Stuck Bullet/Separate from Case - Ideas? Blackout

[Psychbiker]

I'm trying to reload these inexpensive 203.5gr subsonic bullets. The seller/company was able to load to 2.008 without issues. Me?? Not so much. 2.008 will drop freely in my sheridan case gauge BUT when I chamber I cannot remove the loaded round.

Had to get a screwdriver and pry the bolt back slowly. One bullet got stuck in the chamber and separated from the case dumping powder everywhere.

I've never loaded lead only FMJ and moly/plated. Any ideas what might be going on? The brass came from the same company. It's professionally cut, cleaned, trimmed, sized etc. I do have to bell the case a very little so when sizing it doesnt shave lead. I then crimp.

My only thoughts is I'm crimping too much and its bulging somewhere. Gonna fiddle around.

[Psychbiker]

Here's a pic of the round fitting and dropping freeling in and out of the gauge. Any clue why this wont eject after being chambered?



Here's a pic of the bullet after being ejected. It took a big tug on the charging handle to get it out. I dont think I can go shorter. Notice the rings on the bullets and dents on top.

[bigbossman]

Looks to me like the bullet is seated too long for your chamber, and is being forced into the lands when you close the bolt. You need to measure your chamber OAL, and compare it with those loaded rounds.

The quick and dirty way is to close the bolt on an empty chamber, and insert a wooden dowel into the muzzle so that it goes all the way down to and touches the bolt face. Mark it at the muzzle with a marker. Now open the bolt and take a bullet (not a loaded round, just a bullet) and insert it into the chamber so that it is all the way forward and touching the lands. Hold it there, and repeat the dowel insertion and marking.

The space between the two markings on the dowel is your chamber OAL. Compare it to a loaded round and see what's what.

[J-cat]

Case gauge does not have rifling in it.

[pacrat]

Loaded case gages typically check for sizing and headspace issues.

As noted above, they don't have rifling. So there is no way they can check ogive to leade clearance. Not all chambers are created equal.

If cases were swelled and binding, rough extraction, yes. But that would not cause bullets to be pulled from neck on extraction.

Ogive shapes are different configurations with different bullets. You can have same COAL with 2 different bullets, yet one will jam the leade and the other clear it.

JM2c

[bigbossman]

Case gauge does not have rifling in it.

Not sure how that is relevant.

The OP states that the loaded round fits into and drops freely from the case gauge, but sticks n the rifle chamber with the bullet being pulled loose on extraction.

That bullet is being pressed into the rifling.

[klewan]

Looks to me like the bullet is seated too long for your chamber, and is being forced into the lands when you close the bolt. You need to measure your chamber OAL, and compare it with those loaded rounds.

The quick and dirty way is to close the bolt on an empty chamber, and insert a wooden dowel into the muzzle so that it goes all the way down to and touches the bolt face. Mark it at the muzzle with a marker. Now open the bolt and take a bullet (not a loaded round, just a bullet) and insert it into the chamber so that it is all the way forward and touching the lands. Hold it there, and repeat the dowel insertion and marking.

The space between the two markings on the dowel is your chamber OAL. Compare it to a loaded round and see what's what.

+1. Coloring the bullet with a magic marker, DIY Prussian Blue, should be able to see marks from the rifling on the bullet, also works. Or assemble dummy rounds of varying length and see what's the longest you can get to work.

[thenodnarb]

Same thing happens with my 30 cal rifles when I powder coat. Extraction of a live round is difficult due to the bullet getting pressed into the rifling. I just be sure to shoot them, so I don't load them unless I am sure I'm going to shoot them. But I can get them out if I really have to.

I'm going to say its normal when using PC lead bullets due to the shape and added thickness of the PC. These are blackout loads correct? If so, you don't strictly need powder coating, especially when shooting subsonic loads. Try uncoated and see if it too sticks into the rifling. If not, then you can do a traditional lube, and still be able to eject live rounds easily.

[pacrat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-cat
Case gauge does not have rifling in it.

Not sure how that is relevant.
The OP states that the loaded round fits into and drops freely from the case gauge, but sticks n the rifle chamber with the bullet being pulled loose on extraction.

That bullet is being pressed into the rifling.

Your last sentence correctly explains the relevance.

A case gage is just that "a case gage". Bullet dia. of .308" uses a "bore dia" of .300". Gage has no rifling restriction down to .300" bore for the bullet to bind/wedge into as an actual chamber does.

His ammo as loaded that bound up in "his" chamber, may work just fine in another rifle with more generous leade.

When I develope a load with a given bullet with proper seating depth. I make a "dummy" and crimp it firmly in place. I then mark it and keep it in die box for easy repeatability of seating die setup. Example......I have 3 different .243s, I use the 100 gr Sierra in each. Each has its own seating preference. So there are 3 seating setup dummies in the die box. A bit anal retentive, but works for me. Rather than seating to shortest for 3 rifles and suffering sub par accuracy with 2 of them.

JM2c

[bigbossman]

I think we are in violent agreement, then..... trying to express the same thought in different ways.

I also follow your practice of building dummy reference rounds for different bullets so that I can quickly set the seating depth for my rifle(s) and a given bullet.

In any case, I think we agree that the OP needs to find out what the proper seating depth is for his rifle using these bullets. What he has now is a cartridge that is too long and that bullet is getting stuck in the lands.

[3RDGEARGRNDRR]

Cant believe nobody has said this yet, but your bullet is jammed into the lands

[thenodnarb]

Cant believe nobody has said this yet, but your bullet is jammed into the lands

That is literally what everyone has said so far.

[Fjold]

That is literally what everyone has said so far.

Sarcasm is lost on you.

[klewan]

That is literally what everyone has said so far.

He's just testing us. But I don't think that is sarcasm. It needs to have an 'edge' to be sarcasm, and I'm not detecting an 'edge'. Has to be something more....

[3RDGEARGRNDRR]