Excessive Headspace?

Need some advice, all. I put an E.R. Shaw 270 Win barrel on my old 116. Using the go/no-go gauges to where the bolt closed on the former, but not on the latter; I found that the bolt would not close on any rounds of a box of Hornady American Whitetail 130 grain ammunition. So I re-headspaced it, this time progressively unscrewing the barrel (lengthening headspace) until the no-go gauge just barely didn't allow the bolt to close. Specifically, the no-go gauge allowed the bolt to close approximately 1/4 of a turn. From the reading I've done on this site and others, this was acceptable.

I shot my box of 20 today, and I'm very pleased with the accuracy. Once I find a bullet, powder, and the bullet jump that this rifle likes, I expect sub MOA results. The group shown is 1.09".

My question is, are these primers showing excessive headspace? I see they're somewhat flattened, but just don't know if they're a red flag. Shortening the headspace by a thou or two would be an easy job, so I'm ready if necessary.


Thanks, all.

E.T.A.
I looked at the pics and notice that in one shot there appears to be a ring around a primer, that looks like cratering or discoloration. This is not the case, it's just the picture. There is no cratering on any of the primers.



http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...mers%20001.jpg

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The primers look okay to me. I would say you have safe headspace.

I like to set my headspace as follows. Take a piece of brass fired in the rifle in question and full length size it with the press set to cam over. Fill the case with epoxy being careful not to get any on the outside. Let the epoxy cure. This becomes my new go gage and I reset the headspace on it. I get maximum case life this way but sometimes this method will not allow factory ammo to fit in the chamber.

If the primers are slightly flattened I wouldnt worry about that to much , a ring on the primer could be some cratering that could be a pressure sign, or if could have a slightly large hole around firing pin.

Thanks for the replies, guys. I guess E.R. Shaw does make a fine barrel. I'm pretty pleased with the results of the factory ammo. This gun used to be a 338. The groupings above are about as good as the 338 after load development. It should get better once I find the pet load for the new barrel.

In my experience the E. R. Shaw barrels are great shooters. Your brass looks fine to me. It may be a touch on the warm side but I think you got a ways to go before you have anything to worry about.

I don't see the warm thing that was mentioned. Are the primers standing high on the face of the case?

No Robinhood, they're dead flush. This is factory ammunition. Now they're fireformed. I'll neck size them and see how they look on the first reload. I'll start with a modest load.

I saw that you were shooting the Hornady Whitetail. Good stuff for the money. I don't see any marks on the base. Since you are just neck sizing you wont have to worry about head space anymore. What is your recipe for your reloads?

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Originally Posted by Robinhood

I saw that you were shooting the Hornady Whitetail. Good stuff for the money. I don't see any marks on the base. Since you are just neck sizing you wont have to worry about head space anymore. What is your recipe for your reloads?

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Don't have a recipe yet! :smile-new: Still waiting on the dies to arrive. Going to treat myself to a 3 set of Redding. I plan on sticking to a 130 gr. bullet. Probably will use a Barnes X, solid copper Triple Shock. For powders, I have on hand some MRP, 4320, 4350, AA 2530, and a few pounds left of an 8 lb. keg of RL 22. Not sure what I'll start with, but my first order of business will be to ladder test at various seating depths starting at a thou or two off the lands.

Nice shooting!

I like to spend more time shooting than reloading. You might want to consider the Lee die set that includes both the full length and collet neck sizing dies. Makes very accurate ammo, die sets are much cheaper, and you also get much faster reloading as you don't need to apply and then remove case lube during re-sizing (when using the collet neck size die). You need to use case lube both inside the neck (mica powder or a spray lube) and outside the case when using a traditional neck sizing or full length die.

Note that I have found that it requires a full length re-sizing every 3 to 5 reloads to allow easy clambering. So if you do buy the Lee, buy the 3 die set that includes both sizing dies.

When using a neck sizing die and you have an important hunting trip planned, it is a good idea to verify that your hunting ammo will easily chamber.

Thanks, kkeene. I love to reload, and I'm old school when it comes to the practice. I'm not looking for fast; at least not with my rifle loads. That's where I take my time. 45 ACP loads for my 1911's get manufactured on my Dillon 650. This press will provide me with a few thousand rounds inside a few days if the demand is there. That's a lot faster than I need. For rifle, I use my single stage Rock Chucker, and time is immaterial. What IS important is repeatability, and the Redding die sets provide just that. Nothing against Lee, but a few more dollars on Redding is money well spent IMO.

The 3 die Redding set is perfect for the reasons you outline above. Every 5 or 7 reloads, I full length resize to keep the brass within tolerance. Every batch, no matter what the count; gets a few rounds chambered for quality control. Going into the woods with a handful of rounds only to find they won't chamber is a rookie mistake! This becomes especially poignant if you find yourself in Canada. Time, resources, and money down the tube.


I have yet to meet someone who likes to reload more than they like to shoot. When it comes to shooting time though, there's never a second guess regarding quality.

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Originally Posted by SparkyLB

I have yet to meet someone who likes to reload more than they like to shoot. When it comes to shooting time though, there's never a second guess regarding quality.

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Hello Sparky, Robinhood here.......

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Originally Posted by Robinhood

Hello Sparky, Robinhood here.......

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LOL! I love to reload too, but I'd rather shoot.