Reloading .30-06 for Browning ABolt

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SwaneeSR

SwaneeSR

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Gentlemen:

I am reloading for my Browning ABolt and I am new to rifle reliading.

I own several .30-06 rifles that we use for Whitetail hunting:
Bwn Abolt SS Stalker
Rem 742
Bwn BAR

I tried my hand at reloading rifle for the first time with the
Following three bullets.
Hornady SST 165gr
Nossler Ballistic Tip, 165gr
Barnes TTSX, 165gr
All loads had H4350 for powder and a WLP (stnd win. Rifle) primer.

So these loads worked pretty well at the range at 100 and
200 yards. Typically in our hunting my sons and I rarely
get a shot at an animal outside of 125 yards.

So this is my sixth batch of rifle. I sorted all of my brass
And prepped and resized federal brass and trimmed where
necessary. I own a Dillon 550B, buy I do my rifle reloading
On my Rockchucker press using my Dillon die set.

In my last batches, some of the cartridges seem too
long for the ABolt. So this time, I checked all the fully
prepped cases (not primed) for fit in the ABolt and
about 10 out of 80 do not fit well in the ABolt. There
Does not seem to be any issues with the two semiautomatics.

This seems backwards to me. I have been careful to make
sure I to setup the resize die to get a full resize.

Do I need to buy a different die set (small base) or a different
Mfg die set?

Maybe i am making a simple newbie error?

Thank you for any ideas.
 
Crank the die down a little more so you are getting full press toggle over at full ram extension.
That makes up for press frame flex and toggle link slack.

Doubtful you need a small base die, but to check?

Color a case that wont fit with a black magic marker, then try to chamber it.

If the ink rubs off the shoulder you aren't pushing the shoulder back enough, and a die adjustment will correct it.

If the ink rubs off back by the case head, then a small base die is in order.

rc
 
It's hard to tell but it sounds like you are not bumping the shoulder back on the brass so it's too long for the chamber. No, it's not backwards. Your ABolt probably has a tighter chamber than the semi-auto does so that's where you are seeing the problem first. Try turning the sizing die in a little and see if that does the trick.

If you like tools like I do you can buy a case gauge to aid in setting the die up correctly. It's not necessary but it can help take out the guess work.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/27...e-gage-30-06-springfield?cm_vc=ProductFinding

EDIT: RC types faster than I do! lol
 
I think these guys hit the x ring. Put a half turn or so on your sizing die to bump that shoulder back just a smidge. Smidge, BTW, is a highly scientific, extremely technical term for a tiny bit. Lol

I had that happening in my 22-250. I knew the case length was good and the over all length was good. I bumped the shoulder bqck a smidge and voila. I will be making the investment in a case Guage and bullet comparator for that rifle.
 
It's important to know that every chamber is unique in this regard, so how much shoulder bump that's necessary for a proper fit is very specific to each chamber. So, what I do, since not all my dies are dedicated to just one rifle, is I log the head to datum line measurements of the brass fire formed from each chamber. I currently use a home made tool for this task, but there are a number of gauges manufactured that will provide an accurate repeatable measurement. This allows for more precise resizing, and it's also a bit quicker during die set up and adjustment.

If your getting some that don't fit following a resizing session, it's possible that you may be short stroking the press. Or some pieces of brass may be thinner / thicker, harder / softer than others. An extra little step that I utilize, is to let the brass remain in the die at full extension for several seconds, rather than just quickly running it in and out of the die, this reduces excessive and inconsistent spring back.

Another possible cause can be a tiny piece of debris in the chamber, a dirty chamber, a spec of debris on the bolt face, on the brass, or a small seemingly insignificant defect of the brass can make the difference of fitting or not fitting the chamber. IMHO, the chamber / barrel needs to be properly cleaned prior to setting up the resizing die for proper shoulder bump. We are talking about very tight tolerances of .003" or less, which certainly qualifies as precision tolerances.

Also make sure the die and shell holder are clean and free of any debris. This right here can cause inconsistent results after resizing.

For a bolt gun, .002" - .003" shoulder bump is plenty, IMO. Too much bump will shorten brass life significantly, usually resulting in premature case head separations. Not enough, and you end up with some that fit the chamber, and some that don't. It is advisable to chamber check every piece of brass prior to going beyond the resizing process. Separate those those that won't fit, then readjust the sizing die down, until those pieces of brass will fit. The closer the chamber tolerance fit is, the more accurate the loads will shoot, and the longer the brass will last. I like mine to fit with just a hint of light resistance, this tells me they are almost a perfect fit for that chamber.

GS
 
Problem solved. You guys were right. I needed to turn down my resize die "two scientifically measured smidges". Resized the offending cases and rechecked with chambering in the ABolt. All are now good.

So the conclusion is "newbie error" for this one. However, I have added all of your other suggestions to my reloading notebook. I would imagine I will need these other techniques as I get better at this. Also, need to invest in a case gauge and learn to use it. Seems worth the money to take the guess work out of those favorite caliber.

The outside temperature has moved down to -6°F, time to get priming these cases.

Thanks for all the help and instruction.
 
TWO smidges eh? I think we need a new term for that one. Wait. It is smidges, right? Not smidgi?

Glad you got it figured out. With those temperatures I thinks it's a good time to do. Well. Anything that isn't outside.
 
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