I just began loading for a 22-250. I am using an RCBS full-length sizing die. The brass is Winchester and I am using 55gr Hornady V-Max bullets.

It is very difficult to seat the bullet. I really have to push hard to get them to seat because there is a lot of resistance. In fact, I pulled a few of the bullets and noticed the bullets are getting marred (scratches, parts of it shaved off etc...).

Is this normal for this caliber? Do I need to expand the neck or lube the neck before seating the bullet?

Thanks for your input.

Are you putting a generous chamfer on the case neck ID?

Try a heavy chamfer or possibly get a larger expander. There are possibly other things to try but I would start here. roger

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
Are you putting a generous chamfer on the case neck ID?

I did not chamfer the cases. I guess the idea being it will slightly thin the neck?

quote:

I did not chamfer the cases. I guess the idea being it will slightly thin the neck?

Not enough to matter. It will really facilitate bullet seating. Some folks use a VLD chamfering tool for everything to get a less angled chamfer. I've tried seating without a chamfer; it doesn't work well.

LWD

quote:

Originally posted by DPollard:
I did not chamfer the cases.

You just found your problem.....chamfer them pronto!

Chamfer them to about 1/2 the thickness of the brass neck wall!

Thanks for the suggestion. I will chamfer the cases.

Another related question, the Lyman 49th edition loading manual suggests a seating depth of 2.345". This looks to be very deep to me once I got the cartridges loaded.

Using this method: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaA3GECbbVA I come up with a COAL of 2.442"

This is very large difference. Do you think the 2.345" is too deep?

Alliant lists a minimum of 2.350" OAL for that bullet with there maximum powder charges. Seating deeper is ok, as long as you work up from a starting load.

quote:

Originally posted by 243winxb:
Alliant lists a minimum of 2.350" OAL for that bullet with there maximum powder charges. Seating deeper is ok, as long as you work up from a starting load.

Thanks for the input. 2.350 seems to be what most books suggest but mine was shorter. To increase accuracy I tried seating according to my chamber, which is where I got the longer COAL. I will try starting at the minimum loads with the shorter seating depth and see what happens. Thanks again for the input.

Hey D

Our esteAmed Mr. woods has a great method to determine Max COAL for YOUR RIFLE..


USE IT......

quote:

Originally posted by rcamuglia:
Hey D

Our esteAmed Mr. woods has a great method to determine Max COAL for YOUR RIFLE..


USE IT......

That's an excellent post for determining COAL. I used the method where you let your chamber seat the bullet for you, which is where I got the 2.442" seating depth.

For the cleaning rod method, how do you know when the bullet has hit the lands? Does the bullet not move when you touch the cleaning rod to the bullet tip?

Hold it in with a wooden dowel or pencil



be careful not to jam it into the lands, just lightly hold it.

Also if you use a jag you will have to file the little point off the end.

After you have set the first stop measuring to the bolt face, remove the bolt and drop a bullet into the chamber and ultimately into the lands. Hold it there with a Bic Pen with your left hand giving constant pressure on the base of the bullet into the lands.

Run the cleaning rod down into the barrel and gently touch the tip of the bullet. Set the other rod stop and measure in between.

The tip of the bullet does not contact the lands, the ogive of the bullet does.

Now, use that very bullet for the first case you charge to set the seating depth you want. You now know the Max OAL. For your test loads you may want to seat all of the bullets to .030" off of the lands, so just seat that first bullet .030" shorter than the Max OAL you just measured with it.

Once you have seated that bullet in the case .030" shorter than the Max OAL you just measured, just seat all of the other test loads there. Do not try to "chase" the exact OAL.....

"Split case or bent case neck method - Either split a case with a dremel tool or squash it a little so that it will hold a bullet fairly firm but the bullet can move. Insert a bullet and chamber it and the chamber will seat the bullet into the neck. Carefully remove it and measure. You have to be carefull that the lands do not grab the bullet and pull it partway back out. Do it several times and you can even blacken the bullet so you can see where the neck scrapes if the bullet is being pulled partially back out."

Can you just resize a case and seat the bullet too far out, and seat the bullet deeper in the neck by chambering the round too get the max OAL? without spliting or bending the neck?

What is the purpose of spliting or bending the necks?

Thanks for the info.

Believe it or not it takes a lot of force to seat a bullet in most sized necks. Because of that, the bullet would be pushed a significant distance into the lands.

It's call jamming. I would think it would be possible to jam a bullet as much as .030" into the lands depending upon the ID of the neck and the softness of the neck brass. Then the lands would grip the bullet and pull on it when you extract. Very inaccurate IMO

So by splitting the necks the bullet is sliding into the neck without jamming into the lands, makes sense.

Thanks for the info.

quote:

Originally posted by woods:
Believe it or not it takes a lot of force to seat a bullet in most sized necks. Because of that, the bullet would be pushed a significant distance into the lands.

It's call jamming. I would think it would be possible to jam a bullet as much as .030" into the lands depending upon the ID of the neck and the softness of the neck brass. Then the lands would grip the bullet and pull on it when you extract. Very inaccurate IMO

+1

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