I loaded some 270 Win rounds, trying to find the optimal length for accuracy. The loading went fine, but a short time later, I inspected the rounds and the shoulders had all collapsed into the case. At first I thought that it might have a vacuum issue with the air inside, but one of the affected rounds was a mock-up with no powder or primer in it. Any experiences like this?
Do you live anywhere near Roswell, NM? Even with a perfect vacuum inside, the external air pressure isn't great enough to collapse those cases, so there must be aliens involved.
This would be a good discussion item in the Reloading Forum below, and it will probably get moved there shortly. Welcome to the Forum, by the way. Prepare to learn lots!
As rawright said a "vacuum" scenario is impossible. What it sounds like is you tried roll crimping a bullet with no cannelure. Attempting to roll crimp a bullet without a cannelure will push the neck in and bulge the case at the start of the shoulder. To correct that, loosen your lock ring and back the seating plug out some, as well as backing your seating die out of the press a little. Next take a sized case and put it in your press and raise the ram. Turn your die down until you feel it make contact with the case and lock it down. Now take a bullet and start to seat it slowly, turning your seating plug down until you get the desired OAL that your looking for.
I'm sure you are correct, as we did try to crimp below the cannelure,but these cases are not just bulged at the start of the shoulder; they are collapsed down into the case. It's like the whole shoulder sucked down into the case. I will try you're solution and let you know what I find
Slayer hit it I do believe. Every time I have ever had that problem, it has been the seat/crimp die screwed down too far. Like he said, back off a few turns and follow his other instructions.
I agree with the guys here. roll crimping into no cannelure you have to only use just the lightest hair of roll crimp so the case mouth just starts to bite and hold the gilding material. any more and it will bulge.
for this reason I almost never attempt roll crimp on non canellured projectiles. occasionally i turn up some free ones and will give a hair for extra neck tension.. but in the long run, get a lee FCD if you want to crimp with no cannelure.
lastly, as mentioned. remove excess lube to prevent denting. if it happened to alot of them. I'd suspect your die is set way wrong.
Most image files from phones or cameras are too large. I find I have to resize them using Paint or some other graphic editing program to reduce the longest dimension to less than 900 pixels.
Excessive crimping caused the whole of the case to collapse. There is no real need to crimp ammo for target shooting in this caliber (bolt operated gun not a semi-auto, pump, or lever gun). For hunting ammo it is fine to crimp to assure rough handling won't ruin your ammo but use the LEE Factory Crimp Die and not the built in crimper in the seating die. Back the seating/crimp die off a couple turns and reset the seating depth. Then follow the seating operation with the LEE FCD if you insist on crimping the ammo. You can use the LEE FCD whether there is a cannelure or not. Just don't over crimp with it or it will collapse the bullet.
I recognize that picture, as I did the same thing with my first batch of .243! The seating die needs to be backed out, and the setting redone. LDBennett has posted a link to the proper instructions above. Good luck, and don't worry; you'll get the hang of it quickly!
If you're shooting these from a bolt action, I wouldn't even bother with a crimp. Any other action, yes. A light roll crimp or better yet, use the Lee FCD.
The bulge was there...You just did not notice it. There is nothing that post ammo manufacturer that will collapse the cases. I will admit the bulge looks different than I have seen from excessive crimping but you may have done it in the very extreme.
what kind of gun are you running these in that takes the bullet so far out? My Savage 110 .270 with 150gr Hornady's have the cannelure right at the end of case neck with a .015 freebore.
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