Help with problem?

[Rooster931]

Hello, been on the hide for a while. Have a serious problem with reloads in a rifle. I am at a loss, haven't given up but very frustrated.
For background and introduction information I will provide that I have loaded and shot thousands of rounds of my reloads. I also will add I do not now everything about reloading that's why I am here.
I have a very nice rifle in 308 that I had built several years ago by a great smith not going to say the name but mentioned on this sight all the time. . Now for the issue.

I am loading 150 grain bullets in a once fired Hornady/federal cases. Using 43 grains of IMR 4064
all brass was prepped in the following manner
FL resized, trimmed to 2.005, primer pockets squared and re-primed with sinclair hand tool.

I loaded the rounds in a LE Wilson chamber type seater with arbor press.

I went to the range and fired five shots. After every shot I experienced "sticky bolt" very sticky. Absolutely no none zero pressure signs

At this point I fired a factory round ......No problem extraction was easy!!!!!!!

Tried to solve the issue in the following ways.

1. Made sure absolutely no sizing die wax/ case lube was on the loaded rounds.........Did not make a difference.
2. Tried different powder IMR 4895 40.0 charge weight........did not make a difference.
3. Tried reloading the brass from the factory loads I test fired that easily extracted .......Did not make a difference.
4. Tried Federal brass as I was initially using Hornady brass.........no luck.
5. Changed bullets to a 150 grain soft point........no luck
6. Last I was concerned about excessive headspace on resizing so I neck sized a case fired in the rifle and........ no luck.
7. Cleaned the rifle chamber with a brush and solvent......no luck
8. Changed dies from Redding to RCBS.....no luck

The only thing visible on the case after firing is a small amount of carbon on the neck of the case where the neck meets the shoulder.

Any help or suggestions would be great at this point

 

[Dogtown]

Might be a shot in the dark, but was it also difficult to close the bolt on those cases? I've had similar heavy bolt lift within good pressures because I didn't bump the shoulder back enough when sizing.

Have you tried using some virgin brass to rule out sizing as the culprit?

 

[Rooster931]

Thanks for the response I thought of that, I am going to look for some tonight in my stash and I will give it a try.

 

[Campguy308]

Also make sure the bullets are not being jammed into the rifling.

 

[918v]

Did you measure the case body diameter before and after sizing? How much is it being sized?

 

[Rooster931]

Thanks guys. I did check that the bullet was not jammed into the rifling.
I have measured several pieces of brass. I can give measurements if this helps. Did not compare fired with resized at this point.
Loaded 5 rounds tonight with virgin brass and started with 5 rounds once fired reset sizing operation. I will give report tomorrow

 

[Rooster931]

Thanks guys. I did check that the bullet was not jammed into the rifling.
I have measured several pieces of brass. I can give measurements if this helps. Did not compare fired with resized at this point.
Loaded 5 rounds tonight with virgin brass and started with 5 rounds once fired reset sizing operation. I will give report tomorrow

Well I have answers. With virgin brass the reloads function just fine as always!!!!!!
The five once fired cases I started over and reset my sizing operation ..........just fine!
More research found that it was the difference in the height of a shell holder. The chamber of the rifle is tight enough that it made a difference bumping that shoulder that much too far. Thanks all who answered .
918v the difference in case body after firing was .462 and after resizing was .460. however the issue was completely in headspace and shoulder.

 

[Dogtown]