.223 Getting Pushed Back while Chambering

[jetman624]

The brass is the correct length, the COAL is 2.260". If I chamber a round, the bolt is a little tough to close, but will close. If I pull the round out, the bullet has been pushed in and the COAL is around ~2.23. I am not feeding them from the magazine, I am gently guiding them into the chamber with my fingers AND THEN closing the bolt.

Bullet was a 55gh Sierra GK HPBT

Any idea why this is happening?

On a side note, I have some Nosler match ammo and noticed that the COAL was 2.235, which surprised me. I didn't try chambering that round...

[Black Majik]

I'm thinking insufficient neck tension. What dies are you using?

[Abenaki]

Bullet seated out to far, and hitting the rifling?


Take care
Abenaki

[jetman624]

I'm thinking insufficient neck tension. What dies are you using?

The cases are fire formed PMC brass (first firing was a factory load). I did not bump the shoulder as they were still within spec on the case length gauge and chambered just fine prior to seating a bullet. I have a Redding shoulder bump die for when cases do need to be bumped, and the Lee collet neck sizing die. The neck tension is pretty stiff. I can definitely feel the tension when I seat the bullet.

Bullet seated out to far, and hitting the rifling?


Take care
Abenaki

I don't know if it is hitting the riffling-- but what else could it be? There are not marks on the bullet when it comes out, and it never get stuck in the rifling...

The last round I did, I literally placed the round all way in the chamber by hand AND THEN closed the bolt-- the bolt took a bit of pressure to close, but did close, and of course the bullet had been pushed back when I took the round back out.

[Enfield47]

Use a black sharpie and color the bullet with it. When you chamber the round and extract it, if it is making contact with the lands it will rub off the sharpie markings so you can see what is happening.

[mroels]

have you measured ID after running brass through collet die? I think it has to be neck tension related. I can't imagine you're touching rifling at 2.260" COAL. Grab a round, with bullet end down push it into a flat surface with reasonable force. If there's bullet set back it's neck tension for sure.

On another note, I don't know why everyone is obsessed with seating out to 2.260" especially with 55gr bullets. I get the whole minimize jump aspect but with a 55gr bullet you're barely in the case. If you still have any of your factory pmc loads measure COAL and I bet they are 2.20". I've never loaded 55gr Game King but maybe the fact that you're seating a BT bullet that far out is the issue, you might not be in the casing sufficiently.

[Bastard]

the COAL will vary from bullet to bullet, better to measure the ogive.

you could be too long - would probably need to find out how long the chamber is to really get a definitive answer though once again that would be an ogive measurement.
1st impressions sounds like there is not enough neck tension, though I see no mention of crimping either.

also we are all assuming that you are firing from an AR platform & as such you should really be FL sizing.

[jetman624]

It is a rem 700, not an AR.

I have tools to and do measure from the ogive, but there is no spec to my knowledge on max ogive measurement, so that is why I used COAL.

The brass, even after firing, was less than .001 over stated spec. After neck sizing it chambered just fine.

I don't see how the sole issue could be neck tension if I am placing the round by hand into the chamber and closing the bolt behind it. Whether there was enough neck tension or not, I don't know why there should be anything obstructing it at that point to push the bullet back. If I was feeding from the mag, obviously there are things it could be catching on and pushing it back-- but that is not the case here.

I can figure out what my max ogive measurement should be and load to that. I guess I am most curious if it is common for a rifle to not properly chamber a round that is at the cartridges spec COAL. Is this normal, or was the chamber on this barrel not properly finished out?

[bitethebullet]

I know it sounds obvious, but have you looked to see if there my be something stuck in the chamber? I load 55's all the time and have gone all the way out to 2.2 OAL without an issue. Heck I have also loaded some heavy VLD's at 2.43 before the even touched the rifling. Had to hand feed those....I'm at a loss??

[hemiguy55]

Is this a complete upper? Or a build?
If it's a build, could the barrel not have been headspaced properly?

[jetman624]

I know it sounds obvious, but have you looked to see if there my be something stuck in the chamber? I load 55's all the time and have gone all the way out to 2.2 OAL without an issue. Heck I have also loaded some heavy VLD's at 2.43 before the even touched the rifling. Had to hand feed those....I'm at a loss??

That would seem obvious, but I have not done it. This was just before a cleaning though, and it shot fine the previous week, so not sure what could be in there-- but will definitely give it a look.

Is this a complete upper? Or a build?
If it's a build, could the barrel not have been headspaced properly?

NOT an AR. Rem 700 in .223

[74c5]

Other than what is posted previously.....spring tension. Oversize case when the expander ball is drawn out. Work hardening is sufficient to comply with the ball but it won't spring back?

[jetman624]

Other than what is posted previously.....spring tension. Oversize case when the expander ball is drawn out. Work hardening is sufficient to comply with the ball but it won't spring back?

I am not sure what you are trying to say there. There is no expander ball on the dies I use. Well there kind of is in the Lee neck die, but it is only.222-- so I do not think that is the issue. That is, it doesn't not work like the Dillon dies, if that is what you are thinking.

There is a noticeable friction when seating the bullet. Also, I check every case after neck sizing by trying to manually push a bullet in-- I can only ever get the boat tail portion of the bullet in by hand.

[Bumslie]

Take the loaded round and use your body weight and push the nose of the bullet against your press or a hard surface. Measure before and after. If the length changes it has to be a neck tension issue.

[Bastard]

ok since it is a Bolt - seat a bullet long with just enough neck tension to hold the bullet in the case, empty of course. chamber the round & allow it to contact the lands and be allowed to be pushed into the case - cycle the bolt to eject - measuring the ogive will give you the the chamber length.
seat .020 or .010 (depending on what you read in to) off the lands to start

basically like this;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUWPZNQuZ-w