325WSM re-sizing

[Greg Nolan]

General info on what I discovered in full length resizing .325WSM brass:
It seems that in my rifle (Savage) that when I full length resized the cases and trimmed them to length they wouldn't fit the chamber. I had reprimed and charged with powder and loaded the first bullet and tried to chamber the round to find that the bolt wouldn't close without way too much effort. I stopped and checked case length and OAL and they were well within specs. I noticed that the pressure point was at the shoulder so I set the die to the point where I could barely home the Rockchucker handle all the way down and then the cases worked just fine. I don't know if I just have a tight chamber or loose die but you might check for chambering "before" fully loading a bunch of cartriges. This may not be news to people who have loaded a bunch of WSM cartriges but it's new to me and I can't remember reading anything about this problem. I hope it helps someone.
Good Hunting
Elkhunt

 

[jtoews80]

I can relate to that problem. I've got a CZ550 varmint in 308 that has a very tight chamber as well. I asked a few ppl about this and the WSM's came up. The WSM's are new calibers and the reamers that chamber them from most gun makers are VERY close to perfect specs since they haven't been redressed or built up and redressed making them a 0.0001" or two too big and hence the chamber a little loose.

I'm not sure why my 308 was tight, perhaps that wasn't a reamer problem, possibly just that the chamber is cut to a finer tolerance than most. This is what I've been told and I'm curious if anybody here can confirm this theory of disprove it because I'm not totally sure. It seems viable, but I'm not a gunsmith either.

The question is: if it is due to a reamer wouldn't a common caliber like a 308 be cut to less precise standards due to sheer volume, or are we back to wondering if one was made on a monday........ etc.


CC

 

[Hank Hunter]

Yes that is a common issue with sizing wsm brass. How do you like your 325 ?

 

[Greg Nolan]

hank hunter;
I like the .325 a lot. It's shooting to sub moa with 200 gr. A/Bs and gets 2895 fps. I've yet unleashed it at anything (the deer wouldn't co-operate) but in March I've got a pig hunt planned and that should give it a good test. I'v worked up loads with the 180gr. balistic tip and it gives me about 1" groups at 3010 fps. Power wise it's prretty close to my .338 Win with less aparent recoil. I'm happy with it. I'm just not too sure how long they will stay popular now with the Ruger compact magnums and 375 Ruger. They seem to be a pretty common sense approach to more power with a shorter action.
Good hunting
Elkhunt :grin:

 

[Cariboo]

Most of the problems with resizing the WSM cases are caused by not enough - or lack of - lube inside the case neck. The wide cases are very susceptible to having the forward part of the shoulder pulled up when an un-lubed expander ball is pulled out of the case neck.

 

[dcopp75]

I have a 7mm Rem Mag in a 700 CDL that has the same issue. When I bought the gun (new in the summer) , I loaded up 2 boxes to break in the barrel. I went to the range and then found that not a single round would chamber. I was alarmed and went to the store and bought a box of factory rounds. Those rounds allowed me to close the bolt.

I got out the calipers and found that the shoulder of my reloads were just larger then the factory rounds. I wanted to be sure it was the shoulder. So I grabbed one of my reloads and took a file to the shoulder. Once I got the should filed down, it would chamber.

I had originally full length sized the brass with the normal process of pulling the press handle all the way down and then screwing the die all the way down until it touched the ram, but that did not resize the shoulder small enough from my gun. I used these dies to load for my grandfathers 7mm with no problem. I ended up having to lower the ram and giving the die a quarter turn down. I then was able to resize again. I could fell the press cam over and the shoulder then was corrected. (I do not like for the handle to cam over because I fell that the action of the press will stretch and loosen)

After I got the shoulders sized, I was able to go to sizing the necks. I like that my chamber is tight, but I always run all my hunting round through the gun so I don't get a big surpise in the woods.