Reloading 280 AI

[Jesse09]

Listen to "Tiny Tim"; it's perfectly normal to have a situation that requires you to "cam over". The same results would be obtained as using a lower shell holder.

 

[codym]

I had an issue like this once. I had the seating die set too deep and it was buckling the brass just below the shoulder. A couple thou of a bulge kept it from chambering, come to think of it, it was nosler 280 AI brass. I like the suggestions of pulling bullets and trying a piece of FL sized brass, I would also try a piece of once fired brass. That should help you identify if the problem is indeed in the sizing step. The comparator bodies are pretty cheap and helpful to measure shoulder bump.

 

[Kurtdnelson]

Ask and yee shall receive!!
Many thanks to all, xsn10s nailed it.
The once fired, FL sized and blackened case had the blackening rubbed off at the radius and shoulder. This is my first experience with a cartridge with a radius. So I'm glad I asked.
Let me see if I have this right,
1. I should move the shoulder back
2. Check neck length
3. Shorten the case a bit.
To accomplish this, mill the shell holder.
Did I get it right?

 

[25WSM]

Lots of dies today won't push the shoulder back enough. After 30 yrs of clambering rifles I have seen so many dies not work on minimum headspace rifles. Sounds like yours is close because you said some fit. Take your shell holder and put it on sandpaper upside down and knock about .005 off the top. This will let your die come down more. Once you put the shorter shell holder in readjust the die back down to touch and size one piece that didn't fit and see if it's good yet. Really every reloaded needs a comparator to check headspace and measure seating depth to ogive. I just put the dies in my lathe and turn some off the bottom but not everyone has access to one so if you are close just a little sanding on the shell holder will work.
Shep

 

[RogerPA]

Here's one I came across recently: 33 Nosler, once fired Nosler brass. (Nosler M48 LR) FL Resized unloaded brass chambered perfectly. 225 gr Barnes chambered perfectly. (OACL 3.340). 225 gr. Sledge Hammer, same OACL, could not close the bolt. A call to Steve at Hammer, and he suggested turning the necks, as the possibility exists that the Hammers, along with a slightly tight chamber in the M48, could possibly cause this issue. I turned the necks and "Problem Solved"! Thanks again to Steve and Hammer's outstanding (and personalize) customer service!!!

 

[L.Sherm]

Listen to "Tiny Tim"; it's perfectly normal to have a situation that requires you to "cam over". The same results would be obtained as using a lower shell holder.

Wrong! It's not perfectly normal and if your not using a comparator you have no idea how much your setting the shoulder back. If you just go off feel is it .003, .005 or .010 once you start using one you will see how little a die has to be screwed done for just a couple thou

 

[25WSM]

I never cam over hard when sizing. You will have inconsistent sizes doing this. She'll holder should not touch die at all. If you screw the die down to lightly touch the shell holder at setup it won't touch when sizing a brass. There is that much flex in a press.
Shep

 

[freddiej]

if you can, go get a shoulder datum measuring jig for your 280 AI. and measure the shoulder length of your resized cases versus your virgin brass. that should tell you if your sizing die is too deep to bump the shoulder back to within SAAMI spec and your chamber. if your sizing die will not then either shaving 0.010" off the bottom or off the case holder will do until you send it back to Hornady.

 

[Jesse09]

I'm not being defensive and certainly have nothing to prove, but the "cam over" advice was given to me by technical support at Redding. I was using the Redding T7 press, Redding dies and shell holder for my then new 270WSM. Before asking for help from Redding, I couldn't close the bolt even after adjusting the die to touch the shell holder. Their advice solved that problem; I then removed the firing pin/spring assembly from my bolt (Rem. 700) and continued to adjust the sizing die until the weight of the bolt handle alone would just close the action.

 

[Sam Summey]

Yes, Hornady.

Call Hornady after you try a resized unloaded case without the bullet to see if the bolt will close. If it doesn't blacken the mouth of the case to below the shoulder and see where the contact is.

 

[Tree Farmer]

I recently set up Redding FL sizing die for my 6.5 PRC. I had to make contact with the shell holder to get .002 shoulder bump.

 

[25WSM]

They told you to cam over because they didn't want to admit their die was too deep. Redding never makes a mistake. If you send a die back to them you will get a different one but they tell you nothing is wrong with it. I have put a distinguishing mark on dies and never got my die back. That being said I still they make some of the best dies you can get. I use them almost exclusively. I have only sent 5 back out of a hundred or so sets. Normally they are too deep which I fix in 5 minutes. Or they chatter when pushing the shell in. That is easily fixed to with Flitz after sanding with micro mesh. I will continue to use them personally but perfect they are not. By the way a die just touching the shell holder will not cam over. Die really has to be down quite a bit to cam over with brass being sized.
Shep

 

[Toydy]

If you are not getting enough shoulder bump, you can grind a little off the top of the shell holder or the bottom of the die

 

[L.Sherm]

25WSM is correct, get a comparator and cam over and see were your bumps at.
Redding is telling you this because they know alot of people dont measure there bump.