Nick not holding bullet

[Pogo57]

100 Lapua cases fully prepped and neck turned. All have been reloaded 8 times. Except for early load development all have had the same treatments including sizing, trimming, etc. Neck sized after initial fire forming. Bullet used is 168gr SMK.

However about 6 of these cases no longer hold the bullet with any tension. They will actually allow the bullet to be pushed down with finger pressure after seating. The others hold just fine.

Should I anneal these cases or all of the batch or is there another problem?

 

[USMCj]

Re: Nick not holding bullet

measure the neck diameter of a loaded round, use a neck bushing 2 thou smaller.

When you neck turned, did you use the same setting on your neck turner for all of the brass? or did you keep adjusting it as you were neck turning? If you did that then you will not have even neck wall thickness and you pretty much wasted 100 cases.

 

[Grumulkin]

Re: Nick not holding bullet

Are you using a Lee Collet Die?

 

[tarzan]

Re: Nick not holding bullet

had the same thing time to anneal

 

[ChadTRG42]

Re: Nick not holding bullet

You need to anneal after about 4 or 5 firings, so you are due. You need more neck tension on the neck to hold the bullet. Anneal the cases, then figure out how much neck tension you need (.002-.004) to properly hold the bullet.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Re: Nick not holding bullet

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Pogo57</div><div class="ubbcode-body">100 Lapua cases fully prepped and neck turned. All have been reloaded 8 times. Except for early load development all have had the same treatments including sizing, trimming, etc. Neck sized after initial fire forming. Bullet used is 168gr SMK.

However about 6 of these cases no longer hold the bullet with any tension. They will actually allow the bullet to be pushed down with finger pressure after seating. The others hold just fine.

Should I anneal these cases or all of the batch or is there another problem? </div></div>

If you're using a bushing sizing die, try a bushing .001-002" down, for those six. If you're using a fixed sizing die, well...I can't say. Annealing might give you more spring back, not less, so it might not help those six.

Bushing dies for the win.

Chris

 

[Victor N TN]

Re: Nick not holding bullet

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ChadTRG42</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You need to anneal after about 4 or 5 firings, so you are due. You need more neck tension on the neck to hold the bullet. Anneal the cases, then figure out how much neck tension you need (.002-.004) to properly hold the bullet. </div></div>

+1... Chad is right on this.