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Posted: 2/6/2014 6:29:05 PM EDT
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Hello guys and gals!
I just loaded my first 50 rounds and want to make sure I am completely safe. Having said that, here are two photos of the same cartridge resting in the Dillon case gauge. It appears to me that the headspace is a little too short, but I'm honestly not sure. My eyes aren't as good as they used to be. If it is too short are they still safe to shoot? I've been known to obsess or overthink things, but want to make sure both myself, as well as bystanders, are safe. As always I greatly appreciate the input! 
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Every gun has different headspace, so it's hard to tell.
if you want numbers instead of just guessing...get this. It's a great investment. |
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Quoted:
Looks ok to me. It's best to give DETAILS ... caliber / bullet / charge / prime / OAL etc... Thanks for the reply! Caliber .308 Bullet - Sierra 155gr Palma Match Powder: 43.1gr Varget Primer - Winchester Standard Large Rifle COAL - 2.775 I'm just worried because I'm not sure if too much headspace is going to be obvious or very minuscule when using the gauge. |
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Quoted:
<a href="http://s250.photobucket.com/user/dryflash3/media/Case%20Gauge/PB290317.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/Case%20Gauge/PB290317.jpg</a> Yes your cases are oversized. Should look like the pic. End of case below end of gauge, but above the cut. So raise up your sizing die a little at a time to get it adjusted right. Those are safe to shoot, but the case will streach more than what is normal. Thanks for the photo and input! I originally set the die 1/8th of a turn down once the ram touches the die according to the manufacturers instructions. I then tried 1/16th of a turn and still have the sme issue. If I back it off anymore the press won't "cam over" on the downstroke. Is it safe to adjust the die to just touching or does it absolutely have to do the cam over portion of the downstroke? |
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Quoted: Thanks for the photo and input! I originally set the die 1/8th of a turn down once the ram touches the die according to the manufacturers instructions. I then tried 1/16th of a turn and still have the sme issue. If I back it off anymore the press won't "cam over" on the downstroke. Is it safe to adjust the die to just touching or does it absolutely have to do the cam over portion of the downstroke? Quoted: Quoted: <a href="http://s250.photobucket.com/user/dryflash3/media/Case%20Gauge/PB290317.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/Case%20Gauge/PB290317.jpg</a> Yes your cases are oversized. Should look like the pic. End of case below end of gauge, but above the cut. So raise up your sizing die a little at a time to get it adjusted right. Those are safe to shoot, but the case will streach more than what is normal. Thanks for the photo and input! I originally set the die 1/8th of a turn down once the ram touches the die according to the manufacturers instructions. I then tried 1/16th of a turn and still have the sme issue. If I back it off anymore the press won't "cam over" on the downstroke. Is it safe to adjust the die to just touching or does it absolutely have to do the cam over portion of the downstroke? The die instructions just give you a start point, then you adjust die per a gauge.
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Quoted:
Yes, you can adjust without regard to cam-over. Get the case sized correctly and don't worry about cam-over. Edit: Is this a bolt action, or semi? If you already told me; I apologize. This is for a bolt action. Is it different for a semi or bolt? I apologize again for the newbie questions but I have read the manuals, stickys, and tons of other information, but want to do the best I can. Theoretically, if these were for a .223 AR15 instead of a bolt gun would they still be safe? It scares me to think the gun might blow up due to a measurement that is soooooo small. |
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I wouldn't worry about your loads if the picture you took is typical.
The difference between semi and bolt gun is that with a semi, you should always resize fully, so that it fits that Dillon gauge you mentioned. With a bolt gun, if you're reloading for a PARTICULAR weapon, you don't have to size even that much, but only .005 more than a fired case would read in a gauge /tool like was mentioned by coryumph. I use the Sinclair version, but both work the same way. So, you're fine, and if you think you might use your reloads for more than one rifle, I wouldn't worry about the other gauge. Eventually if you're loading for one particular rifle, you'll want to look into bumping the shoulder back only 'just enough'. This is true for bolt actions, only. ETA: and have fun with it. |
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You are not going to blow up your gun with this condition from your case gage.
We are saying your brass is going to get abused, but you are not unsafe to fire the cartridge based on how it looks in this gage. As for semi-auto or bolt, this isn't going to be a problem either way. If you want to have better control of the dispersion on the shoulder datum, you might want to look into the other gages you saw above and also use some incremental shell holders so you can still use cam-over. http://www.redding-reloading.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35%3Acompetition-shellholder-sets |
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You guys are awesome!
I spent several hours contemplating scrapping these loads and starting from scratch, but I feel much better about it since everyone says its safe. I spent some time downstairs tonight and figured out the spot where the die needs to be to resize to the proper headspace according to the gauge. Turns out all I have to do is raise the ram, tighten the die until it snugly touches the shell holder, and then lock in place. Tried several different pieces of brass from two different manufacturers and it works great. As far as reloading for a specific rifle, my goal is to work up an accurate load for both of my .308 bolt guns, so I will be full sizing each time to make sure they are usable in both guns. Both will shoot factory Hornady sub MOA at 100 yards, so if I can match it or even improve it a little I will be well satisfied. Thanks again to all who responded to help a new reloader out! |
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Quoted:
You guys are awesome! I spent several hours contemplating scrapping these loads and starting from scratch, but I feel much better about it since everyone says its safe. I spent some time downstairs tonight and figured out the spot where the die needs to be to resize to the proper headspace according to the gauge. Turns out all I have to do is raise the ram, tighten the die until it snugly touches the shell holder, and then lock in place. Tried several different pieces of brass from two different manufacturers and it works great. As far as reloading for a specific rifle, my goal is to work up an accurate load for both of my .308 bolt guns, so I will be full sizing each time to make sure they are usable in both guns. Both will shoot factory Hornady sub MOA at 100 yards, so if I can match it or even improve it a little I will be well satisfied. Thanks again to all who responded to help a new reloader out! One last thing, you should have a case in the die at the time you tighten it down. Also you can always chamber a resized piece of brass in your gun. |
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Quoted: You guys are awesome! I spent several hours contemplating scrapping these loads and starting from scratch, but I feel much better about it since everyone says its safe. I spent some time downstairs tonight and figured out the spot where the die needs to be to resize to the proper headspace according to the gauge. Turns out all I have to do is raise the ram, tighten the die until it snugly touches the shell holder, and then lock in place. Glad you figured out what we were saying.  Tried several different pieces of brass from two different manufacturers and it works great.As far as reloading for a specific rifle, my goal is to work up an accurate load for both of my .308 bolt guns, so I will be full sizing each time to make sure they are usable in both guns. Both will shoot factory Hornady sub MOA at 100 yards, so if I can match it or even improve it a little I will be well satisfied. Thanks again to all who responded to help a new reloader out! |
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