Do you see any pressure signs?

[BurnOut]

After loading up some 300WM, I went to the range the other day and let loose. I had some Black Hills 190 gr loads (case on the left), a sample pack of 200 gr Berger projectiles (center case), and some 230 gr Berger OTM projectiles (right case). Both the 200 gr and 230 gr projectiles were loaded with 70.0 grains of H4831 and lit off with CCI 250 primers. Don't mind the longitudinal striations; they're the result not of sticky extraction, but rather the use of the Larry Willis die for resizing the case just ahead of the belt.

In any event, both of my loads seemed to shoot well, without difficult extraction or other drama, but in my effort to become an old(er) reloader I am of course looking for signs that I'm getting close to or over the safety line. Looking at my cases (in the center and on the right), I don't see any reason to be concerned... is there anything there that I'm not recognizing?

 

[MtnCreek]

The case on the right has a circle around the M from the ejector hole in the boltface. Was that from a previous firing or this firing?

 

[BurnOut]

The case on the right has a circle around the M from the ejector hole in the boltface. Was that from a previous firing or this firing?

Good eye, I had missed that, and had to go look for it once you mentioned it. Anyhow, I'm not certain as to the origin of that mark; I can only say that the bolt of the rifle in which I fired this round (DTA SRS) has dual ejectors, so I'd think that if it has one ejector mark, it'd have two. That said, I'll have to look more closely at other cases that were fired with this same load to check for similar marks...

 

[BurnOut]

Good call on the ejector marks... looking closely in oblique light, I can see veeeeeery light ejector marks on other cases that were fired with the heavy projectiles. Looks like I'll want to back that load down a touch...

 

[mdmp5]

That ejector wipe is so subtle, I’d pay it no mind. If your charge shoots nice and the bolt isn’t sticky, I’d stay with it