Rifle loading problems

[DragonDJ11]

ALWAYS Full Length size for a lever gun. NEVER neck only.

You are "messing up" by not full length resizing. Make sure you're bumping the case shoulder back far enough when F/L resizing, not bumping the case shoulders back enough will also cause you problems. Make sure your F/L resizing die is properly set.

Doing this properly, your cases will chamber easily.

ok, why? I am not being a smartass, I really want to understand why

[Divernhunter]

See my 1st post and the answer is there. Not the caming action of a bolt action.
This is usually stated in reloading manuals also. That is a reason to read them and sometimes refer back to them.

[smoothy8500]

Make sure you're bumping the case shoulder back far enough when F/L resizing, not bumping the case shoulders back enough will also cause you problems.

Oh dear, any moment we are going to hear from someone arguing that you can't "bump shoulders back"....

[tonyjr]

There are dies made for bulge busting [ I hope that is right name ]
Anyway the cases can enlarge near base . most of time you can see it ,
But sometimes just enough to mess with loading into chamber .
This is one of the reasons to get a case gauge .
You can also have a case with a bent base - for me it is mainly on the semi auto magnums - either the extractor bends pulling case out and / or the case hitting the floor . Probably 99% of time you find them going into shell holder when reloading if you have not used a case gauge .

[RandyD]

A case guage would help, but if you do not have one, I would suggest doing a full length sizing, and then try to insert the case in the chamber. If it requires force to close, then adjust the sizing die down in small increments until the case fits your chamber.

Neck sizing is usually only done on precision bolt guns, and neck sizing hunting rounds is not the way to go. By only neck sizing, you will eventually end up with a very tight fitting cartridge, which is what you may be experiencing, and you want hunting ammo to reliably chamber every time.

As stated above, a bolt gun has locking lugs, and the bolt acts as a cam in closing the action. A lever gun does not have the ability to cam the action closed, so again you want ammo to easily fit in the lever gun.

[rsrocket1]

You need to always full length resize for:

• Shooting in any auto loading rifle (semi-auto, lever action, pump). You want reliable feeding above all
• When hunting. You want reliable feeding on that next shot.
• Any possibility that the cartridge will be used in another gun. Read the thread about the jammed Dad's handload that got stuck in his son's bolt gun and it blew up when trying to tap it out with a rod and hammer.

You will be able to identify where your problem lies if you take several of your "failure to chamber" rounds and completely color it with a magic marker. Then try to chamber it in your gun. The ink will rub off where there is friction preventing the round from chambering.

From there you can determine if it's the bullet ogive, the case shoulder, the body or the case head.

[Rbutler]

if you don't want to full length size you need to at least neck size and get a body die. it'll bump the shoulder back for my bolt guns I do .002. if you only neck size you could be running into either the boy expanding too large and hitting on the way in or what happens in my bolt guns. the shoulder pushes forward slightly which is why you are able to close it with a bit of force. the .002 is enough to chamber easily in my rifle.

[sghart]

Divernhunter is right about full length sizing for lever actions.

Bolt action rifles have a tremendous amount of camming leverage when they open to help remove the fired case. Lever actions do not.

Another area often overlooked is the cleanliness of the chamber itself.

I have a Marlin 1893 that was finicky about feeding when I first bought it. I cleaned the chamber very well then chucked a pad with polishing compound on to the end of a rod. I then used a drill to polish the inside of the chamber.

The rifle was very old and the polishing did the trick. It feeds slick now. And I full length size everything.

Your Savage 99 is an older rifle. It may need the chamber cleaned up also.

[DragonDJ11]

Everything has been very well cleaned on the rifle. All factory ammo worked perfectly, so I am thinking I just messed up with trying to neck size.

I will full length size and just remove the variables

[DragonDJ11]

Thanks everyone for all of the input. I greatly appreciate it.

[tonyjr]

DragonDJ11
If that works - let us know .
As for polishing - I use paper , I don't want " stuff " in side gun . Be aware polishing will remove Bluing and need oil more often .
No a problem for me - with in a day any gun is cleaned and oiled after shooting and after about 3 months - weather shot or not