Tough to chamber a round in 110

[Londerko]

So heres the deal:

I have 20 Hornady 300 win mag cases that i have been neck sizing over and over. They are now making it hard to close the bolt, no problem ejecting, just chambering.
I bought the brass as once fired, full length sized them once, and i have neck sized using the Lee Neck Collet 4 times now. So they have been fired a total of 6 times. They are not over the max length, and brass still seems to be in very good shape.
So what should i do now? Full length size and start over? I have herd whisperings in the dark about "bumping the shoulder back" what is this? How would i do it? The tools i have are an RCBS Full length sizing set and a Lee Neck Collet die.

Any pointers or words of advise would be appreciated,
Thanks - Leo

[bushwackr]

On my 300 win mag I fl size every 4 firings never had an issue. I would wax one piece and fl size and see if it goes away. You should still be able to shoot it

[bushwackr]

I'm not 100% sure on this but the cases must have grown by the belt

[Londerko]

After you fire your cases 4 times are they starting to get sticky before you FL size?

[bushwackr]

I kinda said that wrong 3 times with redding bushing dies and on the 4th time its fl sized, and no I havent had any issues with the brass when I full length. I use larry willis dies it resizes right up to the belt, a regular die does not.

[chukarmandoo]

I think you need to anneal the brass it will make it easier to resize and it will last a lot longer. If the brass is reloaded several times without annealing it becomes hard and brittle and won't size properly. In other words (its hard to bump the shoulder back). It also helps to keep the necks from splitting which I find common in 300wm's.

[Smokey262]

I would anneal then full length size them if they were mine

[MacDR]

1. Ensure your chamber is clean. I know this sounds elementary but you would be surprised how little crud is needed to make a case hard to chamber.
2. Adjust your FL sizing die out several turns from its usual setting per the maker's instructions.
3. Put a lubed case in your press and size it. You will not contact the shoulder but don't worry just now. Wipe off the lube and chamber the sized case and check for resistance.
4. If resistance is felt turn down your die 1/2 turn and repeat 3. Continue to size, check and turn down the die until the case chambers to your satisfaction.. If you use up all your die adjustment then you may have to get yourself a small base die.
5. Trim your cases to length.

Unless you are getting neck splits or experiencing neck tension/bullet seating problems I would avoid annealing necks. Getting annealing right isn't as simple as some would suggest. Doing it wrong can be a waste of time to downright dangerous.

[Jetpig]

1. Ensure your chamber is clean. I know this sounds elementary but you would be surprised how little crud is needed to make a case hard to chamber.
2. Adjust your FL sizing die out several turns from its usual setting per the maker's instructions.
3. Put a lubed case in your press and size it. You will not contact the shoulder but don't worry just now. Wipe off the lube and chamber the sized case and check for resistance.
4. If resistance is felt turn down your die 1/2 turn and repeat 3. Continue to size, check and turn down the die until the case chambers to your satisfaction.. If you use up all your die adjustment then you may have to get yourself a small base die.
5. Trim your cases to length.

Unless you are getting neck splits or experiencing neck tension/bullet seating problems I would avoid annealing necks. Getting annealing right isn't as simple as some would suggest. Doing it wrong can be a waste of time to downright dangerous.

Mac's got it. After several shootings and neck sizing you will eventually have to full length size again or what Mac said to bump the shoulder back a just a hair. Just to add a bit more precision to Mac's post, you can start with the full length die backed out 2 turns from die to press ram contact at full height. Then like Mac said, size and try in the rifle at 1/2 turn increments until your brass chambers with very little or no resistance when your bolt cams over.
Now to add to Mac's advise, you can record your results or set the lockring tight on your FL size die (number of turns out from ram die/contact) and now use your FL sizing die at this setting instead of your neck size die if you wish. Brass life will not be decreased at all and now you would be just neck sizing/neck bumping for a perfect fit in your rifle. BTW when you neck size or very slightly neck bump you now headspace off the shoulder and not the belt which is better. It is the growth in the neck/shoulder that causes the hard chambering, not the belt area.
Mac is also very correct in annealing.

[Londerko]

Thanks for all the great info guys, i will definately give that a try! It was also suggested to me to try a "Redding Body Die". Do any of you have any experience with one of these? Is it really any different than a "gutted" full length die? I was told it will also size all the way down to the belt, but I'm not 100% sure that's accurate.
Thanks again,
-Leo

[MacDR]

Save your cash until you see how partial FL sizing works for you. My experience is that, unless you are running hot loads, seldom does the case head expand enough to create sticky cases in standard chambers.

[Gene75]

yes the Redding dies are the way to go! they also make a shell holder sets that's in 2k graduations for bumping the shoulder back to the desired length
also they do not interfere with the neck so you won't lose the concentricity that you already have

[BBS70]

I also have problems with my 308 Hog Hunter being difficult to chamber a round.
The rifle was purchased new.
And sometimes not wanting to eject the casing, on occasion I've had to use insert my cleaning rod down the bore to get the bolt back to eject the spent casing.
I FL size my casings every time, I've used a Lee fl die & a RCBS fl die and it doesn't seem to make a difference.
ALL loads were in the middle of the recommended reloading data and no mag primers were used.
I've used both beam scales & electronic scales, and different powders that were recommended for the 308.
OAL of case is within tolerances.
OAL of loaded round with tolerances.
I'm at a loss.

[MacDR]

I also have problems with my 308 Hog Hunter being difficult to chamber a round.
The rifle was purchased new.
And sometimes not wanting to eject the casing, on occasion I've had to use insert my cleaning rod down the bore to get the bolt back to eject the spent casing.
I FL size my casings every time, I've used a Lee fl die & a RCBS fl die and it doesn't seem to make a difference.
ALL loads were in the middle of the recommended reloading data and no mag primers were used.
I've used both beam scales & electronic scales, and different powders that were recommended for the 308.
OAL of case is within tolerances.
OAL of loaded round with tolerances.
I'm at a loss.

Sounds like you may have a rough chamber.

[Handloader]

I have a Collet Die I bought from Larry Willis from Innovative Technologies from www.LARRYWILLIS.com (I do not work for him, just a customer). The die fully resizes the case all the way down to the belt (and can be used on any belted magnum case). Some times the case will get a small bulge just above the belt that most sizing dies can not resolve. That bulge can lead to chambering issues. That said, I would try all the other suggestions first...

The die takes some effort to use, but it has worked for me.

[Handloader]

I also have problems with my 308 Hog Hunter being difficult to chamber a round.
The rifle was purchased new.
And sometimes not wanting to eject the casing, on occasion I've had to use insert my cleaning rod down the bore to get the bolt back to eject the spent casing.
I FL size my casings every time, I've used a Lee fl die & a RCBS fl die and it doesn't seem to make a difference.
ALL loads were in the middle of the recommended reloading data and no mag primers were used.
I've used both beam scales & electronic scales, and different powders that were recommended for the 308.
OAL of case is within tolerances.
OAL of loaded round with tolerances.
I'm at a loss.

Are you getting all the sizing lube off? Have you tried a go/no go guage to check headspace?
I would measure an unfired round and sized case (pull the bullet tip out) to the midpoint (datum) on the case shoulder, then measure a fired round to see how much the neck has move forward. You should have at least two thousandths of an inch less on your your sized case, when compared to the fired case. ( you can use an empty 40 s&w case as it will set close enough to the datum to measure this if you do not have the correct bushing). This is a cheap way to check headspace without a go gauge.......
If you can not push the shoulder back enough with our current dies, I would submit your rifle should go back, or you grind the bottom of your sizing die down.
Does this happen with factory ammo???????? I find factory ammo has shoulders that are set back way too much.

[jonbearman]

Your .308 probably needs a small base die to bring it back to sammmi spec. If you load hot which isnt really needed in my book you tend to blow out the base just above the extractor groove which means you are too hot and over book hottest round.Back off your load and get a small base die to put the brass back to original specs.

[limige]

Like they said anneal and Fl size them. You need to bump the shoulder back .001 and it will chamber with ease.