New barrel advice

[JohnyRingo]

I just had my Browning XBolt rebarreled with a Bartlein barrel. My concern is getting my reloads stuck in the new chamber. My reloads were fire-formed to the Browning chamber and the new chamber seems pretty tight with some factory loads I have. I am just a little paranoid to even try to chamber one of the reloads. I had the same thing happen when I tried to use some of my reloads fire-formed to an older Remington 700 in this same Browning XBolt when it was new. I had to take it to a gunsmith because I couldn't tap the stuck round out of the chamber.

I would hate to waste nearly 100 rounds of reloads and fired brass. Any suggestions will be welcome. Thanks.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

new barrel = new brass IMO. Pull the bullets so they can be reused, along with the powder to minimize your losses.

you might be able to resize what you already have so it fits into the chamber properly, but the real question is why you would. that barrel set you back probably $500 installed, but you don't have $50 for some new brass?

 

[JohnyRingo]

I wish it was $50 for 100 new brass. It's closer to $400 for 300 H&H brass. Plus, it's not available.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

I dunno what to tell you man. you've had at least 2 opportunities to jump to a more available chambering. best of luck getting those cases extracted i guess.

 

[JohnyRingo]

They aren't stuck yet. I haven't even tried them for fear of getting them stuck.

 

[BCsteve]

Either try them and see if they fit and you can fireform or pull the bullets and powder and full length resize them.

 

[83cj-7]

Easy, buy yourself a Redding full length small base body die. You can just lube up the already loaded ammo and run them through the die. It will even bump back the headspace if setup properly. It is like taking the brass back to factory ammo sizing. Done it many times for many loads.

 

[JohnyRingo]

Easy, buy yourself a Redding full length small base body die. You can just lube up the already loaded ammo and run them through the die. It will even bump back the headspace if setup properly. It is like taking the brass back to factory ammo sizing. Done it many times for many loads.

Do you think they will work in my RCBS Rockchucker press?

 

[JohnyRingo]

Easy, buy yourself a Redding full length small base body die. You can just lube up the already loaded ammo and run them through the die. It will even bump back the headspace if setup properly. It is like taking the brass back to factory ammo sizing. Done it many times for many loads.

I did a little looking into these. They don't make them in a 300 H&H.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

i'm sure they'll custom make one for you........probably for around $400. honestly, your best option right now is probably to have that new barrel rechambered for a more available cartridge. the 300 h&h is basically extinct, and has been for about 50 years. I'm kinda surprised your smith was willing to chamber 300 H&H for you.

 

[longrange13]

I just had my Browning XBolt rebarreled with a Bartlein barrel. My concern is getting my reloads stuck in the new chamber. My reloads were fire-formed to the Browning chamber and the new chamber seems pretty tight with some factory loads I have. I am just a little paranoid to even try to chamber one of the reloads. I had the same thing happen when I tried to use some of my reloads fire-formed to an older Remington 700 in this same Browning XBolt when it was new. I had to take it to a gunsmith because I couldn't tap the stuck round out of the chamber.

I would hate to waste nearly 100 rounds of reloads and fired brass. Any suggestions will be welcome. Thanks.

I would definitely recommend buying new brass for a new barrel. That being said more than likely the issue you had before was because the reload was too high pressure for the new chamber. Every chamber hits pressure a little differently. If you are dead set on reusing the brass then just pull all the bullets, save the powder, and build a new load. You could even pull 10 and do a ladder test to see if your new barrel will handle the reloads before you pull them all.

 

[Vern400]

Your ammunition was manufactured for a different gun. That happened when you changed the barrel. When you pull the trigger on one of those old reloads you're taking a risk. Getting stuck isn't the biggest one because after you fire it it'll come out. One way or the other.

It'll probably be fine. But if it's not the price might be high. Pull your bullets, dude.

 

[FredIII]

Fire one of the factory rounds in your rifle then measure the datum line on the fired case and compare it to your hand loads. If the hand loads are the same or less they fit
( obviously coal might need adjusting) if not then pull the bullets dump the powder take the pin out of your sizer (save the primer) and resize.
I might add that if you were running max load in the previous chamber , fit might not be your only issue with the hand loads.

 

[FredIII]

I would also take a couple body measurements as well of the fires case and compare to the hand loads. I left that out above.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Why not just pull one bullet and deprime. Next see if the empty brass will chamber with normal effort (assuming bolt gun?). If so, seat the bullet in the empty, deprimed case, and try to chamber at that seating depth. If okay, great, the rest should be okay if you have consistent handloads. If it chambers hard, adjust your seating depth on the reloads.

 

[SDHNTR]

This is a bad idea. Either buy new brass when you rebarrel (I do) or fully resize back to the low end of Saami specs. That may require a small base die.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

thread's a year old...........