Bullets pushing down into the case neck

[jimmythang]

I have been reading the forums for awhile and have decided to become active in the forums due to my involvement in reloading. I have read the books and learned as much as I can via the web. I have reloaded and shot at least 500 rounds without any hitches. However today I ran across a batch that troubled me. What am I doing wrong here?

Lake City 556 brass
Lake City 55 Grain bullet

When pushed against a hard surface (a good amount of force but not putting my body weight into it.) The bullet goes into the case neck

Obviously I am going to pull all bullets and start over. What am I possibly doing wrong?

 

[42769vette]

It doesnt appear you crimped the rounds. I dont crimp mine, but I run a tight enough neck tention that this does not happen

 

[jimmythang]

I was told crimping was unecassary for 223 but it appears it should be done to ensure this doesent happen?

How would I increase neck tension on my die?

I suppose I could crimp these rounds and recheck the OAL to prevent from pulling the bullet.

 

[O'Shark]

The first thing I'd do is to pull one of the bullets and mic its diameter. You may have a batch of undersized bullets. Otherwise, it seems like the neck didn't get resized. Either that or the expander on your decapping rod is coming unscrewed and is causing mayhem. I'd mic the outside of the case mouth on your suspect rounds and compare them to known good rounds that use the same brass cases. As for crimping, if you're firing in a semiauto rifle, they need to be crimped. Crimping only helps hold the bullet in place. It will not make up for poor neck tension! Something has changed in your equipment or process so you'll be able to figure it out pretty quickly.

 

[Broom_jm]

I was told crimping was unecassary for 223 but it appears it should be done to ensure this doesent happen?

How would I increase neck tension on my die?

I suppose I could crimp these rounds and recheck the OAL to prevent from pulling the bullet.

Crimping a 223 case fired from a semi-auto is necessary. If you're firing them from a bolt-action, it is not necessary, though still may be helpful.

What you just witnessed has nothing to do with crimping and should not have occurred, unless you maybe don't know your own strength?

You would increase neck tension by making SURE you are full-length resizing, making SURE you are using the correct expander button in your sizing die, and making SURE you are using .224" diameter bullets. There are a variety of possible culprits here, from an improperly adjusted die, an oversized expander button or bullets intended for a 22 Hornet.

If you'd like some one-on-one reloading help, shoot me a PM.

Jason

 

[jimmythang]

Lake city milsurp bullets

I took this out of my sizing die

 

[O'Shark]

Lake city milsurp bullets

I took this out of my sizing die

I measured my most commonly used bullet, the Hornady #2265 55gr soft point. It measured similarly to yours @ .2238. I then measured a case neck of my most common brass (Lake City) with the bullet pressed in and measured .248.

My Lyman decapping rod doesn't look like that. I don't see an expander on yours. I always set my sizing die up so that the shell holder just kisses the bottom of the die at the top of the stroke. I also use the Lee factory crimp die. I still think that for some reason, the case neck isn't getting sized and expanded to spec after firing.

 

[shibumiseeker]

For a bullet with a crimp groove to be fired out of a semiauto, crimp into that groove.

 

[doddsracing]

Measure your decapping rod it should be .223, you brass shows no marks of been sized? my brass always shows where it has been sized, you can see it on the neck and also on the case body.I also use a lee collet die.

 

[kludge]

.223/5.56 NATO bullets should measure 0.224".

Also, from the decapper pic it looks like you're using a Lee Collet die for a semi auto. Don't do that. If using Lee dies, use the full length sizing die with a ball/tapered expander for a semi-auto. Collet dies are for bolt rifles.

 

[Toolepqk]

Measure your decapping rod it should be .223, you brass shows no marks of been sized? my brass always shows where it has been sized, you can see it on the neck and also on the case body.I also use a lee collet die.

Do you have a picture? It sounds like you are getting galling if you have marks after sizing.

 

[doddsracing]

It`s not galling. When you run your case in the sizing die,as you set up your die you can see where the neck sizer stops on the case it leaves a ring and when the die is set all the way down you will have a sharp corner at the bottom of the neck if it is not sized all the way the corner will be round and not sharp. Thays what i am looking at in the picture. Like if you compare a new round to a spent brass.