6.5x47 custom, brass seems tight

[zap]

I just purchased a rifle. Built on a savage target action rblp, shilen select match barrel chambered in 6.5x47 and believe Fred Moreo did all the work.

The lapua brass has been fired twice I believe. When I chamber the empty brass , the bolt is tough to close and open. I am pretty sure that the shoulder is tight and could used bumped back .001 or .002.

I have shot some other custom rifles before and they chambered rounds much easier.
Should the brass be that tight to the chamber ?
Does it hurt anything if the brass/shoulder is tight to chamber ?

The gun does shoot very well and I have high expectations for it when I get more trigger time.I am just currious what some of you think .

[Terry Balding]

The brass needs to be re-sized. Every chamber is a little different, that's normal. Re-size the brass and you will be fine.

Terry

[stangfish]

Who set the headspacing?

[zap]

Terry,

I tried to resize. I ran my press up to the max ( the shell holder was touching the die) and tried one in the gun, same thing, a little tough to close and open. ???

Stangfish, I would think that Fred head spaced it.

[GaCop]

Shell holders do vary in thickness so that is probably part of your problem. If your not using a shoulder bump die, a standard full length sizing die may be just a little sloppy causing the problem. What dies are you using? I had a similar problem with my 7mm-08 and a Redding Full length die. I switched to an RCBS die and problem was solved.

[northlander]

I read an article on this very problem somewhere. The solution as I remember was to remove a few thousands of material from the bottom of the die. This allows the casing shoulder to be pushed back just a touch more and that was the problem with the other guys loads.

Jim Briggs
NSS

[zap]

Jim,
that is exactly what I was thinking. I remember reading that post a few years ago myself. That should be a simple fix.

The dies are Forrester. It is a 2 die set : full lenthsizing die and a micrometer seater.

I will update and let you all know the outcome. Thank you

[MDM]

If you tightened the die down at the point it makes contact with the shell holder, try turning the die down another 1/8th to 1/4th of a turn. I know the Forster instuctions say to set the die at the point where the die conacts the shell holder, but you might need to go an additional 1/4th of a turn to get a nice camming action. On my 6.5 Lapua Forster dies, I set them about 1/8th of a turn past the point of shellholder contact and that gets me the shoulder bump I need.

[82boy]

When you get a new barrel you need to get new brass. It is a good possibility that the base of the brass you have is expanded to another chamber, and no matter what you do it will not fit the chamber. It is also possible that the die is a bit on the long side of things, you need to measure the brass before it is sized, and then size it and measure it to see how much the shoulder is getting pushed back. If the die is not pushing the shoulder back you may need to modify the die, or the shellholder, and then mate that shell holder to the die.

[jwpark]

How are you measuring the case shoulder bump?

[jsthntn247]

Your problem is that you have fired this brass in another chamber and it does not fit your new one. Get new brass and your problem will be solved.

[sharpshooter]

Terry,

I tried to resize. I ran my press up to the max ( the shell holder was touching the die) and tried one in the gun, same thing, a little tough to close and open. ???

Stangfish, I would think that Fred head spaced it.

If I installed and headspaced the barrel, my name and the date will be on it.

[zap]

This brass was only shot in this rifle. It was shot 4 times so far.I have not spoke directly to the old owner of the rifle yet, but I will this weekend.

jwpark, I don't have the gage to measure the shoulder yet. I have one for my .223 that was made by a shooting friend. The one he made me is a simple pc of alluminum round stock about an inch long, maybe 5/8 0o 3/4 inch diameter. In his lathe he simple center drilled it. the center drill is the same angle as the .223 shoulder angle. He then drilled a clearance hole for the neck to go into so that only the shoulder angle is touching the gage.It has a slot milled so it fits on the blade of my calipers and it is held on with a screw from a drilled and tapped hole. Very simple design but It works great.
Yes , I definitely need something to see how much I am bumping the shoulder back. I think .001 or .002 should do the trick.
That is basically what I do with my .223 brass. After 5 or 6 firings, it seems to get a little snug just like this 6.5x47 brass is doing, so I get my full length die and keep moving the die about 1/8 -1/4 turn until I move the shoulder .001 or .002 ., then I am golden for another 5-6 fireings.

At work today I ground off about .004- .005 from the bottom of my die. I will try it in the morning and see if the brass fits in my chamber any better. AND I will try that tip about moving the die a 1/4 turn more.

Fred, their is no doubt in my mind that if you did the work , then it is done right. I hope you did not take that the wrong way, maybe I should have worded it a different way. ;)

Thank you for all the replies.

[zap]

One thing that I forgot to mention.

The first thing I tried was, I got a black sharpie marker and colored the sholder. I chambered it, and it appeared that the shoulder was contacting the shoulder angle in the chamber.

[frank1947]

maybe it has a tight neck, whoever oredered the barrel maybe ask for that if Freds name aint on it then someone else did it , try turning a neck see what happens I have a tightr 30BR if I dont get it right it acts like that

[zap]

I thought I posted the out come yesterday, but I gues it did not post.

Any way, I did the extra 1/4 turn trick with the die and that did it. The brass now closes as if the action is empty. The shoulders were hittiing as I thought. I guess the die was slightly too long.

Thanks everyone for all the advice.
Lee