You are over-sizing your brass. It is stretching causing Case Head Separation. Do you have a case head space measuring tool? If you do check to see if your cases are longer than your gauge.
You are over-sizing your brass. It is stretching causing Case Head Separation. Do you have a case head space measuring tool? If you do check to see if your cases are longer than your gauge.
The Dunning-Kruger effect is alive and well.
The brass is twice fired. Once in a buddies rifle, then FL sized in a Hornady die, then in my rifle. What is this tool? A Wilson case gauge?? A bullet comparitor and use it in the shoulder??Originally Posted by Robinhood
It is a tool that helps measure the distance from the base of the case to the datum on the shoulder of the case. Your cases should be sized to a length of the head space minus .002". Chances you will not know the exact headspace unless you are able to fire the cartridge without the primers backing out. Obviously if the primers are backing out or you are having head separation your brass is being "over" sized meaning it is sized to short for the chamber.
A Wilson tool will tell you if it falls within tolerance but will not give you numbers to compare with.
The first thing you should test if you are left scratching your head is the gauge protrusion from your head. I was thinking that on a savage it is between .125" and .130. I cant remember but I know that is real close. The counter bore on your factory bolt head should be between .115" and .118" that should give you at least .010 clearance between the end of the bolt head and the face of the barrel breach. If you get something slightly different you shouldn't worry about it as long as those faces do not touch.
The Dunning-Kruger effect is alive and well.
"Life' is tough. It's even tougher if you're stupid." ~ John Wayne
“Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer.” —Mark Twain
Brass from other rifles even if FL Sized always needs formed to a new rifle. It often leads to issues due to different chamber specs. Gets some virgin brass or factory ammo and save the cases. Second, what load did you use that you had case separation. None of what you're experiencing is because of it being a 6.5 Creedmoor. Improper loading and ammo out of spec for the rifle sound to be the issue.
[QUOTE=cowboybart;462429]The brass is twice fired. Once in a buddies rifle, then FL sized in a Hornady die, then in my rifle. What is this tool? A Wilson case gauge?? A bullet comparitor and use it in the shoulder??[/QUOTE
Why not start from scratch and buy some new brass,fire a few rounds, then see if the fired rounds will chamber back in the rifle, if they chamber ** then move on to what others have said.
While ordering your new brass, and since this is a bolt gun, order a Lee collet die, no dragging the expander ball back out the neck
This isn't my first day at the rodeo, I've been handloading since the mid '80's (don't let my profile age fool you - I never entered it and don't know how to change it). I use a bullet comparator but not a cartridge one. I can solve that.
Turns out that the barrel is goofed up from Savage. Upon inspection with a bore cam, it appears that a chip found its way onto the reamer flute and damaged the neck/shoulder junction. Somehow this was missed in their QC check - imagine that! No worries, I have a 6 CM reamer and will need a 6.5 pilot for it. I also have 6.5 neck and 6.5 throat reamers. I'll take .100" off the breech then deepen the chamber and try this barrel again.
I suspected an out of spec FL die and I will check that too - Thanx SharpShooter
Load was 42 grs of Big Game and a 120gr Sierra Game King in Nosler brass with a Fed primer. It was my starting load. The first 3 look normal, #4 had a ring on the bottom and #5 came apart.
So you were yanking our chain the whole time. Dastardly deed my brother.
The Dunning-Kruger effect is alive and well.
Sounds like your gauges wouldn't chamber deep enough because of the damaged chamber. Glad you found it. I learned a good look with a bore camera or scope will tell you volumes. Funny you didn't notice it on the brass also.
Good luck with getting it percolating again.
Got it cleaned up with a neck and throat reamer, but now the throat has a good bit of free bore. I'm gonna swap it over to a Marlin XL-7 action but need to take .008" off of the breech to get it to headspace. In the long action I will be able to seat the bullets out further due to the long mag box.
Savages "catching a chip" aren't unheard of...
Since you have a lathe and can set back, why didn't you face the breech back .050 and use a chamber reamer (if you don't have it, you can rent from 4D) to deepen to spec and clean it up?
Are you sure? I know it got bantered about a lot, years back on the Marlin forum. But I've re-barreled a pair of my XL-7's with a few different Savage prefits, and had no issues setting headspace.
Maybe you got some funky stack tolerances?
Cheers
I'm a firm believer in the theory that if it bleeds, I can kill it.
I just noticed my age wasn't listed at all, so updated my profile. At the top of the page is a dark blue ribbon and three items have 'drop down menus'. Hit the 'Forum Actions' and you can choose 'edit profile'. You can enter your age near the top of that page. Youth is over-rated, with age comes the beauty of experience.
I would argue that it isnt over rated at all. The young fools ive known ended up being old fools, but only if they lasted that long.I just noticed my age wasn't listed at all, so updated my profile. At the top of the page is a dark blue ribbon and three items have 'drop down menus'. Hit the 'Forum Actions' and you can choose 'edit profile'. You can enter your age near the top of that page. Youth is over-rated, with age comes the beauty of experience.
I re-read your original post, you said it was "cobbled together with parts".
What is the history on the barrel? With a chamber defect that caused incorrect headspace and case separations for you, same would have happened for the original owner...
Was it purchased used?
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks