My reloads are crooked! Yikes! I am bringing online a new Remington 700 Classic in 221 Fireball this weeek. I just loaded up 20 cartridges last night for barrel break in and to fireform some brass for load development. Then after I had them all loaded I got the bright idea to check them for concentricity with my NECO gauge. Maybe I should not have done that. These loaded cartridges were showing runout on the protruding flat of the bullet just in front of the case neck an average of .006"! Hmmm. The worst runout was .007" and the best was .004". Most of the cartridges showed runout of .006" (about 14 of the 20 cartridges).
I am very confident it is not my loading press or technique that is causing this relatively large amount of runout because I have brought 3 other Rifles online all with new dies recently. And the reloads for these other Rifles had runout averaging .002" to .003"! I am using new Redding dies for these "crooked" reloads and Nosler 40 grain Ballistic Tip bullets in new Remington Fireball brass. I am almost tempted to try another set of dies that I have in Fireball to see if that might improve the crookedness! The other dies are set up for another Rifle though and I am sure they would have to be adjusted and then readjusted back to my other cartridge specs. That could be a pain.
Any suggestions out there? The bullet concentricity gauges are nice when they verify that your reloads are real "straight" but they do not have a built in straightener in case you come up with real out of round ammunition!
Perhaps by firing the cases it will straighten the tiny 221 cases enough to assist in producing concentric brass? Appreciate any suggestions.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Varmint Guy---

You forgot to say *how* they're crooked. Is the neck of the case also crooked? Have the case been fireformed yet? Are the bullets tilted in the case? Is the case necks the same diameter all the way around? Is the base of the case square?

Unless the brass is already fireformed and the *chamber* is known to be concentric, and the necks are turned concentric, and the base is square with the body, whatever measurements you take are plumb useless.

... in new Remington Fireball brass.

That's the problem. I think J Belk is right. The case walls of new brass aren't normally perfectly cylindrical. The case body itself might have a bit of egg shape to it until first firing.

Some new cases are round, and some seem not to be...

Don't worry about this at all. Break your barrel in, align your scope, and then see how your reloaded cases look the second time around...

Dan

Don't worry about it now...shoot them, and if you really feel the need, measure them AFTER they have been fire-formed.

JBElk, Dan & Ricciardelli: Thanks all for the tips and such. JBElk I have not checked the runout on the necks as yet! I will do that this evening as the wind is stilling puffing to hard for shooting here.
I just assumed (and you now what they say about assuming!) that the Redding dies that I like so much would give me a straight and round neck and a round enough body to render a more concentric reading. Obviously not! I did full length resize this new brass. Will do more work and advise. Maybe I will take the most crooked cartridge outside right now fire it and reload it real quick then check the runout! Hmmm.
Thanks again.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

The case wall may be slightly undersized, which is something that the FL die can't correct. Fireforming will take care of the problem, I feel sure...

Dan