FL resized and trimmed .338 Lapua brass sticking

[CrawDad338]

I'm having trouble with 2nd use Lapua brand brass sticking. I went through 100 virgin Lapua cases without any issues @ max load using 92gr of H1000 and 300 Berger OTMs. Today was my 1st day using 2nd fired brass for load develop, this brass was full length resized using a Redding die, trimmed to spec, and polished up nicely. I started with 91.4gr of H1000 and the 1st case stuck. I tried three more cases and they stuck too, chrono readings were 2720fps or 20fps faster than a virgin case with the same exact charge. When I run max load on virgin cases (92gr) I'm @ 2,754fps, those cases don't stick.

Is there any reason why a once used FL resized/trimmed to spec case would be more susceptible to sticking? I will pull the bullets and ladder up some milder loads, but that just seems like a band-aid, I was hoping to get the same speed out of cases whether they were virgin or used a few times.

Any help, tips, or leads would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Mark

 

[former naval person]

Re: FL resized and trimmed .338 Lapua brass sticking

Same powder lot? Remember that when first time fired, the expansion of the smaller case uses up some energy in the process. That can result in marginally less internal pressure and lower speed/velocity. If you were indeed at max, the case fits the chamber closely and the next time around the pressure is greater, expansion is closer to the fit and you may just have to load down. JMHO

 

[bward]

Re: FL resized and trimmed .338 Lapua brass sticking

Are you sure you are actually bumping the shoulder back?

 

[Paladin2147]

Re: FL resized and trimmed .338 Lapua brass sticking

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bward</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Are you sure you are actually bumping the shoulder back? </div></div>

This. Also stick a little grease on the back side of the bolt locking lugs and cocking cam.

 

[SVG308]

Re: FL resized and trimmed .338 Lapua brass sticking

What action are you using? Is the bolt lift heavy at the bottom of the lift or only once it hits primary extraction at the top of the bolt lift?

 

[CrawDad338]

Re: FL resized and trimmed .338 Lapua brass sticking

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: former naval person</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Same powder lot? Remember that when first time fired, the expansion of the smaller case uses up some energy in the process. That can result in marginally less internal pressure and lower speed/velocity. If you were indeed at max, the case fits the chamber closely and the next time around the pressure is greater, expansion is closer to the fit and you may just have to load down. JMHO</div></div>

Thanks for the replies, Yes it's the same lot.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kolkio</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bward</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Are you sure you are actually bumping the shoulder back? </div></div>

This. </div></div>

I'm pretty sure since there is a fresh ring visible around the shoulder when it comes out of the resizing die.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SVG308</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What action are you using? Is the bolt lift heavy at the bottom of the lift or only once it hits primary extraction at the top of the bolt lift?</div></div>

Savage 110 FCP HS Precision, the bolt lift is heavy at the bottom of the lift.

 

[SVG308]

Re: FL resized and trimmed .338 Lapua brass sticking

Definitely sounds like pressure although some Savage 338 chambers have not been finished very nicely which could contribute to the rounds sticking.

You can use a 45acp casing to measure the shoulder of your fired brass to ensure that the shoulders were being properly bumped.

 

[CrawDad338]

Re: FL resized and trimmed .338 Lapua brass sticking

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: former naval person</div><div class="ubbcode-body">the expansion of the smaller case uses up some energy in the process. That can result in marginally less internal pressure and lower speed/velocity. If you were indeed at max, the case fits the chamber closely and the next time around the pressure is greater, expansion is closer to the fit and you may just have to load down. JMHO</div></div>

Makes sense, I measured up, down,inside, and out of the cases I had to tap out with cleaning rod and compared to the virgin fired cases. The FL resized cases grew more after being fired 2.726'' avg length compared to 2.718'' avg on the virgin fired cases. Why are they growing more? Do I need to start learning how to anneal?

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Re: FL resized and trimmed .338 Lapua brass sticking

Another thing to consider, don't 'slop' the chamber with oil, as that can aid a case and cause it to stick within the chamber proper.

Not saying that this is the issue, but some people like to soak the chamber well, when cleaning their rifle.

Savage rifles had issues in the beginning, with Hornady brass for some reason, sticking in the chamber.

I know you're shooting Lapua brand, but more than a couple of people who've posted here, had issues.

Chris

 

[CrawDad338]

Re: FL resized and trimmed .338 Lapua brass sticking

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ChrisGarrett</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Savage rifles had issues in the beginning, with Hornady brass for some reason, sticking in the chamber.

I know you're shooting Lapua brand, but more than a couple of people who've posted here, had issues.

Chris</div></div>

I had trouble with Hornady factory 285 gr loads sticking in my gun too, but I was able to get 87gr of RL-25 in virgin Hornady cases to work fine with the 300gr Berger OTMs. Why do trimmed to spec reloaded Lapua cases "grow" more than virgin Lapua cases? I think this might be my problem...

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Re: FL resized and trimmed .338 Lapua brass sticking

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CrawDad338</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ChrisGarrett</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Savage rifles had issues in the beginning, with Hornady brass for some reason, sticking in the chamber.

I know you're shooting Lapua brand, but more than a couple of people who've posted here, had issues.

Chris</div></div>

I had trouble with Hornady factory 285 gr loads sticking in my gun too, but I was able to get 87gr of RL-25 in virgin Hornady cases to work fine with the 300gr Berger OTMs. Why do trimmed to spec reloaded Lapua cases "grow" more than virgin Lapua cases? I think this might be my problem... </div></div>

I'm on 10-12 cycles with some of my Lapua brand brass and I've never had sticking issues in my TRG. Right now, I'm only neck sizing because if I full length size, I will get the shoulders to move out to the point that they won't get shoved back down again and I won't be able to close the bolt easily.

Necks will grow as a matter of course, that's why we trim them. Cases will loose their springback as they work harden and this is why we anneal them, to get that 'softness' back.

You really need to get some Hornady, or Sinclair head space gages to measure where your fired cases are at, before sizing and then try to size some cases and see where there are after that step.

For some reason, the 338LM cases are hard (for me at least) to squeeze back down. Maybe it's just that there's so much metal, who knows?

You also might try to use a different sizing die. At one time in the beginning, I had the Hornady generic 338 neck sizer, the Hornady New Dimension FL die, the RCBS standard set, the Forster FL set and now I'm using a Redding body die, with the bushing neck sizer, or the just the FL bushing die.

Never hurts to have spares to fiddle with this stuff. This is how I know that when you try to shrink that big case down, that metal has to go somewhere and it's usually going to manifest itself in a longer case bodies, not necessarily in the case necks proper.

All of this is moot, if you're getting your loaded rounds to chamer without any resistence, however.

Chris

 

[CrawDad338]

Re: FL resized and trimmed .338 Lapua brass sticking

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ChrisGarrett</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'm on 10-12 cycles with some of my Lapua brand brass and I've never had sticking issues in my TRG. Right now, I'm only neck sizing because if I full length size, I will get the shoulders to move out to the point that they won't get shoved back down again and I won't be able to close the bolt easily.

Necks will grow as a matter of course, that's why we trim them. Cases will loose their springback as they work harden and this is why we anneal them, to get that 'softness' back.


All of this is moot, if you're getting your loaded rounds to chamer without any resistence, however.

Chris</div></div>

My buddy has a TRG42, nice rifle and it doesn't discriminate on tolerances like my Savage.

I feel no resistance at all when I chamber the problem loads.

I'm going to try a few things with the cases...

1. Take an extra .003 to .004 off of a FL resized case when I trim them, that's how much they are out of Max length spec after firing. Then I will roll with a stout load to see if they still stick.

2. FL resize, trim to spec, anneal, and fire with stout load to see if they grow less after annealing.

3. Run a milder ladder to see how much a resized case can handle before sticking.

I was hoping to mostly neck size after load development until every 4th firing then I would full length resize and anneal.