I am new to reloading and need some advice on what I am doing wrong? I have a 300 Weatherby that I just bought and have some brass that I shot from a different 300. After full length resizing the brass it will not chamber into my new rifle, but the brass that I have shot in my new rifle will. All the brass are from the 3 boxes of factory Weatherby ammo.
Help with 300 Weatherby brass resizing problems
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Danny1788
Well-Known Member
Are they both factory rifles? Or is one custom chamber? how are you setting the FL die up? I reload for a 300wby but i only use one rifle. I have bought once fired brass and FL it myself and it chambered fine in my rifle then just neck sized it all after it had been fired in my rifle.
Elkmen
Well-Known Member
It sounds as if you are not really resizing them. Unless your chamber is extremly small.
When you full length resize you must be sure that the bottom of the die (end of the threads) is compressed against the ram when the stroke is finished. Not just touching it but making you force the ram up the last 1/2 inch or so. Ram should almost "pop" back down.
Thats the best way I can explain it. !!
When you full length resize you must be sure that the bottom of the die (end of the threads) is compressed against the ram when the stroke is finished. Not just touching it but making you force the ram up the last 1/2 inch or so. Ram should almost "pop" back down.
Thats the best way I can explain it. !!
My 300 is a factory Weatherby and my friends is a custom Sako with a Hart barrel. I dont know more about the Sako. I have the full sizing die set up per Hornady's instructions. I even turned the die's down 2 turn just to make sure and put extra force on the press.
Danny1788
Well-Known Member
it could be that the chamber in the custom hart barrel is a match chamber, and the FL die will not size the brass small enough do you know where u are running into a problem at? where is the case getting stuck at? can u see marks on the case anywhere?
bruce_ventura
Well-Known Member
Mark the shoulder with dry erase marker. Then try to chamber it and remove carefully. Inspect the shoulder - you should see marks.
Weatherby magnum cases headspace off the belt, rather than the shoulder. The shoulder may or may not show marks on a properly sized case. The Sako chamber and resizing die probably are both too long for your chamber. If so, you'll probably have to get your brass elsewhere. You could try a different resizing die as well.
Weatherby magnum cases headspace off the belt, rather than the shoulder. The shoulder may or may not show marks on a properly sized case. The Sako chamber and resizing die probably are both too long for your chamber. If so, you'll probably have to get your brass elsewhere. You could try a different resizing die as well.
If I understand what the issue is:
1. The resized Sako brass will not chamber in your gun, but once shot "unsized" Wthby brass will chamber?.
2 The resized Sako brass will not chamber in your gun, but Wthby brass shot in your gun and "resized" will chamber?
Q: Will the unsized Wthby brass chamber in your gun w/o resizing?
Chances are that the Sako brass was shot in a longer chamber than yours; at higher pressure due to the less freebore throat in the custom chamber (high probability). This means the Sako brass will be much longer at the shoulder.
Now one of two things are happening.
1. Either your die is too long to size the Sako brass and is bottoming out on the ram before hitting the shoulders. Not uncommon.
2. You have pushed the brass back too far on the Sako brass at the shoulder/case junction. This will cause a minute bulge that will prevent chambering and is almost impossible to see. This will prevent it from chambering in your gun and chances are the Sako. I did that once on a 7 STW.
I would almost bet this is the situation if your Wthby cases are resized and fitting the chamber.
If you have done that (2), and resized all the Sako brass. You are kind of stuck with it, if it will not chamber.
To test that, get 1-2 pieces of other Sako brass that has not been resized with your die and move the die up at least 3/8 inch off the ram and start back by hand turning the die until you feel the case contact. Stop and resize, test chamber and continue down slowly 1/16th turn at at time until it will just chamber.
IF it never chambers then you are going to have to have someone machine about .015 off the bottom of the die until you can push the shoulder back .002. Occasionally that happens also. An alternative is to buy as set of Redding Competion shellholders which will allow a .010 range at .002 increments with the set of five shellholders.
If your friend reloads, have him resize the brass using his dies and then shoot it in your gun if they would chamber. This would be the quickest and easiest way.
FWITW
Do not adjust the dies on top of the ram and do not set belted cases when reloading to headspace off the belt. BIG no no on both counts.
Belted cases headspace on the belt when fired as factory. Once you reload them you should set the dies up to headspace on the shoulder for long case life unless you just like buying expensive Weatherby brass all the time.
IF you headspace off the belt or on top of the ram automatically, you will end up with excess headspace that way and case separation in as little as 3-5 shots. Those instructions are not meant for accuracy reloading or long brass life as they do not take into consideration minimizing head space.
Absolutely no need to headspace on the belt. If you do, 3-5 firings and you are going to have case separation and you and your gun are SOL until you can get the broken case out of the chamber.
If you try to use your dies to reload for the two guns you will have issues also.
BTW the trick for using one set of dies for two or more guns is to go to sinclair international reloading supplies (or others sell them too) and order a set of Skips die shims. They are round shims in different thicknesses that fit under the die to raise it up without making any permanent adjustments on the setting. That way you set the dies for the shortest brass and use shims under the die when sizing the longer brass.
Skip's die shim kit - (7/8-14) - Sinclair Intl- Cost is $9.95
Now you will have to use the shims to resize the longer brass and that will take some adjustments with varying shims until again the bolt just closes on the sized longer brass.
Be sure to mark down what the total thickness is of the shims in your records for the longer chamber and gun.
BH
1. The resized Sako brass will not chamber in your gun, but once shot "unsized" Wthby brass will chamber?.
2 The resized Sako brass will not chamber in your gun, but Wthby brass shot in your gun and "resized" will chamber?
Q: Will the unsized Wthby brass chamber in your gun w/o resizing?
Chances are that the Sako brass was shot in a longer chamber than yours; at higher pressure due to the less freebore throat in the custom chamber (high probability). This means the Sako brass will be much longer at the shoulder.
Now one of two things are happening.
1. Either your die is too long to size the Sako brass and is bottoming out on the ram before hitting the shoulders. Not uncommon.
2. You have pushed the brass back too far on the Sako brass at the shoulder/case junction. This will cause a minute bulge that will prevent chambering and is almost impossible to see. This will prevent it from chambering in your gun and chances are the Sako. I did that once on a 7 STW.
I would almost bet this is the situation if your Wthby cases are resized and fitting the chamber.
If you have done that (2), and resized all the Sako brass. You are kind of stuck with it, if it will not chamber.
To test that, get 1-2 pieces of other Sako brass that has not been resized with your die and move the die up at least 3/8 inch off the ram and start back by hand turning the die until you feel the case contact. Stop and resize, test chamber and continue down slowly 1/16th turn at at time until it will just chamber.
IF it never chambers then you are going to have to have someone machine about .015 off the bottom of the die until you can push the shoulder back .002. Occasionally that happens also. An alternative is to buy as set of Redding Competion shellholders which will allow a .010 range at .002 increments with the set of five shellholders.
If your friend reloads, have him resize the brass using his dies and then shoot it in your gun if they would chamber. This would be the quickest and easiest way.
FWITW
Do not adjust the dies on top of the ram and do not set belted cases when reloading to headspace off the belt. BIG no no on both counts.
Belted cases headspace on the belt when fired as factory. Once you reload them you should set the dies up to headspace on the shoulder for long case life unless you just like buying expensive Weatherby brass all the time.
IF you headspace off the belt or on top of the ram automatically, you will end up with excess headspace that way and case separation in as little as 3-5 shots. Those instructions are not meant for accuracy reloading or long brass life as they do not take into consideration minimizing head space.
Absolutely no need to headspace on the belt. If you do, 3-5 firings and you are going to have case separation and you and your gun are SOL until you can get the broken case out of the chamber.
If you try to use your dies to reload for the two guns you will have issues also.
BTW the trick for using one set of dies for two or more guns is to go to sinclair international reloading supplies (or others sell them too) and order a set of Skips die shims. They are round shims in different thicknesses that fit under the die to raise it up without making any permanent adjustments on the setting. That way you set the dies for the shortest brass and use shims under the die when sizing the longer brass.
Skip's die shim kit - (7/8-14) - Sinclair Intl- Cost is $9.95
Now you will have to use the shims to resize the longer brass and that will take some adjustments with varying shims until again the bolt just closes on the sized longer brass.
Be sure to mark down what the total thickness is of the shims in your records for the longer chamber and gun.
BH
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frequent misser
Well-Known Member
Bounty Hunter explained that very well, but I will add my experience in reloading the weatherby. A good friend brought his rifle over with a set of Hornady new dimension dies and two boxes of factory once fired brass fired in his rifle. I encountered the same problem as you. Sized brass would not chamber and all we had was a fl die and the seater. Finally I told him to take his crappy new dimension dies back and I ordered him a set of reddings and we have had no more problems. I wonder if they made a bad batch of fl dies in 300 weatherby. From your post it sounds like you were using the same dies.
For the record Weatherby nor any other belted magnums actually space on the belt if sized and loaded properly (can you say blow back) that was a marketing ploy. If you look at your case carefully you will note where the case expands and seals. I have found Weatherby/Norma brass to work the best as opposed to Remington and had hard luck with Federal Nickle plated, and yes experiment with the die settings. The marker trick should identify your problem.
Sully2
Well-Known Member
Im having similiar problems with a 22-250 I own ( 2 of them actually) Rounds fired in #1...and reloaded wont chamber in #2...but factory fresh ammo will.
Ammo for #2 I have to keep seperated and full length resize them and set the shoulder back .001-.0015 and they chamber easily then.
alaska
Well-Known Member
Turn your sizing die 1/8 turn down until your round will chamber.
Just what Sully2 said you have to set your shoulder back just a tad
Then after fire forming to your chamber suggest a neck sizer die, this will prolong your brass and less trimming.........and make sure you keep your WBY brass trimmed to 2.825"
Just what Sully2 said you have to set your shoulder back just a tad
Then after fire forming to your chamber suggest a neck sizer die, this will prolong your brass and less trimming.........and make sure you keep your WBY brass trimmed to 2.825"
I've been loading my .300 Wby for about 5 yrs. now. I bought a bunch of components from a lady who's husband past away. My rifle wouldn't chamber any of his fired brass. Also, on some of my hotter loads I was only getting 2-3 firings before they wouldn't chamber. The problem was that the FL die won't size all the way down to the belt. It's that last .05" that needs to be resized. I had about 300 cases that I couldn't use and was about to throw them out when I found the Magnum Collet Sizing die from Innovative Technologies Innovative Technologies - Reloading Equipment. It saved all my brass.
