1st time reloading 223

[Gnzrme]

Ok, so I am reloading 223 on a 650 and I have a couple of questions...How can I tell cases that have a military crimp on them...I have some fiocchi that sometimes has a hard time accepting primmers and other times it doesn't....Also, I do not have a crimp removal tool...Does anyone in the Canyon Country/Valencia area have one I can come over and use....Only have about 500 cases...Need to load up some cases for friday or saturday....

2nd: case length....its late and I havent read completely through the other post on trim length...I have cases from 1.755 to 1.762....is that too long.......

3rd: rounds look good, cases are well crimped in at the cannalure, chamber well and manually eject but when picked up, the bullet is loose (wiggles side to side and there are scratches on the bullet (thinking that this might be related to the lack of trimming)...

What do you guys think?

[C.G.]

Case length is 1.750-1.760. Do a google search on crimps, I am sure there is a pic out there somewhere.

To add, I would highly suggest gettting a reloading manual, i. e. Lyman's.

As to your other questions, are your bullets seated at proper length (sounds like they are seated too far into the lands), did you set up your trim die properly? Personally, I don't crimp my .223 loads and the bullet does not wiggle.

[joelogic]

I use a case gauge so I dont know the exact measurements but if it chambers fine, it seems fine to me. Min length is 1.750. If the bullet wiggles some thing is wrong. Even if I dont crimp it doesnt wiggle. Trimming wouldnt effect wiggle. Search crimped primer, mecam put up a great pic of what a crimped and non crimped primer look like. Or go to dillons webpage and look at the swaging manual. There is a pic there. Have you checked OAL? I dont see a reason for the bullet to get scratched from just chambering it.

[Beelzy]

To remove the mil. crimp from primer pocket, simply use the pointed end of
the deburring tool.

[SCMA-1]

To remove the mil. crimp from primer pocket, simply use the pointed end of
the deburring tool.

That's one way to do it but it takes too long if you are doing cases by the thousands. Dillon has a decent decrimping tool:

http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/content/p/9/catid/8/pid/25263/?viewImg=0

This is they one I use and you can crank them out with this tool.

SCMA-1

[WyoDuner]

If you are going to shoot more .223 you might as well pick up a primer pocket swager. I use the RCBS one in my Rockchucker press. It cost around $35.00. The Dillon is a better way but 3 times the price if I recall correctly.

My recommendations are:

1. Get a swager of some sort
2. Get a case trimmer
3. Make sure that OAL for your rounds is correct - 2.250 is what I run, max is 2.260 if I recall - any longer won't fit in magazine.

If you have a pic of the loose bullet that would be helpful. It almost sounds like the crimp is holding the bullet in place - not the neck... If you are full elngth sizing - and you should be for semi-auto shooting - make sure you lube the cases and that they are going all the way up into the sizing die. I suspect that maybe you are not getting the brass far enough into the die and as a result not resizing the next properly. Just a hunch.

[Chaingun]

If you are going to shoot more .223 you might as well pick up a primer pocket swager. I use the RCBS one in my Rockchucker press. It cost around $35.00. The Dillon is a better way but 3 times the price if I recall correctly.

My recommendations are:

1. Get a swager of some sort
2. Get a case trimmer
3. Make sure that OAL for your rounds is correct - 2.250 is what I run, max is 2.260 if I recall - any longer won't fit in magazine.

If you have a pic of the loose bullet that would be helpful. It almost sounds like the crimp is holding the bullet in place - not the neck... If you are full elngth sizing - and you should be for semi-auto shooting - make sure you lube the cases and that they are going all the way up into the sizing die. I suspect that maybe you are not getting the brass far enough into the die and as a result not resizing the next properly. Just a hunch.

Add a case gage (gauge) to the list. You can verify the brass fits the chamber properly prior to reloading it.

[Gnzrme]

Ok, I think I figured out what the problem was....I was using a 26.2 gr charge of varget and It was a compressed load and when the bullet would seat in the chamber, it wouldnt compress anymore and it caused the bullet to loosen...decreased the powder charge and now it will chamber fine, no scratches on the bullet....

Also picked up a Dillon Super Swager and Strong Mounts at the Stockade gun store in westminster....I called around for a reloading store that had them in stock and I lucked out in Westminster..60+miles one way, but it was worth it....forgot to get the case guage though.....Still need a trimmer, but I think I can get by....

[bohoki]

you can get by without a trimmer if you measure them all and keep the cases oal under 1.760 (unless you have some really tight chamber bolt action)

i trim using the lee crap with a cordless drill it takes over an hour to do 200 but it was $12

you need 3 parts (the cutter and lock stud)$6 ,(the 223 case gage and shellholder)$3.50, and (inside outside deburring tool)$2.50


i dont crimp and my bullets seem to stick to the cases pretty well but i use them in a mini 14 maybe an ar-15 beats them up more before they get to the chamber

[Darklyte27]

crimped brass has a noticeable difference usually requiring you to pull the handle harder.

[tommyid1]

Ur case length will effect the consistency of ur crimps. Buy a case gauge and go off that. Trim to length on 223 is 1.750 I believe but check a speed re loading manual to be sure. Ur overall length will be dictated by your case length because u need to seat to the middle of the cannelure for the crimp. U may be experiencing problems with wiggly bullets because of too much crimp or your dies may have the wrong neck expander. Definitely invest in 3 things. Dillon superswage. Speed re loading manual and a case gauge

[Gnzrme]

I do have 2 reloading manuals....I tried out the reloads today...Sub 1" groups at 50 yards..Just have 1# of Varget and nobody seems to have it, so I picked up 2#'s of Reloader 15....will see how that works....Have a 1:9 twist...who's got a load for that....(55 gr bullet)

[1hotrod]

[Gnzrme]

thanks...was looking for RL15 though....am going with 26.0 gr of Reloader 15...will let you know how it goes...will be at Angeles Wed afternoon...

[GrayWolf09]

The problem with the .223 is that there are two types of rifles that use this cartridge AR and military rifles and bolt guns. With the military rifles you have ot load to magazine length. Using bolt guns single shot you do not. Some of the heavier and hence longer .223 bullets cannot be loaded to magazine length because you have to push them too far into the case. Check you reloading manual or the bullet manufacturers web site.