I am not sure where to post this but since it is a double rifle issue too I figured here on BR might be the appropriate place to post it.

I just finished dressing up my other Baikal 30-06 double rifle, after having to put off the project for a little over a year because of my open heart surgery. Among the many things I did to this rifle, I rechambered it to the 30R Blazer using a bran new PTG finish reamer.
All went well the chambers are perfectly cut, no wobble no variation between barrels. Brand new RWS bras chambered precisely and slid in and out of chambers with ease as they suppose to do etc.

I bought some RWS once fired brass from a reputable gentleman here on AR a while back.

My problem is this: when I tried to use this brass I checked out few pieces and found out that they were a bit over sized at the web. They varied between .475" to .476", they will not fit in the Chambers of the rifle. I figured these were shot in a loose double rifle chambers and if I size them down, I might be able to Squeeze them back to normal Size again.


I did just that using a new CH4D sizing dies I sized few pieces that brought them down to .474, that is all that I could squeeze them to (sizing die turned all the way down touching the ramming rod). Those seemed to still chamber with a little difficulty requiring that I force the last few thousands in with my thumb. I thought with firing these rounds they will fire form to the shape of the chambers and they will be ok, some thing I can live with. I sized and reloaded a bunch to 30-06 (bellow the maximum load requirement). Again those cartridges seemed to fit ok just the last few thousand needed a little bit of a hard push with my thump to go all the way in ( that was done with a bullet or with out one in the cartridge).

Yesterday was my first outing with the rifle and brass at the range. I wanted to try out the rifle, also the brass because I was concerned about it.

Shot a total of 8 rounds and had to quit because the brass will get stuck in the rifle. I had to use the cleaning rod to force it out after the ejectors chewed up the rim on one cartridge. Again I was using bellow the max load for the 30-06 (a low pressure load).

I admit that I should have used the new RWS brass rather than the once fired. I was thinking of using the once fired brass for load development and practice, etc and saving the new for hunting loads.

I figured out I will check with those experienced reloaders who know and have been around reloading for a long time, especially for double rifles,. What can be done with this brass and is it still usable or it has been stretched out beyond remedy, before I go ahead and pull the bullets out of the rest of the loaded ammo.

Thanks for your impute.


Malek
Good Hunting/Shooting and God's best

Did you trim to recommended length.
does the brass show where it is sticking ?
neck, body or base ?

Nitro

I am thinking I'd be trying a1/2doz shot with new brass, and seeing how they come out, and then resize them to see where they come out.
I can tell you once fired factory and handloads would not re-chamber in mine, once reloaded, without being FLS'd. I caught that right away though, I always check once a bullet is seated in a case on a new to me gun. The bare once fired brass went in, once loaded, no go. They were trimmed.005 short of max, too. I just turned the die down til they went in. The once fired handloads were shot with 59-65gr of RL19, F215GM and 180gr Sierra RN. No extraction issues. I ran the same cases after FLS'd with the same loads and a 180 NPT as well, no issues.
My die is RCBS.

Nitro; yes I did trim to specific length. No I could not see where did it stick the brass is shiny allover.

209jones;

you are right that is going to be my next step before I do any thing to the chambers, dies or brass. I will load 10 rounds and try them out and see what kind of a result I will get. Also thanks for the load recommendation I will try some of them as soon as I sort this brass issue out. do you have any notion what the velocities of these loads are?


Thank you gentlemen for your input.


Malek
Good Hunting/Shooting and God's best.

I chrono'd the 180 Sierra RN up to 63.5gr, only just cracked 2550 (600mm barrel). Didn't check the NP's.
Factory RWS 180DK was in the mid 2700 range.
I was trying to figure out how to copy the pages out of a PDF I have of the Deva book. But, it is beyond my understanding as to how to work PDF's.
However, if someone has the knowledge, as to how to do it, I have a link to download the book avail. (59mb).I see the Tirmailly link is gone now. He deleted it from Imageshack. And the link I got this book from is gone,also.
But, they are supposed to be publishing a new one for 2015. Have to figure out how to get that......

that sierra is not travailing very fast at 2550f/s have you tried other powders beside RL19? I read that RL17 is an excellent powder for the 30-06, I would suspect that can hold true for the 30R too.


Best regards.


Malek
Good Hunting/Shooting and God's best.

Ya, it is a little slower than I'd like with the RL19, but the factory round was no speedster either. Methinks I have a slow gun. The Sierras seem to want to work at around 62gr though. They'll hold 3-1/2" at 100 pretty steadily off sticks for the composite, but, they cross. So, I need some speed. Didn't seem to like the NPT's very much.
Finding RL powders is a task in itself at present.
The best overall powder for the 30R seems to be RL22, at least from the people I have conversed with, most of them shot singleshots, though. I only have 1 lb of it at present though, so I will try some other stuff such as IMR4831 and H4831 and maybe WW760 as I have lots of each. Rl22 is valuable around here though, haven't come up with a horsetrade for it yet.
I also have some VV N160, N165, N560 as well.
I am in no rush though, it'll get sorted out.
And that way I get to shoot it lots, because I have a reason to.
And I still have 3 boxes of factory 180gr to hunt with. They shoot about 3"@100 w/o crossing.
And I have yet to fiddle with the regulation adjuster on it, that will be the last thing I try, after I figure out a load I like.

Definitely that is a very good reason to be armed with, after all one have to develop some accurate loads especially if he is a hunter, one does not want the animals to suffer. I think I am going to do the same.

As soon as I sort the issue of the brass out, I am going to try out some 190g Hornadys that already I have loaded atop RL22. I think I agree with you the RL22 is a very good powder to work with for the heavier bullet weight . Also from what I read the H4350 is a good powder too for lighter bullets. I have some 165 Sierra bullets loaded atop IMR 4350 I will let you know how they will shoot, we will wait and see.


Good bless

Malek
Good Hunting/Shooting and God's best.

Trying to answer via IPhone so bear with me. I use 62 grains of RL22 and 180 NP. Never chrono'ed it but Accurate in my Chapuis. One of these days will break out the chrono and see where I am at.
Since your rifle has been rechambered have you tried taking a cast of the chambers to see if your smith used an undersized reamer?

quote:

Originally posted by Snowwolfe:
Since your rifle has been rechambered have you tried taking a cast of the chambers to see if your smith used an undersized reamer?

I did the rechambering myself, I know the reamer is under sized, it did cut the chambers about .0035" less than the Chamber minimum dimensions according to CIP specs. you can read about that on the Reloading forum.

Thanks for the load info, I had loaded some Hornady 195g atop of 61g of RL22, will see how they will shoot and I will try to chronograph them.

I will try your load too.


Good bless

Malek
Good Hunting/Shooting and God's best.