Trying to reload for 22 Savage Hi Power for my drilling...found some 50 gr bullets instead of the conventional 70gr.

After full length sizing, the cases will not drop all the way to seat into the extractor. I can close the action, and when I open it, the rim is sitting snugly as it should. Yet if I drop in a factory cartridge it settles immediately flat in the extractor. Putting calipers on the the brass above the rim I get .410 for the factory cartridge and .413 for the resized brass. The shoulder as best as I can measure it seems to be properly formed and I have been sure to run the cases fully into the forming die. Dropping in a fired case (from the same gun) it too can only be seated by closing the action as I would expect.


Tightly chambered?? bad forming die?? or something I haven't thought of? Should I care as long as my OAL is proper for the gun? or did I get lucky and get a forming die that matches the chamber?

Without more particulars, I would say you either need different brass, or a small base sizing die.

If it closes FULLY, fires, and extracts, what is the problem again? Make sure your shell holder is bumping against your die, I like a bit of cam over. If it still seats hard, then you have a large die or tight chamber. I doubt if anyone makes a small base 22 HP die.

quote:

Originally posted by JonP:
Dropping in a fired case (from the same gun) it too can only be seated by closing the action as I would expect.

As with most FL dies, your die doesn't necessarily reduce the brass to less than the size of the chamber. Your Drilling probably has a little give in the action which allows the case to expand a bit more than it might otherwise.

If you want the cases to "drop" into the chamber without resistance you can probably achieve this by grinding a little thickness off of the top of your shellholder which will allow the case to enter the die deeper and thus size it a tad smaller. I've used this fix on a couple of occasions when the die didn't quite size the case sufficiently and it works quite nicely.

Alternatively, the same thing can be accomplished by grinding a bit off of the bottom of the FL die, but the die is usually harder than the shellholder and more expensive to replace if you mess something up. Besides, the grinding may damage the radiused edge at the mouth of the FL die, leaving a sharp edge which can scar your brass near the base.

Use a lathe and carbide bit to remove material from a sizing die, if that is what you end up doing. Polish the radius; usually you don't remove that. Or polish out your chamber a bit.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:

If you want the cases to "drop" into the chamber without resistance you can probably achieve this by grinding a little thickness off of the top of your shellholder which will allow the case to enter the die deeper and thus size it a tad smaller.
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Alternatively, the same thing can be accomplished by grinding a bit off of the bottom of the FL die, but the die is usually harder than the shellholder and more expensive to replace if you mess something up.

I'm sure that this is a silly question.... But I am wondering if a piece of shim stock slipped between the rim of the case and the shell holder might achieve the same results. It seems that there is usually a bit of vertical slop in the shell holder that might allow the case to sit several thousandths highter, allowing the die to reduce the brass a bit more.

quote:

Originally posted by JBrown:

I'm sure that this is a silly question.... But I am wondering if a piece of shim stock slipped between the rim of the case and the shell holder might achieve the same results. It seems that there is usually a bit of vertical slop in the shell holder that might allow the case to sit several thousandths highter, allowing the die to reduce the brass a bit more.

Not silly at all and worth a try. roger

quote:

Originally posted by JBrown:

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:

If you want the cases to "drop" into the chamber without resistance you can probably achieve this by grinding a little thickness off of the top of your shellholder which will allow the case to enter the die deeper and thus size it a tad smaller.
--------------------------------
Alternatively, the same thing can be accomplished by grinding a bit off of the bottom of the FL die, but the die is usually harder than the shellholder and more expensive to replace if you mess something up.

I'm sure that this is a silly question.... But I am wondering if a piece of shim stock slipped between the rim of the case and the shell holder might achieve the same results. It seems that there is usually a bit of vertical slop in the shell holder that might allow the case to sit several thousandths highter, allowing the die to reduce the brass a bit more.

Yes this can be a fix especially if the case rims are a little on the thin side. Did this when loading for my 455 Webley, had a steel shim shaped to sit under the case head to make them a snug fit in the shell holder.

While y'all are bent backwards grinding and removing material 'ya forgot this: Shoulder set back!!!
If you size shorter you will work the shoulder of the case needlessly.
If'n y'all have powered up the lathe anyways why not make a bushing that will size the base of the case by a smidgen?