6.5 prc issue (SOLVED)

[Iron Worker]

I'm still pretty green when it comes to reloading and I've ran into an issue with my 6.5 prc. I made up a couple loads with lapua brass, 156 Berger's, 56gr of RL 26 and 215 primers at 2.955". I shot 2 and was at 2880 with no signs of pressure. I bumped up 2 grains, didn't change anything else, and now the gun will not chamber them. I've ran a few empty pieces of brass and it chambers them just fine but as soon as I seat a bullet, the bolt stops about 3/8" before close. Anybody else have this issue? It chambers a hornady round without problem, it chambered my first 2 loads without problem. I'm lost right now!

Design flaw in the cartridge case, rifle chamber needs to be open up with new reamer; I rented the new reamer. Closely follow the directions , takes about an hour , and the problem is fixed forever and ever.

 

[Greyfox]

Not sure if this is your issue, but is it possible that with your initial load, the bullet was pushed deeper then your initial COAL measurement upon chambering? If so…When you added 2 grains more powder, the bullet may have been stopped by the additional powder in the case, therefore not allowing the bolt to close fully. Just a wild guess……

 

[stevers75]

Not sure if this is your issue, but is it possible that with your initial load, the bullet was pushed deeper then your initial COAL measurement upon chambering? If so…When you added 2 grains more powder, the bullet may have been stopped by the additional powder in the case, therefore not allowing the bolt to close fully. Just a wild guess……

Seating die wasnt setup correctly and i was bumping the shoulder out after i seated the bullet.

 

[RockyMtnUT]

Guys that are coming late…. Looks like op got it figured out with some thought out help. Good job. Now he should be back to normal

 

[swilk14]

Did you run the brass with FLD before loading?

 

[Alibiiv]

I'm still pretty green when it comes to reloading and I've ran into an issue with my 6.5 prc. I made up a couple loads with lapua brass, 156 Berger's, 56gr of RL 26 and 215 primers at 2.955". I shot 2 and was at 2880 with no signs of pressure. I bumped up 2 grains, didn't change anything else, and now the gun will not chamber them. I've ran a few empty pieces of brass and it chambers them just fine but as soon as I seat a bullet, the bolt stops about 3/8" before close. Anybody else have this issue? It chambers a hornady round without problem, it chambered my first 2 loads without problem. I'm lost right now!

When I first read the OP my first thoughts were, "Wow a 2 grain jump in powder seems like a lot!!" So that's my first take on this thread. If I'm working a ladder load I will start at 1/2 a grain below "maximum" listed load and then drop back 1/2 a grain got 3 or for different loads. I will then start at the lower end of the loads and work my way up to the load that is 1/2 a grain below maximum. If I find a load that is close to what I am looking for I will use the same process, however will then play with another set of ladder loads, only this time working with 10ths of a grain to fine tune what I already have. I am not sure if the load being used is a compressed load, if that is the case using a crimp on the bullet ought to remedy the bullet from moving forward after it is seated due to the pressure of the compressed load. I never used to crimp bottle-necked cases, however I now do. I use the Lee Factory Crimp die and have one for every cartridge I load for. You could try reloading a round, measure the OAL of the cartridge, let it set for a while and measure the round again to see if the bullet has moved out. There are a number of extraneous variables that could cause what you are experiencing, reading the articles on this forum will/ought to give you some direction to solve what you are experiencing with this issue you are experiencing. Again I think a 2 grain jump on a load is a lot, the original load could have been just on the edge of causing an issue an the 2 grain increase could have pushed the issue to a point where "there is" a change.. If this were my gun I would also try seating the bullet slightly deeper as the ogive of the bullet "could" be hitting the lands of the barrel.

 

[Alibiiv]

Guys that are coming late…. Looks like op got it figured out with some thought out help. Good job. Now he should be back to normal

Thanks for posting this reply. I am still on page one of three, having morning coffee and trying to catch up. This post is great!!!

 

[jpndave]

Can you tell me how this works. Do you order the reamer and then have a gunsmith use it or does the local gunsmith order the reamer? Sorry I have never had to have any of this type of work done but I have two 6.5 PRC's and if I run into an issue I want to know how to go about getting it fixed.
Thanks,

The PRC (both of them and likely the new 7mm too) are too tight/small around the 0.200" point above the base. After reloading several times, especially when you are leaning on it, the size die can't get the cases small enough. This fix is to open that area up slightly. There is an extensive thread on it here.

The PRC die "problem"

That took some time reading this thread from 1 to 434. I'm ah wondering if I messed up getting a prc. That's all I could find to my liking, without waiting for who knows how long.

www.longrangehunting.com

That will go to a post link to the prints one of the times someone asked without reading. If you are going to dive into this read the thread first. Yes it's long but would be a lot shorter if people would read first before asking the same question over and over.

 

[LRNut]

So your "prepped" empty brass will chamber but your loaded brass with same case will not?

Is your seating die set up correctly? It sounds like the seating die is altering the case. I've had this happen before, but it's normally pretty easy to see the slight deformation in the shoulder.

I have done this twice; once with .338 WM and once with .30-06 - both times the shoulder was pushed out

Guys that are coming late…. Looks like op got it figured out with some thought out help. Good job. Now he should be back to normal

I was going to suggest adjusting the seating die (I have done with .338 WM and .30-06) but figured after four pages I better read what progress has been made.

 

[stevers75]

When I first read the OP my first thoughts were, "Wow a 2 grain jump in powder seems like a lot!!" So that's my first take on this thread. If I'm working a ladder load I will start at 1/2 a grain below "maximum" listed load and then drop back 1/2 a grain got 3 or for different loads. I will then start at the lower end of the loads and work my way up to the load that is 1/2 a grain below maximum. If I find a load that is close to what I am looking for I will use the same process, however will then play with another set of ladder loads, only this time working with 10ths of a grain to fine tune what I already have. I am not sure if the load being used is a compressed load, if that is the case using a crimp on the bullet ought to remedy the bullet from moving forward after it is seated due to the pressure of the compressed load. I never used to crimp bottle-necked cases, however I now do. I use the Lee Factory Crimp die and have one for every cartridge I load for. You could try reloading a round, measure the OAL of the cartridge, let it set for a while and measure the round again to see if the bullet has moved out. There are a number of extraneous variables that could cause what you are experiencing, reading the articles on this forum will/ought to give you some direction to solve what you are experiencing with this issue you are experiencing. Again I think a 2 grain jump on a load is a lot, the original load could have been just on the edge of causing an issue an the 2 grain increase could have pushed the issue to a point where "there is" a change.. If this were my gun I would also try seating the bullet slightly deeper as the ogive of the bullet "could" be hitting the lands of the barrel.

It was .2 not 2... i was typing from my phone... I corrected in the original statement.

 

[TXTrained]

are you using a die that requires a bushing?

 

[stevers75]

are you using a die that requires a bushing?

Its just a standard RCBS die set being used in the Rock Chucker

 

[Alibiiv]

That does help, i dont want to crimp at all and didnt realize i was doing it until i pulled a bullet. I appreciate you all taking the time to work me ( a reloading newb) through the problem. A good buddy is going to stop by after work and run me through the proper setup for the dies.

I don't know what RCBS is saying about setting the seating die, or any other seating die however.... I will set a seating die by placing a resized case into the press, run the case up to the top of the toggle and "then" screw the seating die down into the press until I feel the die hitting the top of the case. From that point I will back the seating die out 1/2 a turn and lock the seating die in place. Also, I am not certain if Lee makes their Professional Crimp die for the 6.5 PRC, however if you "do" decide that you want to crimp this would be the way to go. The Lee die squeezes the brass "into" the bullet by using a collet instead of "rolling" the brass over to form a crimp. Squeezing the brass into the bullet will prevent the brass from buckling/bulging the brass at the crimp, unlike a roll crimp that is adjusted too tight.

 

[stevers75]

I don't know what RCBS is saying about setting the seating die, or any other seating die however.... I will set a seating die by placing a resized case into the press, run the case up to the top of the toggle and "then" screw the seating die down into the press until I feel the die hitting the top of the case. From that point I will back the seating die out 1/2 a turn and lock the seating die in place. Also, I am not certain if Lee makes their Professional Crimp die for the 6.5 PRC, however if you "do" decide that you want to crimp this would be the way to go. The Lee die squeezes the brass "into" the bullet by using a collet instead of "rolling" the brass over to form a crimp. Squeezing the brass into the bullet will prevent the brass from buckling/bulging the brass at the crimp, unlike a roll crimp that is adjusted too tight.

I was about an 1/8 of a turn backed out, im a half turn now and it seems to be fine.