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.223 help please

instrumentofwarinstrumentofwar Member Posts: 1,545 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited May 2012 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
Need a little help with some of my 223 loads.

25.5 gr of Varget
70 gr Speer SP
CCI 400
OAL 2.255

None of these will fire, not even showing a primer strike. Also, two of the five bullets I tried came un-seated in the rifle. When I extracted the case, the bullet was left in the bore.

Any thoughts would be appreciated
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Comments

  • MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 14,088 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well, I'll bite on the bullet left in the bore. This specific bullet has a long ogive rounded nose which carries it's diameter well forward. The bullet diameter at the beginning of the rifling was big enough to wedge in the leade causing the bullet to be pulled from the case when extracted. It might be a good thing they didn't fire since this could have raised pressures significantly. I know these things because I used to have a 223 with a shot out throat that would only produce decent accuracy using this bullet seated as long as the magazine would allow.
    As for the fail to strike the primer, I'd look at a mechanical problem in the rifle. You are using 223 brass and not 222 brass? If the 223 brass was sized in a 222 die, it would push the shoulder back far enough to allow the round to give the symptoms described.
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  • Okie743Okie743 Member Posts: 2,700 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    First, before going any further immediately check the headspace on your gun. (make sure the headspace is correct so as to be safer)
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  • instrumentofwarinstrumentofwar Member Posts: 1,545 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have been shooting green tip ball out of this with no issues. Even though this gun is several years old, there's relatively little use out of her
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  • nemesisenforcernemesisenforcer Member Posts: 10,513 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    No primer strike? A broken firing pin?
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  • steve4102steve4102 Member Posts: 186 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Mobuck has it. Your OAL is to long for this particular bullet. Speer #13 tested this bullet at 2.140 inches.

    What type of rifle? AR, Ruger Mini, Bolt Action?
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  • Okie743Okie743 Member Posts: 2,700 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    OAL too long and firing pin broke!
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  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My bet is you have shoved the shoulder back a few thousandths and the gun can't go into battery correctly. As far as the bullet being stuck, sounds like you have a tight chamber maybe even a 223 REMINGTON throat, better check max OAL to the lands before trying more.

    Back to the chambering issue, back out your seating die ONE FULL TURN then adjust the seating stem for the OAL to the desired. Remember don't chase a OAL, it will drive you nuts, Bullets vary in length, load 5-10 and get the average, you will be fine just so the longest will still load in the magazine.
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  • dcs shootersdcs shooters Member Posts: 10,870 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Originally posted by steve4102
    Mobuck has it. Your OAL is to long for this particular bullet. Speer #13 tested this bullet at 2.140 inches.

    What type of rifle? AR, Ruger Mini, Bolt Action?

    This info will help a lot. It should have been the first thing you told. It will help a lot on the firing pin strike info.
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  • MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 14,088 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If an AR, the bolt might have been held so far out of battery that the firing pin did not reach past the boltface. In which case it was a REALLY good thing it happened that way.
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  • instrumentofwarinstrumentofwar Member Posts: 1,545 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Upon further inspection, I'm thinking I really needed to trim the cases.

    That and seating the bullets deeper, does that sound like a fix?
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  • nemesisenforcernemesisenforcer Member Posts: 10,513 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by instrumentofwar
    Upon further inspection, I'm thinking I really needed to trim the cases.

    That and seating the bullets deeper, does that sound like a fix?


    It might or might not be. If it's a headspace issue the shorter cases and cartridges could fit but still be out of spec; if they fire and there's enough gap in the chamber, you could be in for trouble.

    However, I think that's unlikely. Although the 223 and 5.56 are not the same dimensionally, in most instances there's not enough difference to cause problems.
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  • steve4102steve4102 Member Posts: 186 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Any reason why you won't tell us type of rifle you are loading for?
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  • papernickerpapernicker Member Posts: 1,371 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Also do you have a Hornady bullet comparator?
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  • instrumentofwarinstrumentofwar Member Posts: 1,545 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Sorry guys, thought I put it up here earlier.

    It's a DPMS heavy barrel AR

    No to the bullet comparator
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  • jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    While I think that the others have nailed it, I'll suggest another possibility. If you had too much lube in the case or if your tumbler media REALLY needs replacing, it could have contaminated the powder and the primer shoved the bullet into the rifling a little, without setting off the charge. Look for compressed greenish powder in the case neck or clods of it in the case. Granted I usually hear the primer go pop if this is the case (and it's only happened to me 2 or 3 times) but it's a possibility too.
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  • instrumentofwarinstrumentofwar Member Posts: 1,545 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ordered the bullet comparater and a case for the Hornady OAL guage.

    Stupid question, but where does the .223 Rem headspace off of? Case mouth or shoulder?
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  • dcs shootersdcs shooters Member Posts: 10,870 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by instrumentofwar
    Ordered the bullet comparater and a case for the Hornady OAL guage.

    Stupid question, but where does the .223 Rem headspace off of? Case mouth or shoulder?


    The shoulder. Only most semi-auto pistol rounds headspace off the case mouth. Any thing with a rim uses it.
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  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    buy the Sinclair OAL tool, it is far better than the rest.

    100_0385.jpg
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