New 6.5 Creedmoor brass headspace seems a little short

[Shootin4fun]

I wouldn't worry about it. Virgin Lapua is .008 shy of my Xbolt's chamber. In my experience it seems like it takes 3 firings at moderate charge pressure to get them to reflect the chamber dimensions. Maintaining a consistent headspace across firing generations is why I no longer neck size and always FL size.

 

[Carey Farmer]

Talked to ADG. They looked at their production records for my lot number and said that some of that run had cartridge base to datum length at the very bottom of their specification range, but said my cases are within spec and should be safe to shoot.

 

[Carey Farmer]

I wouldn't worry about it. Virgin Lapua is .008 shy of my Xbolt's chamber. In my experience it seems like it takes 3 firings at moderate charge pressure to get them to reflect the chamber dimensions. Maintaining a consistent headspace across firing generations is why I no longer neck size and always FL size.

Thank you s4f, sure appreciate the experienced handloaders who have taken the time to respond. Newbie question, I guess.

 

[Chas1]

I'm not so sure I'd be too worried. I've had brand new 30-06 Lapua brass way short on headspace and took 2-3 firings until they were within SAMMI spec.

 

[Carey Farmer]

I'm not so sure I'd be too worried. I've had brand new 30-06 Lapua brass way short on headspace and took 2-3 firings until they were within SAMMI spec.

Thanks Chas, appreciate you taking the time to comment. Good to have a forum like this so beginners like me can learn from more experienced folks.

 

[Harry Knutz]

I wouldn't worry about it. Virgin Lapua is .008 shy of my Xbolt's chamber. In my experience it seems like it takes 3 firings at moderate charge pressure to get them to reflect the chamber dimensions. Maintaining a consistent headspace across firing generations is why I no longer neck size and always FL size.

I've been neck sizing for 25 years, Just because one Arrogant F-Class shooter makes fun of people that neck size, Doesn't mean it's not a viable way of prepping your cases to load in the same bolt action chamber, I've competed and won in many Long range competitions. When you feel the brass getting tight, Maybe after 3 to 4 firings, Bump the shoulder back.

But you guy's that full length size every time I understand why you want to do that, But I do believe brass life is much longer neck sizing, And you have a perfect fit to your chamber.

 

[Starlite]

I've been neck sizing for 25 years, Just because one Arrogant F-Class shooter makes fun of people that neck size, Doesn't mean it's not a viable way of prepping your cases to load in the same bolt action chamber, I've competed and won in many Long range competitions. When you feel the brass getting tight, Maybe after 3 to 4 firings, Bump the shoulder back.

But you guy's that full length size every time I understand why you want to do that, But I do believe brass life is much longer neck sizing, And you have a perfect fit to your chamber.

I've done both. Primer Pocket always fails first so..to each their own. In my creedmoors that's around 8-12 firings. (Depending on Brass manufacturer). Also it should be known 8-12 firings with or wIthout annealing. Just my observations. For the record I do neck size my range cartridges but not my hunting cartridges.

 

[DWier]

I'd work up your powder load, load 5-10 rounds and shoot. See how they group. If you're using Berger Hybrids or Sierra Matchking, give them .002 jump. You may be surprised at your grouping. If your not happy with the results then go to fire forming.
Daryl

 

[Carey Farmer]

I'd work up your powder load, load 5-10 rounds and shoot. See how they group. If you're using Berger Hybrids or Sierra Matchking, give them .002 jump. You may be surprised at your grouping. If your not happy with the results then go to fire forming.
Daryl

Thanks Daryl, I think that's pretty much what I'm going to do. Am using Barnes Match Burners - from what I gather, pretty similar to Match Kings.

 

[spladi]

I have run into the same problem with multiple manufacturers I think it's a cost cutting method from the manufacturers small bits of hundreds of thousands of rounds add up that or just **** poor quality control I have no idea which

Woops, clicked the like button by mistake.........meant to click reply, Anyway I believe that short new brass is intentionally only drawn that way so that it will chamber in about any factory rifle out there, knowing well that several thousands of an inch is inconsequential as to very acceptable accuracy and safety, and assuming that the rifle has an appropriate and well operating ignition system too.

 

[RockyRandy]

Question Carey, are you sizing your new brass for your first firing or are you just loading them and shooting them for the first time?
Reason I'm asking is because I have reloading new lupa & Nozler brass and have been resizing them before loading them the first time and I have just started back through the 2nd time and was wondering how that might affect accuracy and as of yesterday they were hitting .3 groups at 100yrd. To be truthful I haven't measured the case length but I have seated them .0020 of the lands. ho and I have 500 rounds of each that I have been working through.

 

[Carey Farmer]

Question Carey, are you sizing your new brass for your first firing or are you just loading them and shooting them for the first time?
Reason I'm asking is because I have reloading new lupa & Nozler brass and have been resizing them before loading them the first time and I have just started back through the 2nd time and was wondering how that might affect accuracy and as of yesterday they were hitting .3 groups at 100yrd. To be truthful I haven't measured the case length but I have seated them .0020 of the lands. ho and I have 500 rounds of each that I have been working through.

Yes RR, I normally full length size all my cases before first firing, but the dimensions I quoted in the initial post for the new cases was prior to sizing. After measuring the virgin cases, I did full length size them, taking care not to further bump the shoulders even shorter. As it turned out, my die bottomed out against the shell holder before touching the case shoulders.

I don't think bumping the shoulders back a thousandths or so affects accuracy. Just helps ensure easy chambering and extraction in subsequent firings.

 

[kgunz11]

Yes RR, I normally full length size all my cases before first firing, but the dimensions I quoted in the initial post for the new cases was prior to sizing. After measuring the virgin cases, I did full length size them, taking care not to further bump the shoulders even shorter. As it turned out, my die bottomed out against the shell holder before touching the case shoulders.

I don't think bumping the shoulders back a thousandths or so affects accuracy. Just helps ensure easy chambering and extraction in subsequent firings.

I wouldn't bother with jamming even. Try your fav bullet at the seating depth they normally like and let it rip. If that doesn't work, then and only then would I consider jamming a bullet.

 

[Lefty G-gear]

Good point kgunz, a go-gauge wouldn't be very useful if manufacturers made their brass longer than the go-gauge. Starting to sound like most folks with more experience hand loading don't think .005" shorter than a go-gauge is a problem. Sure appreciate everyone's comments.

Still trying to reach someone at ADG. I'll let everyone know what they say.

Lefty, the dimensions I gave in the previous post were unsized cases right out of the box. I did subsequently full-length size them (to make sure the necks were straight and the bodies not oversize) but the die bottomed out against the shell holder before it hit the case shoulders.

Do a fired case in a case gauge. If that looks good, then maybe your shellholder is too thick.
You may have to get another shellholder. - Unless the sizer die is out of whack.
There are ways to check everything:
for the rifle chamber, Go, No-go and Field gauges.
Case gauge can check both chamber and die. Etc.
You can check the depth of the shellholder with your caliper, and compare with another thinner one.