A friend of mine is loading the 22-250. Here is the problem , after firing a ring apears about 1/4" above the rim, after a couple of loads some have broken on that ring. Anyone know what is the problem and tell us how to cure it. Thanks

What load is he using?
I would not shoot any of them myself!

The shiny ring is a sign of a case head separation about to occur, and it's dangerous. If you did have a full head separation, gas can flow back thru the action towards your face and eyes, with bad results. Some possible causes are the brass being reloaded too many times, resizing the brass too much with a full lenght die, too hot of a load, or excessive headspace in the action. If your getting any other excessive pressure signs, reduce the load. Get some new brass, and when resizing adjust the die to barely move the shoulder back on a fired case. If the problem persists, get a smith to check the headspace.

Take a hacksaw and cut one of the cases with a ring in two lengthwise. You'll see the thin place right ahead of the web.

Wear safety glasses when shooting till you're sure the problem is resolved!

Edit: This is really a quick answer to a complicated subject. I think the Speer manual has a good writeup on case head separation and it's causes, and you or your friend should read it. Get a good understanding of what's happening before shooting any more.

John

I also get a shiny ring on my 22-250 but I think it's a die mark.



Here's a .270 is definately has a case separation problem.

Tell him to take it easy with the FL sizer. Less is more.

I had a batch of 22-250 brass that had been loaded too many times > I ended up with half a dozen full sepeerations, In a Savage 110. I had no problems with the rifle, I shit canned the brass...I don't want to have one with the 300 though.

D D,
Sounds like he may have a chamber on the large side of the specs. (headspacing) When he is FL sizing he is taking it back to the small side of the specs which means the brass is really getting worked. ?Does he trim/need to trim each time he sizes? If so he is "flowing" a lot of brass when he sizes. The case seperates at its weekest point.
Incipient Case Head Seperation is what that is called and it can be over come by not pushing the shoulder so far back. A couple of different things can be done to avoid this. Buy a neck sizing die or move the FL sizing die up from the shell holder. How much to move it depends on how far you can bring the die down and only get a small (.002-.004) headspace clearance on the case.
You can take an empty shell and try it to where you still get good bullet tension and get the bolt to close with the slightest resistance and the go just a little closer to the shell holder.
Hope this helps.

Smedley

PS Type in Incipient Case Head Separation in a search engine for more info.

Headspace is wrong!

This will happen with any rifle after enough firings and reloadings of a case. The number of reloadings and firings that can be done depends on numerous conditions: how hot the loads are, the dimensions of the chamber of the rifle, how great the headspace of the rifle is, how much the sizing die works the brass, the inherent qualities of the given brass, and probably some others.

As the case is fired and then worked in the die, it stretches, and it is weakened and becomes thinner and thinner at this point where the ring occurs. Eventually it will separate on firing. This happens with both belted and unbelted cases.

If you have a strong action with good gas handling -- i.e. a Remington 700 -- case separations can occur on firing without harming either the shooter or the rifle. Not that I recommend using your cases that many times!

Gee, and I have some cases that I have been reloading since the middle 1960's, and I have no idea how many times they have been reloaded (and not with piss-ant loads either) because I quit counting at 25.

None of the cases even look remotely like the picture fo the one posted.

Could it be because I am neck-sizing only and that maintains the proper headspace?

I'm thinking headspace, also. I've seen shiny ring on the base of a case that was not case head failure, but tool mark. That's not a problem. Straighten a paper clip and bend a very short ell in the end of it. Run it all the way down in the case and scratch up the inside. If it's case head failure you will feel the ring, a depression, where the brass is stretching. Like Steve said, good quality brass can get many firings without a problem if properly sized (not overworked). sundog

Steve, do you have a particular preference on neck sizing dies?, also how do you decide how nuch neck tension?

Thanks--Don

As for excessive headspace, that won't cause the problem IF you neck size as Steve does.

If you must full length resize, don't just screw the die down against the shellholder. Work it down in steps, size, and try your case to see if it'll easily chamber in your rifle. When it just will, leave the die set right there. Shooting the case in a loose chamber, squeezing it back down to a minimum dimension, and shooting it again in the big chamber is a quick way to get to those head separations. If you only stretch the case once on the first firing, it'll usually still last a long time.

I worried about that shiny ring but each time I reload those cases (22-250) I use the sharpened gem clip test. There is no crack on the inside.

I decided mind was a "tool mark" Now that .270 case (2nd picture) is a separation.

I neck size the 22-250 after the first firing using my FL die and just resize the neck to hold the bullet.

The .270 was not mine but I like to collect problem cases.