What am I doing wrong?

[the led farmer]

...what am I doing wrong?

another common mistake is to over crimp and buckle the shoulder to where it looks sort of like a mushroom. Post a pic of your not fitting round if adjusting the sizing die doesn't cut it

[kmca]

Could also be the bullet shape. Since half the bullets work, you might just be .002-.003 too long. When you extract an unfired round, are there marks on the bullet? If you chamber a round with the forward assist, can you eject the cartridge?

[jameshenry]

Buy and use a case gauge. There will be instructions with them. The case gauge will let you see if the die needs to be adjusted.

[jameshenry]

The only time I would ever use a fwd assist would be in a life or death situation. I never used my fwd assist even in Viet Nam!!

[Divernhunter]

Read the resizing die directions carefully. It is touch the DOWN aomemore so the press cams over. Not up. You are not completely sizing the brass. Do this and you will not need a case gauge unless you get some brass fired on full-auto.

[Superduper2013]

Your sizing die isn't down far enough. About once a month I answer this same question on forums and I'm right 99% of the time. The die has to be as low as possible. Every thousandth helps.

If your die is already all the way down then you may need to buy an RCBS small base die. Most the time this fix is really just for guys that don't have the regular die all the way down. Although I have seen some AR's that really require small base dies. They are not common though.

This^^^^^

had the same issue with the same dies. Adjust your sizing die you be good to go.

[MulePacker]

Well I'm having kinda the same issue with my .308 bolt action marlin.

When I drive the bolt, it starts to get tighter the last 1/4" of loading the round into the rifle. I put the resizing die AS low as it will go.

Resized 1 brass, and checked JUST the brass in my rifle. seemed like a perfect fit.

Seated a bullet at 2.75 and I came across the same problem I started with. Tight fit!

Confused..

I dont think I need a case gage, because the case is fine, but i try to seat the bullet at it starts getting tight in my rifle. I dont understand because the max load length is 2.82 something.. and I'm just under that...

May be an issue with a tight rifle? It only has about 60 rounds through it..?

[ChrisToad]

Case gauge after resizing and adjust your resizing die accordingly.

5 whole posts before yours and not one mention of case gauge!!

[Germz]

For a non-carbide die (e.g. rifle full length), you're supposed to raise the ram up, screw down the resizing die until it hits the shellholder, lower then ram, then screw *DOWN* the resizing die another quarter turn or so. This means the ram is camming into the die. This ensures you resize the body fully.

With a carbide die, you set the die so it barely kisses the shellholder or screw it back up so it's maybe a business card thickness away from the shellholder. This is because the carbide can chip or crack if it impacts the press ram.

Read the resizing die directions carefully. It is touch the DOWN aomemore so the press cams over. Not up. You are not completely sizing the brass. Do this and you will not need a case gauge unless you get some brass fired on full-auto.

this is the complete opposite of what the RCBS manual says to do. The manual says to make the die touch the case mouth, lower the case, then BACK THE DIE OUT one full turn, not screw it in tighter. Either way I did whats recommended here and it seemed to fix the issue.

[C3nt3rMa55]

5 whole posts before yours and not one mention of case gauge!!

Case gauge was mentioned in the 2nd reply

[ocabj]

this is the complete opposite of what the RCBS manual says to do. The manual says to make the die touch the case mouth, lower the case, then BACK THE DIE OUT one full turn, not screw it in tighter. Either way I did whats recommended here and it seemed to fix the issue.

Interesting. I started on RCBS and the manuals I had back in 2001-2002 for non-carbide rifle told me to hit the shellholder then turn down a quarter turn more.

Even the RCBS Step-By-Step guide to reloading, step 5 says:

http://rcbs.com/guide/step_by_step_reloading.aspx

Thread the sizer die into the press until the die touches the shell holder when the ram is at the top of the press stroke. Raise the press handle and turn the die down another one-eigth to one-quarter of a turn and set the large lock ring. If you're using a carbide sizer die, make slight contact with the bottom of the die and the shell holder.

[C3nt3rMa55]

this is the complete opposite of what the RCBS manual says to do. The manual says to make the die touch the case mouth, lower the case, then BACK THE DIE OUT one full turn, not screw it in tighter. Either way I did whats recommended here and it seemed to fix the issue.

[JagerDog]

this is the complete opposite of what the RCBS manual says to do. The manual says to make the die touch the case mouth, lower the case, then BACK THE DIE OUT one full turn, not screw it in tighter. Either way I did whats recommended here and it seemed to fix the issue.

Hmmmm...reading is fundamental. Your directions are for setting bullet seating die without crimp or prior to adjusting for crimp after establishing COL.

[Cummins_Powered]

For those of you saying case gauge. That DOESN'T help the op solve his problem. He already knows they aren't fitting in his chamber. A case gauge will only confirm that he has an issue. He needs to adjust his dies as others mentioned.

[Divernhunter]

For the person who is having the problem AFTER seating the bullet.
You seating die is screwed down too far. IF you are trying to crimp be sure the bullet has a crimping groove and the bullet is seated to put the crimp in the groove. Then do not crimp as much. You are distorting the case usually where the taper from the body to the neck starts.
If you need some help PM me.