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safe to shoot?

330 Views 5 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  Ekspurt
I reloaded some rifle rounds a while back and in the process of sizing/depriming my pin on my die slipped up a little bit. I didn't notice it until after a couple of rounds when it was pushed up so much that it would not deprime. so I reset the pin and started up again, but I didnt even think about it not sizing all the way. so a few of those rounds are a little tight when closing the bolt. are these safe to shoot or will there be pressure problems?
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If you can completely close the bolt then you can shoot them. Basically what you have done is neck size your brass.

If you are uncomfortable with that, pull the bullet, take the decapper out and full length resize them.
appreciate it. that works for me. All I currently do is neck size fireformed brass so it should be no different, and these few tight rounds are twice shot from my rifle anyways. thanks for the help
I only have dies that neck size cases. A while back I had a friends rifle over sighting it in for him. I shot a box or so factory ammo through his gun and then cleaned and deprimed the cases. I started to work up more loads for his gun only to realize that the loads I was able to work up were not grouping well probably because of powder choice (I only had one at the time). But, I had already primed the cases so I just held on to them.

Here just a while back I got myself the same caliber gun. 30-06. And decided to use the already primed cases not thinking they had been shot out of his gun, not mine. I got some rounds made up and went outside to shoot only to have EXTREME difficulty loading a round. I was aprehensive at first because it took so much force to get the bolt to close and then opening it was almost as hard if not harder.

But I was dead set on shooting that day, and I did not have the time to make up some others or want to waste what I had made up. So I shot them. They shot just fine. When looking at the cases it was clear to see that the area right above the extraction grove is what was making it "snug".

I only shot what I had loaded, but they show no pressure signs than those that I have shot from new brass. But, its always wise to be cautious about things like that.
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appreciate the information newt.
good to know. I did shoot some one day after reloading them several months ago and noticed them being more tight than normal and when looking at the case I noticed the same thing, the "rubbed" looking area just above the groove. I just wanted to make sure before I shot any more.
thanks buddy
Here just a while back I got myself the same caliber gun. 30-06. And decided to use the already primed cases not thinking they had been shot out of his gun, not mine. I got some rounds made up and went outside to shoot only to have EXTREME difficulty loading a round. I was aprehensive at first because it took so much force to get the bolt to close and then opening it was almost as hard if not harder.

But I was dead set on shooting that day, and I did not have the time to make up some others or want to waste what I had made up. So I shot them. They shot just fine. When looking at the cases it was clear to see that the area right above the extraction grove is what was making it "snug".

I only shot what I had loaded, but they show no pressure signs than those that I have shot from new brass. But, its always wise to be cautious about things like that.
Pressure signs can be elusive and you have to look at more than just the primer for flattening, or cratering. Now, since those once (or more) fired rounds were from a different chamber it could be the second chamber was just a tad tighter. or the cases could have swelled at the web. Case diameter growth at the web (the first 1/2" or so above the rim) should be no more than .001 to .0015". This is the strongest area of the case and if it is swelling more than that, pressures are too high. Careful measurement of this area before and after firing should be a standard part of load development.
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