.223 68 Grain HPBT Loading

[Tmcfarland]

 

I have loaded a few thousand of hornady 55 grain with no problems on my Dillon 650. I just loaded 20 of the 68 grain HPBT to test some loads and noticed the markings. Processing the brass I decamp, swage, size/trim and then use the Dillon sizer to expand neck. Thought there might be too much friction but projectiles measure out right. Neck is .218 to .221. All 20 cases fit in case gauge after loading and haven't had the chance to shoot them yet. What are the ideas out there to fix or does it matter? Looking to build a round to go to 650 yards.

Thanks

Edited September 12, 2016 by Tmcfarland

[Dan Sierpina]

That's common on a compressed load.

[Tmcfarland]

Don't think they are compressed. Started at 23 grains of CFE223 up to 26 grains. COL at 2.250"


Thanks

[Religious Shooter]

What markings are you talking about?  Are you taking about that ring around the bullet?  Are you using a Lee seating die?

[Tmcfarland]

Yes the ring and streaks down the projectile. No using Dillon Seat die

 

[TCKev]

I'm loading the same bullets and got the same ring marks with an RCBS die. I think the Amp jacket is soft. Having said that I bought a Redding Premium die set and it doesn't mark them.

[Tmcfarland]

Did you shoot any that were marked? Did it effect the accuracy? I am ok with the marks as long as it doesn't mess with the accuracy


Thanks

[Religious Shooter]

Yeah there's an old thread that basically had the same problem.  IIRC the way to solve it was to use a seating die (match or not) that didn't mark it or just modify/chamfer your seating stem.

If this is for an AR... next time you are at the range get a loaded round and look at the bullet looking at it all around.  Then load it to the magazine... pull the charging handle all the way back and load it normally.  Eject the unshot round and inspect your bullet again looking at the entire circumference.

Typically you will see gouges on the bullet from the typical AR's feed ramp.  My complete JP upper gouges the bullet.  And yet it still shoots sub MOA.

 

 

[Tmcfarland]

9 hours ago, Religious Shooter said:

Yeah there's an old thread that basically had the same problem.  IIRC the way to solve it was to use a seating die (match or not) that didn't mark it or just modify/chamfer your seating stem.

If this is for an AR... next time you are at the range get a loaded round and look at the bullet looking at it all around.  Then load it to the magazine... pull the charging handle all the way back and load it normally.  Eject the unshot round and inspect your bullet again looking at the entire circumference.

Typically you will see gouges on the bullet from the typical AR's feed ramp.  My complete JP upper gouges the bullet.  And yet it still shoots sub MOA.

 

 

good to hear, going to range this evening so we will see how they do.

[dauntedfuture]

You have too much neck tension.  This has nothing to do with the fact that you are shooting a 68g bullet.  It has to do with your 55 FMJ bullets have a thick jacket that resists deformation and those 68g BTHP.  You need also likely need to chamfer the cases if your scratching up bullets or expand the case mouth a little.  Since you stated that the necks are .218-.221, and when we provide or talk about necks we are talking about outside diameter, your sizing the cases way too much and or not using an expander ball or using it correctly.  On the off chance that the inside neck diameter is .218-221, you need to change out our dies, expander ball, get different cases, or turn your necks (not practical I suspect) so that your inside diameter of your cases are .221-.222 for .002-.003 of neck tension or .224-X=inside diameter. 

"Thought there might be too much friction but projectiles measure out right."  The "friction" is from excessive neck tension, you can see it in the spot on the bullets where they are contacting the seating stem. 

It takes a lot of powder in a case to achieve the same effect.

 

 

[Tmcfarland]

On 9/13/2016 at 8:10 AM, dauntedfuture said:

You have too much neck tension.  This has nothing to do with the fact that you are shooting a 68g bullet.  It has to do with your 55 FMJ bullets have a thick jacket that resists deformation and those 68g BTHP.  You need also likely need to chamfer the cases if your scratching up bullets or expand the case mouth a little.  Since you stated that the necks are .218-.221, and when we provide or talk about necks we are talking about outside diameter, your sizing the cases way too much and or not using an expander ball or using it correctly.  On the off chance that the inside neck diameter is .218-221, you need to change out our dies, expander ball, get different cases, or turn your necks (not practical I suspect) so that your inside diameter of your cases are .221-.222 for .002-.003 of neck tension or .224-X=inside diameter. 

"Thought there might be too much friction but projectiles measure out right."  The "friction" is from excessive neck tension, you can see it in the spot on the bullets where they are contacting the seating stem. 

It takes a lot of powder in a case to achieve the same effect.

 

 

I'm sorry for not getting back, I was talking the ID of the neck. I looked at the expander ball and there is a chip gone on the top side of the ball. Replacements have been ordered. 

[glock34shooter]

The vertical marks are normal. They are from the forming and shaping of the projectile. My 75gr Hornadys have the same marks. The other mark however is caused by the seating stem of your die. There is definitely something causing to much resistance. I size, trim, chamfer, deburr, then load. I don't get any deformation of my projectiles. 

[Tmcfarland]

Bought and used the lyman M die, it fixed the extra neck tension and all the markings are gone now. Thanks for the help fellas

[Religious Shooter]

Great.  Then you have the capability to tell us if there is any difference in performance between the two... dented vs. undented.

[Tmcfarland]

I did not notice any difference in the way they were grouping other than maybe human error. Guess I should have answered my OP question.

Edited October 8, 2016 by Tmcfarland

[chrishoesel]

On ‎9‎/‎13‎/‎2016 at 2:55 AM, Tmcfarland said:

 

I have loaded a few thousand of hornady 55 grain with no problems on my Dillon 650. I just loaded 20 of the 68 grain HPBT to test some loads and noticed the markings. Processing the brass I decamp, swage, size/trim and then use the Dillon sizer to expand neck. Thought there might be too much friction but projectiles measure out right. Neck is .218 to .221. All 20 cases fit in case gauge after loading and haven't had the chance to shoot them yet. What are the ideas out there to fix or does it matter? Looking to build a round to go to 650 yards.

Thanks

You might consider a slight crimp.  Just enough to take out the belling.  As far as the mark on the projectile, either ignore it, or polish out the seating stem, or use a different seating die meant for VLD bullets.  Redding or forster....but those are a bit more expensive.