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  • dane421

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    Sep 8, 2008
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    DFW
    reloading 308 federal case Sierra MK bullet

    Is it ok to full length resize after seating a bullet?

    I am having a problem chambering rounds after I seat my bullets. Brass chambers fine before (so I think it is sized correctly) but sometimes after I seat my bullet it is very difficult to chamber the round.

    Am I moving my shoulder when seating the bullet?
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    Texas1911

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    Check that you aren't seating the rounds too far and crushing the top of the case. Measure the seating area diameter after you seat.

    Is this a bolt gun or a semi-auto?
     

    drj3828

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    Mar 4, 2008
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    Take a fired case and neck size only, then insert a bullet into the case and load in the rifle. Extract the dummy loaded round and measure the OAL of the round. Then with a no powder sized case seat a bullet at that depth and try it.

    Some rifles have a shorter lead on the rifling than others.

    DRJ
     

    dane421

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    Sep 8, 2008
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    Is it ok to full length resize after seating a bullet I would like to know if this can be done before I take aparts the rounds that I am having a problem with

    The problem has something to do with the shoulder of the brass after I seat the bullet.

    I am seating my bullets to correct oal after following the instructions above with a dummy case. This is a bolt action rifle with a custom chamber

    My chamber
    .60 lead
    .342 neck

    DSC01307.jpg
     

    Bullseye Shooter

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    Apr 28, 2008
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    Before you pull stuff apart, you might want to get a full length case gauge and check the overall specs on what you loaded. They are not perfect, but I find, if it will fit in a Wilson, Dillon or Lyman gauge, the round is probably good to go. They've saved me lots of time since I load for an M1 and AR. If you've moved the shoulder or crushed it slightly, it will show up immediately when you drop the completed round in the gauge.

    If you've crushed the shoulder, you could run the rounds back through the resizer to try and smooth it out. If you've pushed the shoulder back, there isn't anything that's going to fix that.
     

    dane421

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    Ok I full length resized one of the rounds and it fit like a glove in the chamber now. I would imagine that after doing this I probably deformed the bullet at the boat tail where it contacts the shoulder inside the case. To shoot or not to shoot is the question.
     

    Bullseye Shooter

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    Ok I full length resized one of the rounds and it fit like a glove in the chamber now. I would imagine that after doing this I probably deformed the bullet at the boat tail where it contacts the shoulder inside the case. To shoot or not to shoot is the question.

    Doubtful. If you pulled the bullet, it would probably look okay. Shoot it.

    Your original problem probably happened because you crimped down too hard when you were seating the bullet, which caused the shoulder to crush just a little. By running it through the sizing die, you removed the crush and brought the cartridge dimensions back to spec. None of those things are going to deform the bullet, which is structurally, the hardest part of a cartridge. Next time, friction seat the bullet, rather than trying to add some kind of factory crimp.
     

    dane421

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    Sep 8, 2008
    52
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    DFW
    Back from the range accuracy was not there but it was windy. I think you are right bullseye I will set my die back alittle. I had been seating much longer bullets and I quess with these I am getting into the crip part of the die.
     
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