Savage 111 head space check

[Dave Hoback]

I went back to the Hodgdon website.

4064 Max for 225gn bullet is 61.7 and he was at 64gn with a 230gn bullet seated 'deep' ???

H414 max for 250gn bullet is 65gn and that was his starting load.

All this with mixed brass of unknown condition.

I guess I am not surprised at the results.


YUP! I see the same, 61.7gr max. Considering one might use IMR4350 with a max of 72 grains for that same 225gr bullet. Seriously.. 61.7gr vs 72gr? That tells you everything right there. Over a 10gr split between the two. Tells me 4064 ain’t exactly a great choice and should be handled with care. I stay away from fast powders for what I’m loading period. Even if there was faster powder that was all the rage for accuracy, and granted using less powder per round. Nah! I’ll sacrifice that little bit for the extra safety margin. I enjoy,when I’m reloading, looking in the cases after powder fill & knowing I could never over fill the case to being a danger without realizing the mistake. One of the tidbits I learned when first reloading; using the slower powders best suited for each cartridge I reload.

[PhilC]

4064 Max for 225gn bullet is 61.7 and he was at 64gn with a 230gn bullet seated 'deep' ???

H414 max for 250gn bullet is 65gn and that was his starting load.

All this with mixed brass of unknown condition.

I guess I am not surprised at the results.
^^^^This is why I stopped responding^^^^

My "scotch" tape is much thinner than my blue painter's tape and full length sizing belted mag brass assures early case failure.

[25-204]

PhilC hit the problem right on the head. A belted case headspaces on the belt not the shoulder like a rimless case. I don't care how much of the wrong powder you put in the case on a good bolt action if the case fits the chamber you won't get a case head separation. You will blow primers, blow case heads and break bolts before a case head separation. You need to adjust your sizing die so the case just fits the chamber(head spaces on the shoulder). Here's where you can remove the ejector on a rifle with a spring loaded ejector. Back your sizing die off a couple turns and size your case, place it under the extractor and try to chamber it, it shouldn't chamber. Keep turning the sizing die in a little until the case chambers with just a slight effort. It is best to do this with freshly annealed unsized cases or once fired new cases and the expander ball removed.. Now your sizing die is set so your case fits the chamber. Things like a dry expander ball dragging out of the case, having your crimp ring set too low can change the fit of your cartridge to the chamber.

Hope this helps, ask more if you don't understand

[Dave Hoback]

Pardon me 25-06, but I think you may have missed Phil’s point… as well as what a few other of us have said. The OP is using very fast for Cartridge powders. Even after conceding that his 4064 was at least part of the problem, he switched to H414. And again he’s using 65.7gr, when Hodgdon lists 65 as MAX! And that’s for a Soft Point, not 250FMJ as he loaded. Also, he noted it at .050” OFF the lands, so he’s still seating deep Heavy bullet, Max charge of fast fir cartridge Powder & seated deep is a recipe for pressure.

I’m not sure what reloading manual the OP is using, but it was commented seems the OP is a bit too “comfortable” with doing certain things. Then another comment outlining that “being comfortable”; I.e., mix brass of unknown use, Fast, above max charges, and subsequent pressure issues. Finally, Phil quoted such post and commented that was the reason he stopped commenting. I took that to mean a “washing of hands” so to speak. It’s all too often people have a pressure problems & want to blame their “piece of crap” rifle and send it back.. because there is NO WAY it’s their doing, right? Yet, as always, we get more & more as the thread moves on. Fast powder, MAX & above charges. Unknown, brass, likely the faulted cases being Nickel, which we know to be more brittle & crack easier. (I think a few of us even mentioned that as well.) So, can blame it on headspacing issue alone, but I believe there was a host of issues going on.

[PhilC]

25-204 understood what I was saying Dave, first sentence says so. You are correct, my previous post was indeed a "washing of the hands" so to speak, as in the OP's mind was made up which, to me, meant no need for additional comment.

I haven't "full length sized" a belted magnum case since '91 or '92...