fitting a RamAge barrel

it was my understanding that I should use reduced loads when breaking in a new barrel & when fire forming brass. is that not so?
I have a few more question but not about smithing so I take them to the other forum.

thanks
Bill
 
Just what my agent explained to me. That's all I know. I mark everything anyway. Sorry I cant be any further help. Lee
 
Hman1956 said:
it was my understanding that I should use reduced loads when breaking in a new barrel & when fire forming brass. is that not so?
I have a few more question but not about smithing so I take them to the other forum.

thanks
Bill
Click to expand...

Light charges of slow burning powders can produce a condition known as detonation. I think you should research that a bit. Even some reloading manuals caution against using charges lighter than listed. It's not just urban legend.
 
Hman1956 said:
so after thinking about it there is NO of fixing it without making the chamber a bit deeper.
so on to the next question,
I put the first few rounds down the barrel today, 75% load of RL-22 (70gr.) I'm getting some black carbon back at the head of the cartridge.
and yes it is headspaced correctly. the chamber is a RUM "match" turned necks @.334 the Brass is new Norma with the necks turned to .330.
is that because the reduced load did not expand the cartridge fully? I checked the length of the cartridge, it was the same size as the unfired ones.
Click to expand...


First, a substantially reduced load on some powder can be very dangerous.

As to how far the "blacking" extends down the brass, remember that chamber pressure buildup is a matter of timing and the characteristics of a particular powder. Reducing a Rl-22 load by 25%, I wouldn't do it.

And, how do you know what your chamber neck actually measures?


.
 
I checked the chamber neck by sizing a piece of brass @ .338, it did not fit in the chamber. @ .336 it was tight, at .334 it went in all the way.
I did this before I put on the action.
as for the blacking....all the way back to the case head.

Bill Hodkinson
 
Hman1956 said:
it was my understanding that I should use reduced loads when breaking in a new barrel & when fire forming brass. is that not so?
I have a few more question but not about smithing so I take them to the other forum.

thanks
Bill
Click to expand...

There is no benefit to using reduced loads for barrel break in or fire forming new brass. They don't need to be hot max loads, but they definitely need to generate enough pressure to seal the case at the neck and fully expand the new brass. Slow burning powders like RL22 or RL25 etc. should never be reduced 25%. The result is that you are simply not fire forming your new cases and there is some risk of worse results including collapsed cases, hot gas in the face, or worse. I just can not envision any reason to reduce a load more than 10%.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top