223 Reload Help - Crushing Shoulder

[TigerCreek]

I'm having inconsistent reloads of my 223s when inserting bullets - sometimes the shoulders will fold a bit. It's like the bullet will only go so far into the brass then starts to fold. This happens to about a quarter of my loads.
The loads are for one rifle, a Mini 14.
I've used a Wilson headspace gauge to set the headspace for the loads.
The brass is mixed.
All of it is deprimed then cleaned. Then lubed. It is then run through the expanding die and trimmed to length if necessary.
Then primed, powder dropped and seat the bullet. It's here that 1 out of 4 will fold the shoulder.
I don't have any trouble with any of my other rifle loads, just this caliber.
Any ideas?

 

[243winxb]

The seating die is crimping to hard on brass with a longer trim length. Back the seating die out a litte and adjust seating plug.

 

[rcmodel]

+1
Back off the seating die so it isn't crimping and bucketing the shoulder.

And, if you trim?
Chamfer and de-bur the case mouth before seating bullets in the knife sharp case mouth!

rc

 

[TigerCreek]

Thanks. I was anal using the headspace gauge and may have overlooked this. I'll go back and double check. Every piece of brass that's trimmed gets deburred and chamfered.

 

[TigerCreek]

I meant to add this pic as a sample of my problem. The three on the right have varying degrees of crush and the one on the left is good.

 

[steve4102]

First, place a prepared case (a case that has been resized, re-primed and contains the proper amount of powder) into the shell holder and run it to the top of the press stroke. Second, screw the bullet seating die into the press until you feel it touch the case. Third, back the die off one turn and set the large lock ring. Now there is a proper gap between the shell holder and the die.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/adjust_reloading_dies.htm

Your photo shows a perfect example of a improperly set-up Seating die.

More instructions here.

http://www.rcbs.com/downloads/instructions/ReloadingDieInstructions.pdf

 

[joem1945]

Seat and crimp die is set too low. Back it off 1/8 th. turn and turn the seater plug down a bit. What is you trim to length? Mine is 1.250 to 1.252.

 

[Walkalong]

Size, trim, debur and chamfer a case. Put it in the press and run it all the up way/handle all the way down. Back the seater plug on the die almost all the way up, just short of falling out. run the lock ring up as far as it will go on the die. Screw the seater/crimp die into the press until you feel the crimp ledge hit the case mouth, then back it off a half turn. Lock it down here, then run the case back up in the die with a bullet resting on it. Turn the seater plug down until it touches, lower the brass/bullet a little bit and turn the seater plug down a couple of turns. Run the brass/bullet back up. Adjust a little bit by bit until you have the OAL you want. Now it is set with the crimp ledge up out of the way.

 

[Laphroaig]

You never indicated if you want to crimp or not. If you don't, do as the other posters have suggested and back your die out a bit. If you do want to crimp, the pictures show that you are missing the cannelure of the bullet. Try adjusting your OAL so the crimp coincides with the cannelure.

It might take a little adjusting both ways to stop the problem.

Laphroaig

 

[TigerCreek]

Thanks . I reset the resizing die using my Wilson headspace gauge as a guide and I ended back in the same position I started in. Moved on the the seating die and that's where I was off. Couldn't see the forest for the trees. About to pull a bunch of bullets and reload another batch with better results.

 

[forestswin]

Note
with the instructions that come with Hornady New Dimension dies
they say when setting the crimp, thread the seater die body into press in 1/16 inch increments (applying the crimp)

That was my mistake, I started out in quarter or half turns.... before I re-read the directions:banghead:

Now I keep the mic handy and check the diameters too

 

[TigerCreek]

Loaded 25 mixed commercial and 25 Lake City with zero problems. Bottom line, I had the seating die set too deep as many of you suggested. Thanks again.