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Posted: 2/20/2010 12:08:30 PM EDT
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I'm fairly new to reloading. Just loaded up a small batch of 30-06 rounds on my Dillon 550B.
You can see in the photos, a very slight annular ring/bulge near the base of the shells. Is this common? I didn't notice this on the first set of shells I made (which shot just fine). The resizing die is set as low as it can go, so that wouldn't seem to be the problem. The brass is all Winchester. Shot in an 03A3 Should this happen? or be expected? Thanks for any insight. -ppknut ETA: The factory shells don't seem to have this, but the once fired brass does, just not as pronounced. 
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Using Dillon spray lube.
Yes, I can feel the slight bulge. I actually may have been using too much lube (I stuck a few cases before and don't want to go through that again!) By the way, does anyone bother to wipe, or otherwise clean the lube off the finished shells? They just seem a little sticky. This was a concern I had with my semi-auto .308's. No problem detected, just curious. |
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Quoted:
I'll check 'em with my case gauge. I heard somewhere that tumbling finished rounds is not the best idea. While I think that setting a primer off is a pretty remote possibility, I'd be more concerned about damaging the nice points on my Match Kings. I also was told that many years ago when I started out in shooting Check on here for a test that was done to totally disprove this fallacy: one of the members did a full test & pull-down of loaded tumbled ammo & it was 100% safe to do |
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Unfold a paper clip, then make one 90 degree bend near one end to make an L shape, with the short part being short enough for you to insert it into the case. Feel around the inside where the ring/bulge is. If you're feeling a groove right where the ring/bulge is, toss the case.
What you're seeing is normal in regards to reloading. But it's also where case head separations happen if you're hotrodding the load... 
I've had one or two cases where cracks appear right there when I pushed the pressure envelope... 
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Quoted:
Using Dillon spray lube. Yes, I can feel the slight bulge. I actually may have been using too much lube (I stuck a few cases before and don't want to go through that again!) By the way, does anyone bother to wipe, or otherwise clean the lube off the finished shells? They just seem a little sticky. This was a concern I had with my semi-auto .308's. No problem detected, just curious. You must get the lube off those cases, if you fire cases with lube on them it increases bolt thrust which is bad. Puts a lot of strain on your rifles action. Which is why they are built so strong to keep you safe. What most of us do is tumble the sized cases to remove the lube. You can also hand wipe. I use plain corn cob, doesn't take long. Only use this media for delubing. It lasts a long time when used for this. Dillon spray lube is good stuff. The marks on your cases are where the sizing die quit sizing the case, Normal, as is the bulge. If you were to section a case you would find the sizing stops where the solid case head starts. A reloading press can size a brass tube (case), but cannot size the part of the case head that is solid brass. Just too much pressure would be needed. |
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Mine been looking like that for yrs.. I use RCBS FL die, and no matter what headstamp I use, I have similar ring. I suspect i is just where the case stops entering the size die, just set a case in the shell holder ad see if it aligns with top of shell holder or theres about. My loads are shot out a bolt gun. |
Did you do anything different from the first reloads "that shot fine"? Case mfg, bullet, primer, power, etc. The photos show possible start of incipent head separation. You might consider backing off the amount of powder, and then slowly i ncrease it in separate loadings. Any change, no matter how slight may make a safe load, dangerous.
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Quoted:
Did you do anything different from the first reloads "that shot fine"? Case mfg, bullet, primer, power, etc. The photos show possible start of incipent head separation. You might consider backing off the amount of powder, and then slowly i ncrease it in separate loadings. Any change, no matter how slight may make a safe load, dangerous.Nope. Nothing Different. The load I'm using is IMR 4895, 37.5gr., with a 168 gr. Match King. Not a particularly hot load, if I read the Sierra Manual correctly. That being said, the rounds in my photos are factory once fired. This is their first reload. So It's not like they've been loaded a bunch of times and are developing untoward stress. Dryflash3: Thanks for the tip on the lube and its removal. I will probably do the corn cob cleaning after they're sized. |
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It's a good ideal to tumble after sizing anyway to get the lube out of the case necks, that Dillon lube is good stuff(I use it also) but it stays in there and your neck tension wont be nearly what it should be if the lube isn't cleaned from the inside of the case necks.
EWP |
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Quoted:
I'm fairly new to reloading. Just loaded up a small batch of 30-06 rounds on my Dillon 550B. You can see in the photos, a very slight annular ring/bulge near the base of the shells. Is this common? I didn't notice this on the first set of shells I made (which shot just fine). The resizing die is set as low as it can go, so that wouldn't seem to be the problem. The brass is all Winchester. Shot in an 03A3 Should this happen? or be expected? Thanks for any insight. -ppknut ETA: The factory shells don't seem to have this, but the once fired brass does, just not as pronounced. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2803/4373971636_da665a9bcf_b.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2706/4373217625_f6559b84ca_b.jpg If your die is set as low as it will go, you could be setting the shoulder back too far and causing excess stretching of the brass. |
| I saw the same thing with casings from factory .30-06 rounds that I had recently fired and was getting ready to reload. I had two more boxes of the factory cartridges so I took a look at them and they looked exactly the same, so figure it's no problem. I do have a new bag of rem. casings that I bought for reloading and they don't have the ridge.?? Guess I'll see if it shows up after sizing. |
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