Nice, straightforward, simple English explanation that you don't need an encyclopedia or glossary to understand. Welcoming to beginners and convincing that internal ballistics and handloading is not restricted to some egghead priesthood, but that a reasonably diligent and observant mere mortal can do it and be safe. I applaud your efforts to translate the "Church Latin" arcana of the reloading world into accessible information like this. Great job.
Another awesome video, after shooting for 50 years and reloading on and off for over 40 years Mark articulates things that I kind of knew but had never put words to. Many thanks, wonderful content.
Worse case I had was with factory ammo, hard lift extraction and split brass. Shot 3 rounds, all did same so pulled bullets, dumped powder and reloaded safer rounds. Great video sir.
Good vid but tip of the iceberg, I’d suggest everyone hand loading stick within component manufactures and SAAMI specs until they have not only a grasp of pressure signs but an understanding of pressure causes and effects. There are some solid tools and info available to assist in hand loading mixed components, wildcats and modified’s but you’ve got to know how to use and read them.
great vid. been awhile since ive reloaded, but ive collected most of the tools once again and expect to reload next year. i keep buying loaded ammo when i find it available. itll give me that much more brass... well, thats my justification! but i enjoyed loading years ago and i look forward to it again.
This advice is especially important for load development without using a crony. Lots of people in my neck of the woods rely to much on computer generated (kwikload etc) data. I recently started load development with new powder and bullet. Got my min/max load from the manufacturer and put all the dope into kwikload. Half way though the min/max I could not open the bolt. (Velocity were still way down) Check every possible option for the problem and could not find any. Went to a ballistician and he had a look at all my data and determined that the info I got from the manufacturer were computer generated but never tested.
I have a CHRONY. However, this is STILL good information for those who do have one. And YES...if you hot-rod your reloads, it WILL also make the brass STRETCH faster. Overly long cases beyond SAAMI specs can be VERY DANGEROUS to reuse. They MUST be trimmed once they near maximum length.
good info, I'm working up 6.5 SE with 100gr pills . i have M70 zastava SS . I have left the reloading manuals behind and have just hit the spot at 3200fps where I'm planning to stop . I have no pressure signs at all and feel like I'm playing blind mans bluff at times. getting information like your vid has been hard to come by. thank you for your help
The worst stamping I ever had on a piece of brass was after a barrel replacement for a 22-250. Primer didn't show much over pressure sign, just brass stamping really. Turns out the chamber had been over polished and case wasn't gripping well on the sides. A local gunsmith explained to me what was going on and fixed it.
Another timely utterly informative video - with clear and easy to understand examples. Thank you. Like most, in the process of finding loads during reloading - powder nodes at the moment vs stable velocities / ES etc... bit concerning is the compressed loads ADI powder asks for giving good results ( Looking at you .223 Rem and ADI 2208) - a little flattening but not excessive. On a side note with regard to brass metallurgy - having built a home made induction annealer - its astounding in the different timings that the same calibre brass requires, vs differing manufacturers of centrefire brass. Brass is not brass! Finding it hard to find metal makeups vs differing manufacturers. I read a forum made a few years back where spectrometry was used to determine the values of each metal used in brass cases. I learnt there is a tiny %age of lead in brass too.
Very timely info, I recently fired some factory Oz Outback 165g Gameking 308 ammo in my Ruger Scout and all 5 rounds had issues with 1. Tight Bolt lift, 2. Very flattened primers and 3. Ejector marks on case heads. These rounds all felt and sounded harder than the Federal I usually shoot and I wasn't prepared to shoot any more of these. After watching your presentation I am of conclusion that there is something amiss with this box of ammo and will err on side of caution and not shoot it again in this rifle. Thanks again & Cheers
Bought one in 300 Blackout while knowing of a common problem. Ruger uses a looser chamber on these. I had a couple of misfires in a box of 20 Federals. The case shoulders aren't supported in the chamber. The fix is to have the barrel set back. If you reload properly - no probs. Dunno about the 308... Good luck mate. NSW
Awesome video Mark! I have an interesting pressure sign that I'm trying to decipher on factory ammunition (Federal 170gr SP 8mm Mauser ). The bolt unlocked and extracted smoothly, but it looks like the primers backed out a fraction of a millimetre on most of the cases, the primer's edges are still rounded, no cratering around the firing pin strike (it is slightly off-centre though) , no other pressure signs than the primers backing out. It was my first time firing the rifle since I bought it, the dealer said it had its headspace checked and it was ok. Any clues why it could be doing this?
Old Schoolers use to measure the web just in front of the rim using a 0.0001” micrometer. They used a veneer caliper looking for 0.00005” of an increase in diameter. This is spoken one half ten thousands.
after seeing Kentucky ballistics almost die from over pressured 50 cal round... I kno its extreme but it made me nervous about reloading which I'm still very interested in wether it's sub sonic rounds for my suppressors or custom prs loads
I just did a ladder with 308win using varget in a remington 700 From the bottom of the ladder up to the top, i got cratering and extrator marks (couldn't hook my nail on it) No stuck bolt No heavy lift Velocity was on track (25 fps faster than book with 1 inches longer barrel Got a little worried so i started looking up videos I will say the SD and ESs were fantastic single digit sds and es in the teens
@@markandsamafterwork I have my Peterson brass, but I’m in the process of rebarreling to 33XC. I found this exact same issue with 300 Norma mag lapua brass this year, Peterson in that rifle is holding up much better.
I like your work. Since you were reading brass. I thought you could mention dangers of case separation do to over sizing or pushing the shoulder back (excessive head space). Seeing a light color brass ring above base webbing. This being case stretch and weakening. In that case discards the case.
👍 thanks Mark. Came back to this one for a second viewing. Going to the range this evening to find my safe max load for a new rifle, hopefully it will group acceptably at that point.
Very insightful. I have a Remington 700 in 7mmRemMag I have struggled with extraction issues since day 1...used only factory loads. Had issues with brass sticking after 3 rounds regardless of brand of ammo. Now I have something else to look at. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Cheers
Sometimes a poorly made rifle bolt can give a ring around the firing pin at the prime making it look like excessive pressure. But when that is the case it can do it even at low pressures. Just something to watch for.
Thanks Mark. I've been reloading my own ammo for 67 years and am always open to more/varying sources of expertise. A specific issue I've been dealing with for decades concerns my modernized 1903 Springfield. I'm now on my 3rd barrel with this weapon, first was the original 30/06, then a .240 Weatherby and now a 6.5/06 Ackley Improved. My primers consistently protrude/crater into the firing pin hole without any other apparent (to me) pressure signs. My bolt lift is easy etc. My case life with this new chambering seems adequate albeit I've not shot a lot of rounds through the weapon at this time. My .240 Weatherby cratered primers also. I'm wondering if you can advise me about the recommended difference between my firing pin outside diameter versus the firing pin hole diameter in the bolt face. What gap is acceptable? Or are my chamber pressures excessive? Thanks. I hope I've explained my issue adequately.
I use federal large rifle magnum on all my large rifle reloading. I know they are softer then other brands, but what I think is strange is that I get extreme flattening of the primer, even on the loading manuals lower charging weights. I fired an interval of loadweights yesterday, and all of them showed VERY flat primers after firing, but no other pressure signs what I could see. what should one think of that when even the lowest charging weight in the powder manufacturers manual, giving extreme flat primers? The caliber is 6,5x55 swedish mauser, with norma 130 grain golden target and norma 203-b powder with norma loading data.
Not something to try to offer advice on with just an online comment, get the fired rounds to someone with hand loading experience, always lots in the many details that are there to be seen when in the hand, Cheers
@@markandsamafterwork seems to be a headspace issue. Theese cases were calibrated really hard, many years ago by an old gentleman. I measured them and if a shot case has an case shoulder measurement of lets say 0. The old calibrated ones was -0.35mm. New factory round about -0.25 and my newer correctly calibrated ones about -0.15 to -0.20 mm. Seems to be a problem when they have to much space to move around it seems.
I have a 113-year-old 30-06 Springfield. I reload for it and my 30-40 Kraig. Keeping with loads from my '1960s Hornady bible. I will not overdose these with too much powder! While @ the range one day, I fired another round of 06 (Something hit me in the face). I Had a hard time lifting the bolt and finding out the primer was gone, and the primer pocket was a crater! Damn sure wasn't a squib load! The head of the brass was deformed also. No blood was found, so I loaded another round. It performed like it should. I think it could have been overloaded with too much 3031 propellant. Perhaps one got past me. ????
I have reloaded for 58 years. Do not assume that all published load data is safe for your particular weapon, especially max loads. I bought a new Henry Steel, .360 Buckhammer. I used Hornady load data, Accurate 1680 powder, 180 gr Speer bullets, WW cases, and CCI primers. I started 1 grain under max load. I had sticky extraction and flattened primers. PRESSURE! I ended 2 grains under max and the load was very accurate, no flattened primers, and smooth extraction.
It’s worth to mention that excessive head space will result in flat primers as well. If you have a loose chamber and fully calibrate your brass the primers will look terrible.
Excellent video! I'd like to add a note to the theme of excessive pressure signs. At times these signs (cratering of the primer, difficult extraction, etc.) may appear even though the load is well-balanced and should not generate excessive pressure. When the round goes off, the case expands and adheres to the chamber walls, reducing the backward impact on bolt face, ejector plunger, firing pin hole, etc. Almost immediately the brass contracts again, and ejection is normal. However, if the sizing lube has not been removed completely from the reloaded brass, the case does not adhere strongly to the chamber walls and slams violently against the bolt face, producing false signs of excessive pressure. It happened to me once when I fired a few .30-'06 rounds that I had reloaded. It was a very moderate load, and all the components were the same as those I had used before: same primers, same powder of the same lot, same powder charge, same bullets, same everything. Yet the bolt was hard to lift, the cases were hard to extract, and the primers were cratered. The rifle was a Remington 700, with a plunger extractor, and the circular mark where the brass had flowed into the plunger hole was well visible. Before this batch that gave these signs of excessive pressure nothing untoward had ever happened with that load. The problem was not an excessive powder charge;, the problem was that I had forgotten to remove the sizing lube from the cases. After I did wipe them scrupolously clean, the remaining shells functioned perfectly. I do not recall ever reading anywhere about this sort of problem, so I thought I'd share my experience with you all. Make sure that no trace of resizing lube remains on the cases! I would like to add one thing: if one relies on signs of excessive pressure when reloading for a lever-acrion rifle, planning to reduce the dose of powder as soon as such signs appear, one may risk to damage one's rifle, as cases fired in lever-action rifles may fail to show signs of excessive pressure before it's too late and damage may have already occurred. I read this in a reloading magazine, so I cannot claim to have had any personal experience with excessive pressure in lever action rifles, and not everything you read in a gun magazine is Gospel...
There's only one area I've found this to not be true. That's the AR-10/LR-308 platform. Man, when those things are over-gassed it will knock out primers, make extractor marks, and blacken the entire case. For bolt action, when I can taste brass shavings, I back her down a 1/10 grain...sometimes 1/5 grain, that's 2/10 for you Northern states folks. :) Great presentation and discussion Mark!! I often read about pressure signs, but if you haven't seen it or seen how it can mess up your brass and gun it's difficult to get a good idea of what is just soft alloy vs actual pressure signs.
New to the channel, enjoying your work! Curious where you are, New Zealand I'm guessing? Just guessing at your accent... Is there an about us video I can check out? Sorry for all the questions, I noticed you tend to respond to comments so figured I'd give it a shot 🤠
Why is my semi automatic 30-06 now always have the primer removed after firing. It was ok before but the gun would jam up and not cycle 20 rounds. A question for viewers.
Sounds like you should take to your gun smith or at least someone with decent experience, not something to work out online, not something you should mess with, Cheers
Using factory .308 Wolf steel cased rounds appeared to create pressure issues including difficult bolt lift and two cases of split rims. No issues with different brands of factory ammunition. Thank you for a great video.
might have saved my rifle; i was having failure to extract issues with my remington 700. would have to knock the back after every shot. i took some of thr casings home and watch this video. something is def off with the pressure. ty
Another sign that I have noticed is expansion of the web. Measure the diameter of the case inside the extractor groove... a few thousandths of growth in the diameter is a definite sign of pressure.
I really enjoyed working up loads for my Weatherby cartridges. I would always recommend Norma brass and Weatherby brass for consistent quality. I never anneal any of my brass for case hardening but I still managed to get five loads out of quality brass. I always do a full length resizing and seldom any neck trimming. One thing I can say about Weatherby magnum is that I find the most accurate loads are those that exceed 5-10% maximum charge. Approaching those levels I do increases in a half to a quarter grain increments loading 5 rounds each and test for pressure signs and accuracy. At this point I have already determined the optimal COAL and the perfect seating depth of my bullets. Strangely my Weatherbys like its bullets just touching the lands and grooves. Within that 1-10% overcharge I get my sweet spot for the best accuracy. I Got my 300Wby dialed to 0.25 moa from a fouled cold barrel. On pressure signs, my primers does flatten out but not excessively and my primer pockets stays tight through all five sucessive loadings. My brass remains in very good condition, no base markings from the ejector or anything else, there is no bulging at the base and the necks are in pristine condition. I have also used Remington WBY brass and have gotten 5 loads out of them too surprisingly. But by the 5th load the necks on the Remington brass are starting to show signs of cracks, which is another high pressure indicator that one needs to take note of. Happy loading!
Your component remark is right on the mark with some chambers. I have one rifle that is extremely sensitive to brass choice. No other signs of pressure except difficult extraction on some brass. After weighing different brands of brass and measuring before and after firing, I found one brand that worked without any issues. Be it different alloy that rebounded back after pressure or I found that brand of brass by in large weighed less than more troublesome brands. To me meaning alloy and amount of metal actually in the case. A simple change to a different brand of brass completely solved the issue. Thank you for what you do.
@@markandsamafterwork Some manufacturers may actually make their brass THICKER ON THE INSIDE than others. If this is the case, internal capacity will be slightly reduced. This will of course, mean increased pressure.
I think you are right about pressure spikes causing inconsistent shot to shot reliability when case pressure is too high. I too will load sets of ammunition(10 rounds) when dealing with different powder or bullets, print groups on paper, scan the paper and digitally mark each shot from the different groups, then put all the coordinates into a spreadsheet for analysis. A repeat observation has been that vertical deviation tightens at a consistent rate as powder charge increases from too low then the deviation grows at a different and more exaggerated rate once powder charge is edging towards higher than ideal pressures. These are my observations from dialing in loadings for only a few different bullets for different rifle cartridges using different powders. Certainly not enough data for some kind of certainty, but the observations have repeated every time so far.
