2. you are loading 85% of the load that you have now.

If at that time the cases still won't chamber after being fired take the cases and some new unfired cases to your gunsmith along with the load data and see what he can do for you.

PaulS

------------------
stay safe and live long!

OK guys I'll check everything again----on my loads------I haven't went over 90 % yet in any powder---------the chamber is squeaky clean-------new brass chambers great------I am using Win brass---Ijust remembered I have 30 empties of some Federal match---------I'll give them a whirl tomorrow--------I wonder if I could have gotten a bad batch of brass?????? It is all from the same bag-------If that isn't possible I am leaning to 375-s suggestion of a bad chamber------I'll start turning & marking the brass tomorrow----maybe I can find a deep spot in the chamber. If you have anything else to try please advise... Thanks RL

Your reloads are too hot;take a couple grs of powder off;you didnt say what kind of powder; bullets ;trimming and c.o.l.

re-loader,

A good way to check for an oval chamber is

1) Do the cases extract OK after firing.

if so then

2) Try chambering the fired case and rotate it. If you get a position where it chambers OK, then the odds are very high you have an oval chamber.

Mike

Have you tried a small base die? Sometimes that will fix an out of round problem. HTH, Dutch.

I'm with Dutch here. Especially if your rifle is a semi-auto, you will probably need to use a small base die to feed and extract reliably. My brother's .243 FN bolt action mauser also exhibited this problem until we went to a small base die- problem solved. - Sheister

I can't comment on a fired round not rechambering, it should! However I have run into problems with tight chambered 308's like Browning BLR's. I found the best way to adjust the die is to run the shell case into the die all the way, now check between shell holder & die bottom, sometimes you will see daylight even though there was none when you adjusted it without case. I believe there is a certain amount of spring in all press's although some more than others. Anyway maybe this will help.

Reloader,

Make sure that you lube the inside of the neck. Sometimes the die bumps the shoulder back, but when you pull the expander ball back through the neck it can pull the shoulder back up.

I've also taken a few thousandths off of the shell holder to bump the shoulder back on minimum sized chambers (didn't want to turn the die).

I like to adjust the sizing die so that the drop of the (stripped!) bolt is about half the effort between empty chamber and a fired brass.

Good luck, Bill

Thanks Guys-------I played with it yesterday used all your wisdom, I have an easy chambering now-------indexed a empty No oval chamber------Here is what I discovered-----I changed presses---measured spring----there is some in every press----set the die so it would just clear over center. When I did this it dented the shoulders on my once fired Win. cases. I then dug out 40 Fed. Match cases shot in another rifle---ran them through-----NO dents & they chamber VERY easy---------I now have cases that chamber & NO dents after sizing-------
WHY won't those Win. cases work???????

I didn't shoot any Feds. yet-----next week----------I'll log on & explain what I find after firing. If anyone has an idea I sure would be interested in reading it. Thanks again R-L