I have a Browning 243 and it seems that after
reloading my brass 2 or 3 times the bolt gets a little sticky when opening it.

I am shooting new brass and I need some help.

I have read somewhere to set the shoulder back a little bit, I use RCBS dies and was wondering if I could do it with them.

The bolt isn't sticky on all my cases just some of them, I reload for my 30-06 and I have not had this to happen on it.

Or, do you need to FL size for the 243 after every 2 or 3 times that reload the cases?

Any info you give will be helpful.

Thanks
hunter966

Sticky EXTRACTION usually means the pressure is too high. There are a lot of variables, even on the same load. That is why we use AVERAGE peak pressure as a safe limit. The oddball cartridge that gives a higher pressure spike is the one that gets you into trouble. If one cartridge of a given load is sticky on extraction, all cartridges with that same load should be considered too hot.

Pressure is not the only thing that can make for difficult extraction. It's just the most likely. Make sure that your cases are all trimmed to minimum length uniformly, and check to see that your chamber is clean, without scratches, burrs, or anything a case can hang up on.

Yes, your full length resizing die will set back the shoulder, but do so only if the cartridge is difficult to CHAMBER. You want a slight crush fit for good headspacing. Turning the die too far down into the press unnecessarily works the brass and leads to "user-induced excessive headspace".

Turn your resizing die down into the press until it hits the shell holder when the ram is at the top of its stroke, then back the die off a couple of turns. Mark your case shoulders with a magic marker and run them into the die. In small increments, turn the die down and keep checking it until you can see where the die contacts the shoulder. You should now have a slight crush fit. Only about half of the neck really needs to resized to have a firm grip on the bullet, and the unsized portion of the neck serves to center the case with the axis of the bore. This is actually "partial full length resizing. The time to full length resize is when you have difficulty chambering. Many hunters try to set their shoulder back .001-.002" to make sure that a problem in the field doesn't keep a cartridge from chambering when you have game in sight.

After several full-charge reloads, cases often do require a full-length resizing. However, I recommend AGAINST "setting the shoulder back a little", since this is a good way to create escess headspace. Excess headspace won't necessarily kill you, depending on HOW EXCESSIVE IT IS, but at the very least will lead to incipient case head separation sooner or later. Set your die so that the shoulder of the case is just barely touched by the shoulder in the die. Use a match and smoke your case so you can see when it is adjusted just right.

Here is another question.

I am shooting a 55 Nosler BT with H414, I can't remember the charge but it is the charge listed in the Nosler book for that bullet.

Can you still have pressure signs if you are using the recommended charges that they show in their manuel?

Thanks
hunter966

hunter,

For the answer to your latest question, refer to the bold quote in eld's post above yours. In short, yes the charges listed in any reloading manual CAN be "too hot" for your particular rifle. While I have personally never had a problem with any reloading manual data being "too hot", some on this board have. It all depends on the rifle more than the data.

Every rifle is different and reloading manuals are not gosple...they are only a guide. True load development is much more than picking data from a book, loading it, and shooting it. True load development is much more "involved" and experience is the best way to understand all the factors involved. The more you learn, the better off you will be...so keep asking those questions!

As stated above, it may be that you merely need to full length size your cases, and the stickiness may go away. Then go back to partial sizing/neck sizing/whatever method you were using. You may just need to do a full length resize every couple firings, or so... That is where I would start.

Can you still have pressure signs if you are using the recommended charges that they show in their manuel?
Yes hunter you sure can and one good reason why that can happen is; the "lot" of powder that you may start with may be to hot.

I am sure there are several long time reloaders here that can atest to that, for it sure has happened to me.
Had a bad experiece using RL-22 in the 300 mag, been using the same load for 3 years, then bingo! The new can of 22 was way to hot, in fact about 5 grains to hot. Siezed the bolt and had to drive it open with block of wood and hammer, then drive the casing out of the chamber with a rod from the muzzle end. Luckly no damage to gun.