# New to reloading.



## benson821 (Nov 29, 2009)

I just got into reloading, and purchased a Lee Breach Lock Challenger kit, 135 grain Sierra Matchkings, 52 A-max, Hodgdon H1000 and Varget.

I reloaded some 223 and 270 rounds and am scared to shoot them. I measured them out and the powder amount for them is within the minium and maximum for the round and powder but i am scared to shoot them.

The 223 rounds are somewhat compressed rounds and the 270 rounds i believe are good. they are all within the maxium length.
But the 270 rounds I made i tried cycling them through my rifle and they worked fine, but when it came to turn the bolt down it was a little rough and tough, and there was a little mark on the round just about the end of the case anybody know what this if from and if it is ok????? and how do i get over my fear of shooting these new rounds??

benson821 :sniper:


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## Bauer (Sep 29, 2005)

First of all, I want to say, I have not been doing this long enough to know for sure, so please feel free to correct me if I am wrong 

BUT

From my experience, it sounds to me like you are not seating your bullets far enough for the chamber of your gun. The numbers that are put in the loading books and info that comes with your dies, are just an average that is assumed to work in most guns. I would try seating your bullets a little farther and see if the problem goes away. I invested in a OAL Chamber gauge to find the exact measurements of the chambers of my rifles. With this tool, you can seat your bullet tips to get the least amount of freebore, yet keep them from hitting the bore when you drop the bolt.

I basically tought myself how to reload, the first round I fired was the worst, I had the gun resting on my sticks, used one hand to hold the gun, head turned around and shot, cringing and barely breathing the whole time. IT WORKED! since then, as long as I know that I am within the min/max parameters, I feel that it should be safe.

Good luck, its alot of fun :beer:


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

1 forget everything that was just wrote. If he does not know how long it is to the lands and then jams the bullet chances are he will have a real bad experience. Get the book the abc of reloading it is very good and will keep you safe. Are the brass fired or new brass? if they are fired it just sounds like you might need to adjust your Fl sizing die a little more. Did you measure the brass to make sure they are not to long? So many variables that it is hard to help with out more info. Give us the exact load and COAL of the round and might be able to help you more. What kind of scale did you use to measure the powder guessing the lee scale comes with the kit. If you want to really learn go to snipershide and look in reloading section as a guy wrote up how to do it from start to finish.


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## mmhoium (Jun 16, 2009)

First, take EVERYTHING you read online with a grain of salt. The internet is great, but there is TONS of bad information out there. Buying the ABC's of Reloading is an excellent place to start, not online forums.

When I started reloading, I too was very nervous about my reloads. More than likely, like the previous posts say, you are probably just pushing the bullet into the lands of your barrel when you close the bolt, this isn't necessarily a bad thing by the way.

Just double check your length, try seating the bullet just a tiny bit more into the case and see how it feels. Also check the neck - if it is once fired brass and didn't get neck sized, chambering the round will feel different than factory ammo. A bullet puller is an excellent tool for when you make a mistake or are unsure.

If your powder is within PUBLISHED load data (physical books), not online suggestions, your lengths are correct, you are using the right powder/bullet/primer combo, you should be just fine.

And finally, welcome to the most time-consuming and rewarding hobby out there. I enjoy shooting sports tons more since I began to reload. Be careful, and have fun!

-M


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

If he is loading to book oal there is no way in hell he is at the lands with a factory rifle the throats are longer than hell. Custom gun maybe.


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## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

I think he might be getting marks on the rear end of the case and not the bullet. If that is the case then I would say they were not resized quite enough, which is a common enough issue that many of us that have reloaded for any length of time can say it will rear it's head every now and again. If that is the issue, and you are within the powder limits ( I always start close to the minimum) I would go ahead and try them. This can show up with brass that has been fired in a rifle with a little bit of a loose chamber or hot load, or just regularly. Most resizing dies are made to be installed by screwing the die in until it touches the ram with the shell holder, and then turned 1/4 to 1/2 turn more, and then tightened. You wouldn't think so, but that 1/4 turn is often the difference between a sweet cycling reload and a jammed rifle.

Like anything there is a factor of safety within reloading and firearms. You will see pressure signs on the cases long before you reach the limits of the rifle. I can't imagine a load within powder/length limits causing you anything like that. I have seen pressure signs develop on the upper end of reloading data in particular rifles (flattened primers/stretched cases/etc) but never more than that.

If you are getting marks on the bullets, then you are engaging the rifling, meaning your bullets are seated out to far. Again, if they are within the powder limits, I would work them down with the seating die until you do not get marks on the bullets from the rifling.

There are many ways to check the depth of the rifling. With every different bullet, they will engage the rifling at a different length due to their different shapes. If the bullets are pushed into the rifling it will cause pressure to jump. If they are too far away, accuracy may suffer. Different loads/bullets seem to have different "honey spots" for the length needed to shoot the best in a particular rifle. There are tools out there now that allow to check the length a bullet can be loaded to before engaging the rifling, but there are other ways to figure this out too. Back when I was a kid we would load a dummy round (no powder or primer) to a long length, smoke the bullet with a candle, chamber it, seat further and repeat until we did not get rifling marks on the bullet. Or we would take a bullet, drop it in the chamber, tap it with a cleaning rod to engage the rifling, then measure from the bore to the bullet. Then tap the bullet out, close the bolt, then measure from the bore to the face of the bolt. This was done with a cleaning rod and marker. The difference between the two was our maximum oal we could load to, if they fit in the magazine. Technology has come a long way since then, but accomplishes the same thing.

I would recommend buying 3 or 4 differrent reloading manuals and reading the front of all on reloading.

If you are truley worried, buy a bullet puller and start over.

And one more thing, try the reloading forum as a lot of the reloading guys on here stick to there. It's down the list a ways.


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## AdamFisk (Jan 30, 2005)

southdakbearfan said:


> There are many ways to check the depth of the rifling. Back when I was a kid we would load a dummy round (no powder or primer) to a long length, smoke the bullet with a candle, chamber it, seat further and repeat until we did not get rifling marks on the bullet..


That is the method I used once, except with a sharpie, and I think I will continue to use that method.

I have that Hornady OAL guage, and for the life of me, couldn't get the exact same reading twice, so I took an average. It did help to stick a cleaning rod down the barrel so I could push the bullet from both directions, allowing me to feel the lands a little better. My average from the tool was 7 thousandths (if I remember correctly) different than the sharpie method. I guess I trust the sharpie method to be more accurate.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I used the sharpie for years, then bought the Stoney Point OAL gauge. Like you Adam I kept getting different measurements. So after a discussion on here last week and not wanting my purchase of an OAL gauge to be a waste of money I purchased the bullet comparator. Now that really doesn't help if you have to average. 
I tried to find a thread that was on here a couple of weeks ago. It was about "how often do you clean your rifle". Some said every time they go out and another said every 200 to 300 rounds. I always say good things about the 6.5mm caliber, but don't own one. I thought I should cure that so about a month ago I purchased a Cooper Phoenix in 6.5 X 284 Norma. Now I am into turning necks to get that last couple of thousandths off my groups. Anyway, not knowing much about that caliber I have been on the net checking. A very reputable competitor says the barrel of a 6.5 X 284 is only good for 800 rounds. He said you may double that if you clean every time you shoot. Many said much of your wear is fire cutting, but perhaps the most is the carbon ring building up in the throat and acting like an abrasive with every following shot. 
OK, now to the point. I cleaned with CR10, Sweets 7.62, and JB Bore Cleaner. My barrel looked squeaky clean. When I bought the bullet comparator I started checking for bullet seating depth. I kept getting different readings. The bullet didn't seat smoothly. Then I remembered one of those fellows on the net saying don't use the 6.5 brush you will get nothing done. Use the 270 caliber brush. So I did that and now when I use the OAL gauge it's like I hit a brick wall. I had been getting two different readings, and I was afraid I may be actually pushing the bullet into the rifling a bit if the rifling was tapered. Nope, what was happening is if I didn't push hard enough I was seating the ogive against the carbon ring. The difference was .095 inches. 
I have not used a brush that much, but all of my rifles are coming out of the safe and getting a good brushing now.


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## AdamFisk (Jan 30, 2005)

Interesting. I can't remember if I checked OAL with that gauge on a clean barrel or not. Now I have to do a before and after measurement to see what's what.


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## benson821 (Nov 29, 2009)

No I meant that there are marks on the projectile, I don't know what it is from but when i turn the bolt down it is harder to push down, the mark is on the end of the projectile just above the neck of the case. For what i can see there are no marks on the case, just on the bullet itself.

benson821


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

What is your coal?

Plainsman when guns get scrubbed that much how much is it metal that is coming off with the harsh cleaners? that is what a few barrel makers have said do more damage to barrels then anything else is over cleaning. I guess i dont clean until my accuracy goes away or i have been out in the rain or wet conditions. Usally just run a bore snake and throw her back in the cabinet.


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## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

benson821 said:


> No I meant that there are marks on the projectile, I don't know what it is from but when i turn the bolt down it is harder to push down, the mark is on the end of the projectile just above the neck of the case. For what i can see there are no marks on the case, just on the bullet itself.
> 
> benson821


The bullets are most definately loaded out to far for the rifle if the following is true. Are the marks spaced out in an equal manner? If so, that are the individual lands of the rifling hitting the bullet.


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## benson821 (Nov 29, 2009)

It just like one solid mark going side to side on it, i have like 3 rounds that do this, then i loaded 5 more rounds at the same lenght and those are fine for what i can tell, i also loaded 2 rounds shorter and it still made a mark on the projectile.

benson821


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

If you want help answer the questions what is your coal with that i can tell if you are loaded long or if you did not resize the cases properley.


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## AdamFisk (Jan 30, 2005)

Yes, you need to measure your cartridge with a caliper, and report back on that. If you are seating bullets per the manual, I highly doubt you are jamming into the lands when chambering that round.

Is it possible these "marks" he's talking about are the marks on the bullet from the seater die?????

Take pictures too.

And don't shoot them until you get it figured out.

With pics and measurements, I'm sure there are guys here that can diagnose your problem for you.


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## benson821 (Nov 29, 2009)

I can't take any pics, but i made those and they were rough rotating the bolt. then i made 5 more and they work fine, maybe they are resided wrong or or maybe seated wrong, i may just pull the bullets and do everything over again. I am using Hogdgon H1000 and Sierra 135 matchkings with reused federal cases and winchester primers, and i sized them just a TINY bit shorter than max overall length, and i loaded them with a median amount of powder (max is 61, min is like 56 don't wanna go look at the book) i loaded it with 59 grains roughly.

benson821


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

How long are they loaded i want numbers not a little shorter than max just plain *** numbers and you should have that as it should all be wrote in a log so if you go and shoot these rounds they can be reproduced with out guessing what is what. Not getting what you mean you sized them a little shorter than max oal. you dont size anything to certain length you seat a bullet to a certain length. How long is the brass it may be long and need triming and you may be pinching that when you cycle the round and if that is the case you can blow your self up very easily it will cause high pressure. It may seem i am being a dick and really picky but if you want to reload you have to be just a little anal or you might be short a finger or eye. tell me the load like this

135 smk
how much powder
complete overall length
lenght of brass after ran through sizing die.
How many times have the federal cases loaded?
what kind of gun?

If you can answer these questions helping you will be alot easier. I go and buy the abc of reloading it is really helpful. And dont shoot till you are 100% sure you have every thing done right. It is not worth seriously hurting your self.


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## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

I have to agree with Kurt, something just doesn't add up in the details, and mostly because you are not familiar with the common terminology.

Something is rubbing for some reason, if you aren't getting equidistant spaced marks on the bullet, then is most likely is not the rifling. Are you sure there wasn't a burr of brass in the chamber for the first two you tried to chamber?

Start over describing from the beginning, giving the details asked, and we might be able to help more. A picture is also worth a thousand words in this instance, along with measurements.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Hmmm, I have this thing nagging at me. Benson, are you trimming and measuring before you resize, or after? Either is ok, but if you trim and measure before you resize you need to trim at least .010 shorter. When you resize that brass will move forward especially in any once fired brass. Even when using the RCBS X dies you have to trim the first time because of so much brass moving forward.


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