First 10 rounds ever! + quick question

[mroels]

Just finished my first 10 rounds ever. Loading .223 on a Lee Breech Lock Hand Press. Been tumbling and sizing all week. Setting up the fl sizing die took the longest, other than reading manuals of course. Today I had a bit of time before work so I decided to load a few rounds. I wanted to try and copy my 69gr BHA ammo so decided on 2.20" OAL.

Recipe used today:
69 gr SMK
22.3 gr Ram TAC (thought it'd be a good starting since I'm loading .223)
Once fired (from my rifle) PMC brass
2.20" OAL

Question: one of the bullets I seated went right into the case, like the neck was too wide. Any way to salvage this bullet?

I won't get to shoot until after the 11th so I'm gonna try some different loads. Only have 80 more cases left but will shoot a lot of my factory ammo next time out to get more brass.


So far I'm really into it. I enjoy tedious work that required a lot of focus, good mental exercise. I only get to shoot about once every two weeks so this set up is perfect for now, no need for more volume right now.

[noylj]

The bullet should be fine. You might get it out with a kinetic bullet puller, but why sweat it?
Have you checked that your other bullets are tight in the case, by pushing down on the bullet?
The case that let the bullet drop was either NOT resized (at least not at the neck) or has walls so thin that it couldn't be brought down enough in OD/ID by the sizing die. Measure the case neck thickness in 2 or 3 spots and compare to other cases.
You do not want any bullet set-back, so this is a warning to you that something is wrong and you need to determine what the problem is.

[mroels]

Thanks for the heads up. I did push down on two of the test cases I used to adjust seating depth and they were good and sturdy. Then did the 10 rounds. As instructed I installed the die until it touched the case and then backed out 1/2 turn as I'm not crimping could that have anything to do with it?

I will definitely measure the neck walls when I get home tonight and compare to other cases, the case was definitely resized.

Not worried the bullet btw, just curious. And happy that I was curious or I wouldn't have known about a possible issue.

Thanks for the info

[rsrocket1]

Isn't 2.20" a little short? My 55g bullets are usually seated to a 2.27" COL and that is right on the cannelure grooves (although I don't crimp). Maybe that's why the bullet fell into the case.

The other reason might be not enough neck tension.

Try partly seating the bullet and stop before the press bottoms out. You should not be able to push or pull the bullet in/out with your fingers. The neck tension should be strong enough so that you would have to push the bullet in by setting it on a table and really pressing hard with your weight. Of course, that's not a good way to seat a bullet, but that's how tight it ought to go in.

[mroels]

2.20" is what my factory 69gr BHA reads. Max listed OAL is 2.26. I tried to push down with my weight on my other seated bullet and no issues or change in OAL. Think this one case maybe didn't get resized properly? I can literally push in and pull out a bullet by hand.

The wall size is at 0.01" as opposed to 0.012" on most other cases I've got.

I've got the Lee factory crimp die so I might just give them a light crimp as that is recommended for auto loaders.

Thanks for the info guys

[gau17]

2.20" is what my factory 69gr BHA reads. Max listed OAL is 2.26. I tried to push down with my weight on my other seated bullet and no issues or change in OAL. Think this one case maybe didn't get resized properly? I can literally push in and pull out a bullet by hand.

The wall size is at 0.01" as opposed to 0.012" on most other cases I've got.

I've got the Lee factory crimp die so I might just give them a light crimp as that is recommended for auto loaders.

Thanks for the info guys

re-size the one you can move the bullet with your fingers. If it is still loose, get rid of it. If the bullet has cannelure then put a very light crimp.

[bigdawg86]

What was your trouble with the FL sizing die? You should just screw it in until the RAM just touches the die @ TDC, then lower the decapping pin just far enough to reliably deprime the brass. As far as OAL I noticed that when you seat various projectiles at their crimp, it will vary. I had OAL on some loads near 2.05 when seated at cannelure but it doesn't really matter... it's the bullets that are too long that will give you trouble.

[hermosabeach]

Not to freak you out but i had a round that did not chamber correctly

I bumped on the bolt and it did not feel right

I did not do the standard malfunction fix but i ejected the round to determine why the gun was not in battery

The case ejected without the bullet
At first i thought i might have had a failure to extract/ eject that caused the issue
It turns out that the brass was still primed

When the AK closed the bullet came out of the case and went into the lands

I ended up using the cleaning rod to remove the bullet

If you are shooting from a semi, i would suggest capturing the brass as you are working up a new load
Check the primers and cases for signs of high pressure
Dents, scratches, odd things, etc

Chamber a few from the mag 3-4 times
Measure with your caliper after the repeated loading from the mag to verify that the crimp keeps the OAL the same

Too much crimp is also bad so you should consider trying some different crimps to see what you need for your setup

If shooting a bolt you can also shoot a few and then inspect the last one in the magazine
Has the recoil changed the OAL?

Sorry if i have been rambling

[mroels]

What was your trouble with the FL sizing die? You should just screw it in until the RAM just touches the die @ TDC, then lower the decapping pin just far enough to reliably deprime the brass. As far as OAL I noticed that when you seat various projectiles at their crimp, it will vary. I had OAL on some loads near 2.05 when seated at cannelure but it doesn't really matter... it's the bullets that are too long that will give you trouble.

Trouble was adjusting the die for setting the shoulder down to the right height. Instructions said the turn the die in until it separates the handles 1/8" which is a little tricky with the hand press.

[mroels]

Not to freak you out but i had a round that did not chamber correctly

Chamber a few from the mag 3-4 times
Measure with your caliper after the repeated loading from the mag to verify that the crimp keeps the OAL the same
ng

Not freaked out, as I was planning on shooting real slow with this first batch. I was indeed gonna cycle it a few times at the range and measure. I've experienced a factory ammo squib before which luckily I recognized, so yeah I'm gonna go real slow.

I got a brass catcher to I'm gonna check casings per load graduation for signs of stress.

[mroels]

Question: I'm building up loads by .1gr every 5 rounds. Started at 22.3gr of Ram TAC and am up to 23.1gr right now. How far below the max load should I stop?

[One78Shovel]

For sizing adjustments or issues, I found that a case gauge took all the guess work out on whether the neck is pushed down enough, etc.

-178S

[mroels]

Congratuations.

How much do you save per round when reloading .223?

Honestly I've got no idea. Not really worried about cost right now, just wanna learn a different aspect of shooting. But I don't think I'm saving too much because I didn't really buy bulk so the hazmat fees killed me. Considering I didn't have to buy brass I'm spending about $0.40 per round, which isn't bad for match grade rounds.

[One78Shovel]

Congratuations.

How much do you save per round when reloading .223?

I load 223 for right at $100.00 per/500.

-178S

[mroels]

For sizing adjustments or issues, I found that a case gauge took all the guess work out on whether the neck is pushed down enough, etc.

-178S

I'm using the rcbs mic to check. In the OP I didn't mean to make it sound like it was difficult or that I was having issues, just that it was a little time consuming.