336RC: rounds wont chamber

[flounderjig]

Picked up a nice 30-30 336RC on gunbroker this week. Pretty gun, looks like a one owner, took it out and shot his deer and then put it away. Anyhow, I loaded up some 30-30 once fired brass with a lyman lead RN. Overall length measured. Before I put the factory crimp die to them I tried chambering a couple rounds and the bolt goes forward to about 1/4 inch from closing but not all the way. Didnt want to force it, did push a little on one round and it pushed the bullet in. Going to take it down in the morning and give it a through cleaning. Bore is not obstructed as far as I can see. Where do I start?

[TedH]

What's the diameter of your cast bullets? Sounds like they are a little too fat. On the one you put a little muscle to, did it have any rifling engraved on the nose?

[Pisgah]

Even though your OAL may be spot on by the book, the bullet may be loaded too long. If the ogive of your bullet is further forward than other bullets, the base-to-nose length may be right on, but the base-to-ogive length may be too long. Make up a dummy round without crimp - start with the current length - gradually seat the bullet a bit deeper and try it until it chambers, and see what you come up with

[Hobie]

Yep, it is pretty obvious that if the gun has been successfully fired previously, your brass fits before loading and doesn't after bullet seating that the bullet is somehow the problem. In some guns a longer than normal ogive is a problem even if the COL is within parameters. If it lacks a ¼" of seating in the chamber then that is approximately how much too long that bullet sits in the case. I'd say that that bullet is the wrong one for the .30-30.

[flounderjig]

Ted H was right. I had cast these bullets and not resized them, from other posts, I had the impression that I needed to leave them be out of the die. I loaded them and the problem began. I tried some rounds this AM that had been resized and they worked great. Problem solved, I owe TedH a fishing trip if he comes to Corpus. Again, thanks.

[TedH]

A good place to start is .002" over bore size. You might want to slug your bore and see what you're dealing with.