338 SS split dies and fired ADG brass measuring .006 at the web

Tim

I've considered all the options you suggest

ADG and Derek (new owner of Sherman wildcats) want a crack at figuring it out fully knowing I've consulted three or four industry experts and no one can find fault with the machining, the reamer or the barrel

That said I'm very experienced reloader according to the sources I've enlisted but we all agree something is causing the .006 expansion.

It behoves me to have a third party confirm the barrel bore doesn't have a tight spot even though the manufacturer claims they slugged it and found no tight spots. It wouldn't be the first time someone investigated themselves and found nothing wrong 😉
 
Tim

I've considered all the options you suggest

ADG and Derek (new owner of Sherman wildcats) want a crack at figuring it out fully knowing I've consulted three or four industry experts and no one can find fault with the machining, the reamer or the barrel

That said I'm very experienced reloader according to the sources I've enlisted but we all agree something is causing the .006 expansion.

It behoves me to have a third party confirm the barrel bore doesn't have a tight spot even though the manufacturer claims they slugged it and found no tight spots. It wouldn't be the first time someone investigated themselves and found nothing wrong 😉
Even a tight spot in the barrel wouldn't cause the die splitting issue as long as you are loading so the brass doesn't destroy itself. My Sendero 7stw had a tight spot at 16" down the tube and I never lost a single casing because of it. The tight spot was plenty evident on the pressure trace. You are at fat chamber or tight dies imo.
 
the die is splitting because of the .006 expansion it cannot over come at the web

Which if a tight bore is the issue thus creating over pressure the .006 expansion then yes the barrel would be the problem

Also several experts have confirmed the chamber was cut as perfect as it could be and the reamer is spot on too

The expansion is occurring at the location of the web where it is not surrounded by the chamber in other words the location that relies on the quality of the brass IF over pressure is not occurring

Problem is I'm taking the word of the barrel manufacturer that their bore is not tight … wouldn't be the first time a company inspected itself and said nothing is wrong

I owe it to the situation and the efforts of several people who inspected everything with very accurate measuring machines to have a third party confirm the bore is in tolerance
 
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Appreciate your help however it's all been sent off to ADG and Derek who now owns Sherman wildcats

My point asking if others have had issues is to provide them with similar experiences for them to figure out what is happening

I've had 3-4 other industry experts involved all components to include action barrel brass and reamer have been inspected no one can figure out the exact problem
 
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Keep us posted on the results.
Like I said earlier, I had a 7rum do this to 2 sets of dies to me years ago. The brass was coming out of the gun just over the .550 diameter for that one. Remington said the barrel/chamber was in spec. and even left a good bit of chamber casting debris in the rifle so I know they were looking at it. I wasn't running things that hard either. Some factory ammo, some book loads run up from mild on up.
My thought on the 7rum was that there was a bit of wobble in the reamer and they belled the bottom of the chamber right at the web of the case.
 
Ahhh...Preferred...not so much.

I have a 338 Sherman with a Preferred barrel. No split dies or brass problem, but I wasn't getting close to the velocities I saw posted by others at least with any respectable accuracy. Spoke to them and they wouldn't even let me send it back for inspection.

Once I tempered my velocity expectations, I was able to gain accuracy. But it was not worth all the extra $$$ invested. Live and learn I guess.
 
Ahhh...Preferred...not so much.

I have a 338 Sherman with a Preferred barrel. No split dies or brass problem, but I wasn't getting close to the velocities I saw posted by others at least with any respectable accuracy. Spoke to them and they wouldn't even let me send it back for inspection.

Once I tempered my velocity expectations, I was able to gain accuracy. But it was not worth all the extra $$$ invested. Live and learn I guess.
Shane, appreciate your response. I've had numerous DMs on other cartridges but in all fairness to the issue at hand I need to stay focused on shooters 338 SS experiences.
 
There aren't any pressure numbers it's a wild cat Rich can't even tell you how much pressure a given load is producing
 

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