Reloads...Bolt Wont Close...Please Help

koltey1

First off I will say I am new to reloading. I reloaded a few rounds of 22-250 and am experiencing troubles getting the bolt to close downward. I set my dies up to reload rounds to factory spec of overall length, measured with a micrometer, so I'm sure my bullet seating is correct. I am fairly sure the reloads chamber all the way judging by way the bolt goes forward, but when I go to push the bolt downward it acts like it is stuck and will not close. If anyone could help with suggestions that would be great. Thanks

swearengine

Your overall length might be alright, but I would hazard a guess that your case length is to long.

Odawgp

one of two things could be happening

the shoulder might need to be bumped back a bit

overall length can be right and the shoulder still be to far forward thus stopping the bolt from closing.

or the necks are to long and you are pinching the bullet in the case this usually can be seen as a taper or very shinny spot at the very end of the case

bpost

You are probably pushing the shoulder back during bullet seating. It is a common error. Hold up your reloaded round, looking along the case from base to shoulder. If you see a hump right at the shoulder it will prevent chambering. If this is the case, back the bullet seating die out and lower the bullet seating stem. A rifle case really does not require a crimp of any nature on the bullet to work. A couple of thousandths neck tension should hold it firmly in the case mouth.

JustC

try your mic on the shoulder before seating and again after. I would bet the post above mine was the answer. When the seater die body is adjusted too far down, it will bulge the shoulder.

Here is the quick way, try inserting and closing the bolt on a sized case. If the sized case goes in easily and the bolt closes easily, it is definitely the seating die down too far.

koltey1

Thanks for the help...I do feel and see a hump right at the base of the shoulder. When I go home next I will give your suggestions a try. Thanks again

zimmden

Before you load powder and bullet, chamber the cartridge. If the bolt closes properly, the problem is from the bullet seating. How much pressure are you using to seat the bullet if you are bulging the shoulder ?? The neck is way too tight if this occurs. Either the neck brass is too thick and needs neck turning ( unlikely ) or your sizing die is sizing the neck too much. Measure sized neck ID. It should be about .220 to .222 to hold your .224 bullet. Bob

Ambrose

Most seating dies have a built-in crimping feature. A typical new guy mistake is to screw that die down too far. The die then crimps the case into the bullet while the bullet is still being seated. A friend did that with .243 dies and actually telescoped the neck/bullet into the case. Back the seating die out a good bit, put a case in the shell holder (no bullet), bring the ram all the way to the top. Now screw the die down until you feel some resistence. That's the die crimp hitting the case mouth. Back the die out a 1/2 turn or so and set the lock ring. Now you can adjust the seating stem for the overall length you want and I'll bet your problem goes away.

bxloader59

Sell me the Rifle for 25.00 and include the Dies, brass and bullets.

shootlow

are they your brass are you full length resizing
if not make sure the die bumps the shell holder
i had a die back out a tick and the bullets would not chamber in my sons gun but it would in mine
re tightned the die and walla it is a good thing both of our hunting rifles shoot the same load

koltey1

OK, I went home this weekend and concluded it was my case length which was too long. it was measuring anywhere between 1.915-1.923. I tried and tried to get the die to resize to spec of 1.912 but failed. I tried resetting up the dies and did everything correctly as the instructions said but still no go. I was baffled and said screw it and started reloading my 40S&W which works like a charm.

Tailgunner1954

I don't have my spec's handy (so I can't comment on your case length), but NO resizing die shortens your brass, that's the job of a trimmer.
To set up your seating die (and it sounds like your crushing the case with the crimping ring BTW).
1) Raise a sized case fully, than screw the seating die body down until you feel it contact the case mouth.
2) Raise (unscrew) the die body 1-2 full turns and lock it in place. This prevents the crimp ring from contacting the case mouth (and there is no need to crimp a 22-250).
3) Adjust your seating stem (the center screw) down until the OAL of the assembeled cartridge is where you want it.

codenamepaul

quote:Originally posted by shootlow
are they your brass are you full length resizing
if not make sure the die bumps the shell holder
i had a die back out a tick and the bullets would not chamber in my sons gun but it would in mine
re tightned the die and walla it is a good thing both of our hunting rifles shoot the same load


I would bet this is the issue. Had the same problem with a few 8MM's a friend gave me with a rifle I was doing a restoration on. He was not a reloader and only neck sized. The rounds were fire formed to the rifle they were shot in-apparently not the Mauser that I was working on. I would think that a bulged shoulder would not even let the bolt go all the way home, no less turn down.No?

JustC

the bolt is "pulled" fwd as the lugs rotate into battery and seat against the lug seats. The bolt will go fwd all the way, but feel/look completely normalin the pushed fwd position, with a bulged shoulder. It is that last few .001"s when the bolt is rotated that won't take place. It is perplexing when you are first getting started,...took me quite a few trashed lapua cases to figure it out when I got started.[V]

shoots2much

Your bullet may be contacting the lands, OAL isn't the problem here, the couture of a specific bullet may engage the rifling before a another bullet may not.
measure your chamber using the specific bullet and subtract .010 - .015 to find the OAL for a specific bullet.