Hello Guys,
I posted this in the Reloading forum also, didn't want anyone to miss out on my problems.

I've been off of the forum for over two years. I have learned alot in that time. Some things I had been warned about came back to haunt me.
Kinda made me think about the kind advice given me by a more experienced shooter here on this forum. (Another day, another time with that argument though). Good advice is the reason I'm back. I am seeking some advice on a reloading problem I am having, so let me state the facts:

1.I DON'T WANT TO START AN ARGUMENT!
2.I am an experienced handloader that thought he knew most of the facts until the Wildcat came along.
3.The rifle is a M700 Sendro that has been reworked and fitted with a preimium aftermarket barrel and chambered in 6.5-.270AI.
4.I use .270 Winchester brass with 51 grains of Reloader 19 under a 140 grain Speer flatbase bullet as a fireform load, with satisfactory results.
5.I load 53 grains of Reloader 22 under a 140 grain A-Max .005 off of the lands with excellent accuracy out to 1500+ yards.
6.I am not a rich man.....
7.....nor do I wish to blow myself up.
8.I am not getting any brass life. Two to three shots.
9.I know brass is cheap.....custom guns are not! If I ruin my brass, I must fireform more which equals more useless rounds through the tube.
10.I understand faster is not always better.
11.I enjoy maximum efficiency.
12.I am getting streched primer pockets.
13.My loads are reasonable????
14.My expectations for the Ackley were WAY too high, but I realize this now.
15.My goal is to have a reliable load that I can get at least 8 to 10 shots out of a piece of brass with benchrest accuracy. I have the accuracy taken care of.
16.I was using WLRM primers but switched to WLR to try to tone things down. No blown primers. Primers show signs of a stiff load, but still have round corners. I have seen alot worse.


My questions I guess are:

1.Am I using the correct powders, burn rate that is?
2.Is Reloader 19 too slow for fire forming?
3.Would a faster powder help or do I need to just keep reducing my loads to stop the loose pockets?
4.I do not seat the bullets into the land for fireforming, there is a crushfit, the chamber was done properly, but could it be a headspace thing?

This is my first wildcat and it has been a learning experience.

BigE

Big E,
I posted this once I thought, but here I go again.

First, Welcome back. From what you post, you clearly are over pressure and realize this. You correctly state that the first option is to reduce your load. I'd suggest a drop of 1.5grains. Given the report of loose pockets, it just seems about right.

Regarding powders, a slower propellant might have advantages if you have the barrel length to use it. I'd go to RL25, 7828 and H1000 for starters. (Given the bore to capacity ratios, anything that is suitable for the 7mm Rem Mag ought to be in the zone for your rifle.) If the slow powders don't show promise, go the other way, towards a powder faster than RL22. Since you have it, RL19 comes to mind.

Regarding seating the bullet out, I don't think that this is contributing to the problem of loose pockets. However, once that problem is solved and you can get more shots out of a piece of brass, you may notice 'premature' case separation because of the case stretch associated with not having the base seated on the bolt face at ignition.

Loose pockets in two or three shots is extreme, in my opinion. Please be careful, and cut back on that one. Kudude

Are you sure that you are not seating into the lands??? A load of 53 gr of Rl22 should not over pressure a 6.5-06 much less a 6.5-270AI.

Loadtech shows pressures down in the 54000 range for that load.

I agree with the need to reduce the load. You don't mention any velocities of the loads, do you have access to a chronograph? What was the tempurature? One of the falicies of calculating pressures with a computer is that without exact dimensions of the barrel it is only a guess and even then expanded primer pockets in 3 shots says- get your life insurance updated! I shoot the same load in a 270AI with a 130gr bullet and consider it to be a max charge for an all around hunting load.

Sorry about the repeat Kudude, but I got three bites that I didn't get on the other one. Ramrod, I am about .005 off of the lands, I thought about that also, I will recheck tonight. My little voice tells me that the load is not too stiff, but everything I know about pressure signs tells me it is. That's why I'm here. I have not chronographed any of the loads.

I have a feeling that my problem is more with the fireforming. I think I am starting with loose pockets.

Eric

My program shows that the forming load should have a higher pressure.

I would also view that .005 is really in the lands. I would back the bullet off a little and try them again.

By higher pressure, you mean the the R19 load has a higher pressure than the R22 load? If this is so the problem makes a little more sense. I could back down on the R19 fireforming load until I get unsatifactory shoulders, then bump it back up a little, and maybe find a sweetspot without excessive pressures.

E

I have found that the reamer, custom or not, can be a little too large at the web and allow the case web to expand and loosen the primer pockets. I would measure at the web before fireforming and after it has been fired 3 times. To save a barrel, I fireform with Bullseye and paraffin. Check the diameter of your firing pin and the size of the firing pin hole. Check the tip of your firing pin. Your bolt may need to be bushed to tighten up your firing pin clearance. Butch

Butch, how much is too much on the expansion? I have gotten two cracked cases at the web (out of a couple of hundred). I am able to see a definite line around the web area after 3 shots.

If the reamer was too large......live with it, huh.

E

bigE,

Your loads are in the right range. I shoot up to 57gr of RL22 with a CCI 250, under a 140 Sierra GK in my 6.5 Gibbs, with no pressure signs.

I use IMR 4895 for my fireforming loads (when I don't do the Unique/Cream of Wheat method). I can't recall the exact load (53gr rings a bell, but I'd have to check), but I use cheap 120gr Remington Core lokt bulk bullets.

I'm thinking it could only be a chamber or soft brass issue.

The chamber on my Gibbs is a little fat near the web. Its a pain for resizing, but it hasn't caused any expansion of the primer pockets yet.

Cheers,
Canuck

Big E, I don't like my reamer any larger at the web than a new case measures. I make my full length dies to size .002 down at the web and body. Sometimes I have to grind my shell holder in the surface grinder to size far enough down. My first firing as noted above is without a bullet. The last fireform is with any old bullet[one you don't like] jammed hard into the lands with a reduced load of slightly faster powder. You want the back of the case hard against the bolt to prevent the chance of casehead separation. I don't shoot that round, so cannot recommend powder or loads. Butch

Hi Guys,
After some extensive testing this weekend, I have come to the conclusion that my problem was in my fireform loads. The Reloader 19 load was too hot. I switched to a light load of Reloader 15, and seated my bullet hard into the lands to rule out any headspace problem. Good crisp shoulders and no pressure signs. Primers come out with a pop and went back in very snug.

I chronoed some full power loads and came up with 2925fps.

E