anyone else seen this?.......

[downfall]

reloaded about 100 rounds of .223 on a progressive press. Previous to starting the brass was processed and dropped into a chamber checker to assure it is in spec. reloaded the brass and ran them all through the chamber checker again. This time, half would only go about 80% into the chamber checker. the half were in spec.???

I am stumped, could bullet seater be causing this?

TIA

[croue]

Did you trim the brass?

Look to see if the shoulder is slightly deformed. Sometimes if the brass is a bit long and you do seating and crimping I. The same die the crimp catches just a little early.
This grips the bullet with the case mouth and if you?re still pushing down can give a little bulge in the case.


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[TFA777]

How do u seat the bullet? Neck tension only or flare and crimp?

If you measure your COAL, neck diameter with bullet in, and headspace has anything changed before and after loading?

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[downfall]

thanks for the replies, I measured the OAL of the brass and it was in spec ... ie less than 1.760, not for precision,just semi auto plinking ammo. I seated the bullet with just neck tension and then a crimp on the bullet.

[FLIGHT762]

If you crimped, you probably over did it. Back off the crimping, reload a couple of dummy rounds and see if they pass.

Sometimes, the over crimp can be so slight, the bulging the shoulder can't be seen, but the gauge will find it.

[downfall]

thanks for the idea..I will adjust and test.

[BigBronco]

If I remember trim length should be 1.750" not 1.760".

[kcstott]

If I remember trim length should be 1.750" not 1.760".

and most chambers have .050" clearance too.

[kcstott]

thanks for the replies, I measured the OAL of the brass and it was in spec ... ie less than 1.760, not for precision,just semi auto plinking ammo. I seated the bullet with just neck tension and then a crimp on the bullet.

Are you full length sizing?

[smoothy8500]

Reloads, even for semi-auto don't need a crimp. Furthermore, if the neck length is +/- .010, you end up with an over-crimping situation that leads to a bulged shoulder.

[pacrat]

reloaded about 100 rounds of .223 on a progressive press. Previous to starting the brass was processed and dropped into a chamber checker to assure it is in spec. reloaded the brass and ran them all through the chamber checker again. This time, half would only go about 80% into the chamber checker. the half were in spec.???

I am stumped, could bullet seater be causing this?

TIA

Your "downfall" just might be that pesky, and quite possibly superfluous chamber checker dodad.

Your post does not mention that the rounds fail to chamber in the rifle.

Did you try them in the only hole that matters? Meaning the one in the rear of your barrel, that the bolt rotates into to lock the breach.

If they do. The misnamed, and more often than not, useless piece of crap, waste of money, called a "chamber checker". Should be dropped in a drawer and forgotten.

ETA .... ...................... "anyone else seen this?"....... If you search this topic, you will find dozens of others that have had the same problem.

[Tripplet918]

Check the chamber checker for loose powder. 223 is notorious for throwing out powder on a progressive

[Bigtls1]

If you crimped, you probably over did it. Back off the crimping, reload a couple of dummy rounds and see if they pass.

Sometimes, the over crimp can be so slight, the bulging the shoulder can't be seen, but the gauge will find it.

This

[downfall]

havent check them in the actual rifle yet, and I agree the chamber checker is not the only and best check, but it is odd to me about half passed the "check" yep, FL resized the brass. If bullet seating is the culprit, use and anvil on the case necks may be the ticket?

[FLIGHT762]

Bullet seating is not the culprit, over crimping may be. If you have different case OAL, the longer ones are likely the ones bulged.

Once you find if the issue is over crimping, then back off the crimp or better yet, dump the crimping.

I load for a bunch of 308 & 223 gas guns and I don't crimp.

If the shoulders are slightly buckled, you will have to pull those rounds or if you have a body die, they could be fixed loaded. That is another subject that some will recoil in horror over, but some of us have done it safely.