Reloaded ammo wouldn’t fire

[ckaz34]

I loaded 6ARC with lever using 29.5, 30 and 30.5 (all under max charge per Hornady manual). 29.5 was fine. 30 had a few pierced primers. None of the 30.5 fired (stopped after the third failed). The primers had light striker marks. Could the powder be too compressed even below max charge? Same COAL for each. Any other thoughts?

 

[T_Widdy]

I loaded 6ARC with lever using 29.5, 30 and 30.5 (all under max charge per Hornady manual). 29.5 was fine. 30 had a few pierced primers. None of the 30.5 fired (stopped after the third failed). The primers had light striker marks. Could the powder be too compressed even below max charge? Same COAL for each. Any other thoughts?

You more than likely have pieces of the pierced primers in your bolt keeping the firing pin from going its full travel. Clean the bolt and then figure out why your piercing primers.

 

[RockAndSage]

It's the gun.

 

[ckaz34]

I shot 5 of the other two loads before the 30.5. What could’ve happened with the gun between rounds?

 

[ckaz34]

I shot 5 of the other two loads before the 30.5. What could’ve happened with the gun between rounds?

Sorry, didn’t see the response above

 

[RockAndSage]

Sorry, didn’t see the response above

Been there, no worries. What @T_Widdy said should be pretty spot-on. Something's most likely interfering with the firing pin inside the channel, and given you had some pierced primers, those bits are getting blown back somewhere, under 50k-ish PSI.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Are you pushing the shoulder back too far on your brass?

 

[Flymost]

I’d bet it’s primer in the firing pin too. Seriously though as I’ve never pierced primers, shouldn’t you have stopped there?