Stuck Brass after round is spent

[ElKellym]

I got a Hornady 1500 scale as my first scale. Later I found out that it was way off on weights. 10-15 grains off. I have since gotten a new one digital and manual scale weight to verify the powder grains.

I loaded up my 338 lapua on Saturday with Hornady 285's with 92.5 grains of H1000 My first three shots the brass stuck in the barrel. I had to get a push rod and pop it out. The next 10 were fine and came right out. Then one more was stuck and then 5 were fine and I was out of rounds.

If I was over charging the round wouldn't all stick and not just a few? With the 338 I used a lot of slick on the brass when I am resizing them so maybe there was some extra on there? I just don't know why some would stick and others done


Ideas?

 

[1slow01z71]

Did the ones that stuck sit in the chamber for a little while before fired?

 

[ElKellym]

Did the ones that stuck sit in the chamber for a little while before fired?

Under 1 minute while I was getting my aim is about it.

 

[milo 2.0]

Did the ones that stuck sit in the chamber for a little while before fired?

For the first 3 to stick, they weren't cooking in the chamber. I push the limits at times, a cratered primer I can live with, and an occasional ejector mark, but having to pound bolt up, or tap a case out it's time to tone er down a bit.

 

[bcrich]

Stuckvage? Aka savage.

 

[varmint slayer]

If the rifle is a Savage then it's a very common problem with their .338 Lapua models. They are head spaced a little tight and need a little tweaking. Throw Hornady brass in with that and you have a recipe that allot of people have/are fighting. I run 92 grains H1000 with Lapua brass with the 285's and their isn't any pressure signs at all. Actually a little weak IMO but it shoots well so I left it.

 

[ElKellym]

If the rifle is a Savage then it's a very common problem with their .338 Lapua models. They are head spaced a little tight and need a little tweaking. Throw Hornady brass in with that and you have a recipe that allot of people have/are fighting. I run 92 grains H1000 with Lapua brass with the 285's and their isn't any pressure signs at all. Actually a little weak IMO but it shoots well so I left it.

The first three that did stick the brass just has a T on the top of the head and .338 on the bottom. Not sure whos brass that is

Good info though.

 

[bcrich]

The first three that did stick the brass just has a T on the top of the head and .338 on the bottom. Not sure whos brass that is

Good info though.

Those are Ruag brass.... Swiss I believe, and that's good brass.

 

[varmint slayer]

The first three that did stick the brass just has a T on the top of the head and .338 on the bottom. Not sure whos brass that is

Good info though.

Those are indeed Raug Brass if they look like these in the pic. As stated it is comparable to Lapua.

 

[BuzzBoss915]

I got a Hornady 1500 scale as my first scale. Later I found out that it was way off on weights. 10-15 grains off. I have since gotten a new one digital and manual scale weight to verify the powder grains.

I loaded up my 338 lapua on Saturday with Hornady 285's with 92.5 grains of H1000 My first three shots the brass stuck in the barrel. I had to get a push rod and pop it out. The next 10 were fine and came right out. Then one more was stuck and then 5 were fine and I was out of rounds.

If I was over charging the round wouldn't all stick and not just a few? With the 338 I used a lot of slick on the brass when I am resizing them so maybe there was some extra on there? I just don't know why some would stick and others done


Ideas?

#1 It's hard to believe any scale would be 10-15 grains off. Which way? Maybe you just don't know how to read it? It's happened before.

#2 I hope you worked up your load and did not just dump 92.5 grains of H1000 because you read that data somewhere?

#3 I would be concerned, if these were the first rounds ever shot out of this gun. Those first three should have raised some sort of red flag, especially if you just picked the load from a book. Every rifle is different, and that load could be mild in some guns and too hot in others. I won't look it up because it doesn't matter. Safe reloading practices compel a shooter to begin low and work up to a safe, accurate load. This is how it's done. Data should be taken as general guidelines, not absolutes.

#4 your question, "wouldn't all stick and not just a few" is rather naive since case capacity can vary enough that the same charge weight could be high pressure in some and not others. Especially in a high capacity case. Be aware that all cases do not have the exact same capacity and your reloading practices should take that fact into account.

#5 I'm not understanding "a lot of slick on the brass"? This sounds like you might be using excessive lube on the cases and worse yet, not wiping it off before placing them in an ammo box and (of course) before shooting. You brass should be nearly clean before charging and seating bullets.

My opinion is that you need to pay more attention to detail or revert to factory ammo. BB

 

[P7id10t]

On my Savage 110BA, I have found with different powders (RL22 / N570 / H870) and different bullets (225gr, 250gr, 300gr), there is a small zone where you get slight overpressure signs before the case gets stuck. For example, above 94.5grs of H870 under Hornady 250gr SP, more and more get stuck as you increase powder, and by the time you hit 95 grs, they all get stuck. And looking at load data for H870, the recipe I picked up ranged from 93grs (low) to 103grs (high). Of course, I started 10% low.... With RL22 the amount is even less, particularly because it's a much faster powder so will have sharp initial pressure buildup.

YMMV. Start low, build up and find your sweet spot. Then delete ALL recipes that exceed the "stuckage" value.