Pressure signs

[sdupontjr]

I think I hit some pressure signs but being new to this, want some opinion.

Tikka T3 308, 155 scenars loaded in both Remington and Federal brass, federal match large rifle primers, varget and xbr8208, all loaded to 2.830" COAL

Using Forms method,
Varget - 46, 46.5, 47
Xbr8208 - 45, 45.5, 46

It seems like the federal case had flattened primer, however the remington case didn't. The rem case at 46.5 appears to have a slight scar mark on the brass, but primer doesnt appear to be flattened like the 46g in the federal case.




The xbr8208 had similiar results. With flattened primer on one





Is there anything else that stands out? Thanks, and take it easy on the Newb. Ha

 

[Axlrod]

I go by bolt lift as long as loads aren't above max published load data. Did you have heavy bolt lift with any of your loads?

 

[waldo9190]

I go by bolt lift as long as loads aren't above max published load data. Did you have heavy bolt lift with any of your loads?

Agreed. That said, it looks like there may be some ejector wipe on that 46 grain federal case, tough to say for sure though.

 

[sdupontjr]

The bolt lift was definitely noticable on the xbr8208 45.5
I didnt notice before if some of the scars came from the reloading itself. Thus me noticing the flatness of the primer

Also at 46.5 varget, no difference in bolt lift.

 

[sndmn11]

The bolt lift was definitely noticable on the xbr8208 45.5
I didnt notice before if some of the scars came from the reloading itself. Thus me noticing the flatness of the primer

Also at 46.5 varget, no difference in bolt lift.

I personally would load in the same increments up to a few grains above the max with the varget and the Remington cases. Find the heavy bolt lift so that you can not be worried about dangerous things and have confidence in your load that is below whatever you find heavy bolt life with.

My experience with federal brass is that heavy bolt lift occurred well before identical loads with other brass. I don't use it anymore.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

I just had some issues with federal brass. Probably will never load another piece.

 

[B23]

You may very well already be aware of this but keep in mind not all brands of brass have the same internal volume/case capacity. Some brands have more case capacity while others can be less, some, even have quite a bit less which is why they recommend reducing the load you're shooting in one particular brand of brass and you switch to another brand of brass.

I'd say your loads are right up there at max with some a little over max and when you're that close to the redline, a small change in case capacity, like can happen when switching to a different brand of brass, can take you from right next to redline and put you well over redline in a hurry.

Also, when you're loading right at or very close to max loads and you're also seating your bullets very close to touching the lands, you'll want to pay extra close attention to seating depth because a near max load that's close to touching the lands can become a well over max load if you let one slip by you that's seated out enough to touch. From no touch to touch, initial start pressure can spike in a hurry.

Just food for thought.

 

[sdupontjr]

Yeah my tikka t3 is 2.880" to lands. I'm seating 2.830" which is right about where the boattail is at the neck/shoulder junction. So I'm. 050" jump.

I just made up 5 at 45.5 and 5 at 46. Headed back to range. If they dont group worth a hoot, then I dont think .5 grain here or there is gonna make a difference. But what do I know other than what I've read on here. Well know shortly

 

[A382DWDZQ]

My first thought was that the Federal might have less capacity, but don’t know off the top of my head. I would rule that out first at least by weighing the cases, and or the loaded rounds. It will likely stand out.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

You really should sort your brass out by headstamps at the very least. Case capacities can vary wildly and weight sorting isn’t a cure all. If you’re gonna weight sort them, you need to sort them by case capacity itself. Jumping around in .5 increments is easy to pass a node, but depending on the accuracy you’re looking for, it may not even matter.

 

[EdP]

The flattened primer is the only sign that shows clearly in the pics. Lighting angle is critical to seeing imprints or smearing on case heads and the angle in the pics is less than ideal. Regardless, like others said, there appears to be ejector smearing on some case heads. With ejector smearing I would expect some additional force to be required to lift the bolt.

Here is a good site showing and explaining pressure signs that may be of help. pressure signs

 

[A382DWDZQ]

You really should sort your brass out by headstamps at the very least. Case capacities can vary wildly and weight sorting isn’t a cure all. If you’re gonna weight sort them, you need to sort them by case capacity itself. Jumping around in .5 increments is easy to pass a node, but depending on the accuracy you’re looking for, it may not even matter.

I agree on sorting by headstamp. I should have worded my reply a bit more clearly. I was trying to suggest weighing one each of the FC and the RP of the cases pictured, just to illustrate how different they are.

 

[sdupontjr]

All of my brass is sorted by headstamp. I have about 100 of each as well as some Hornady. I purposely loaded the same load in both the Federal and Remington brass for a "just see" situation, being I have a lot of both. I did not weigh the brass to see but could definitely do that. The same powder charge in both was damn near the same so it wasn't as visual of a difference that I didn't notice. Both had very slight compressed load.

Now one thing that I did notice was the brass seemed to have this scar mark. I've seen the pin marks before and it looks like you hit the brass with a punch and hammer. We yesterday, I worked up some 130 ttsx loads and I was well within the range of powder charge for them according to the barnes website. Varget is 44.3 - 49.2 for the 130's, so i started at 46 and went up. I noticed that same lil scar mark at 46. Could it be something on my bolt face causing that? So I worked my way up at 47.5. Stopped there because i didnt load anymore, but will. Bolt lift is perfectly normal, no signs of anything. Good primers, but a scar mark on a few, not all of them. I would think if I had a pressure issue, it would be on all the brass at that load charge.

 

[magtech]

You'll know when a primer blows out or you have to open the bolt with a rubber mallet.

Prior to that, I dont consider primer flattening reliable. Depending on each gun the ejector making a circle in the brass head will be a defining factor. Combine that with an ever-increasing bolt lift and you're getting up there... when you blow primers or have a stuck bolt you better reevaluate your hobby.

 

[parshal]

Bolt lift is the sure-fire sign of pressure. If I feel any sign of resistance I call that pressure. I'm way more pressure averse than I used to be after shooting matches in the rain where a load that never had pressure sign began to show on every shot with wet cases. I no longer pay any attention to primer flatness or cratering, just bolt lift and ejector marks.

As others have said, loads vary depending on the case manufacturer.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

Federal brass is just soft and possibly why you’re seeing signs with it before others.

 

[marshland_max]

I don't sweat flat primers any more.....

Like others I'm looking for sticky bolt lift.Then back off according.

I also verify everything with my chronograph.

Some brass just isn't worth working with.
I've had various issues with brass over the years. I usually shit can it as soon as I find it.

Good luck!

 

[sdupontjr]

Ok, last night I decided to check and prep brass, about 90 Rem. Of those 90 were the few i just shot. I ran them through my tumbler for about 1 hr ( i normally go much longer but wanted to see something). When I dumped out to find the few I had just shot, the marker writing was still on them. So, they haven't been in there that long. I looked through all of the brass under a magnifying glass. Checking headstamps, cracks, anything and I could find nothing.

I'm just about 100% positive that I haven't reached a max load yet. I can't believe that the corn cob media that didn't remove the marker writing, has now removed the scar or smear marks that I noticed on the heads. Having not checked before, could the simple action of the ejector pin while loading the round do this? I have also read on here where debris gets into the ejector pin area and causes a stiff spring effect. So, I pulled the bolt, cleaned the pin area, depressed the pin several times while cleaning with carb cleaner. Which is very good, breaks up carbon deposits and dries fast. Then did the same with oil, depressing the pin allowing the oil to enter and the air bubbles bring up the debris. Not much came out if anything, however I know now the pin is nice and lubricated and moves freely.

So, Im going to load up another set to pressure check, because i really don't think I hit it. I'm going to exclusively use the Rem brass to find my max load as to rule out the possibility of mixed headstamps.