Hulls buckling at the brass

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Boy, am I frustrated. Every time I think I've got this reloading thing down, someyhing else happens. Trying to reload 2 1/2 16 ga hulls(cheddite) on my 600 with short kit. Hulls keep buckling at the brass. I have done this before with no problems, but am about to pull my hair out today. I have adjusted the cam up as far as I can, but it didnt help much. Only 2 out of a dozen shells don't have a buckle. Plenty of room in the case loading 7/8 oz, z16 wad, 19.5 gr 7625--tried sg16 wad-same problem. Any suggestions?

[Eric Johanen]

I have experienced this problem also. Some lots of hulls are less stiff/hard than others. Both 16 ga. and 12 ga. Those that are soft I keep for roll crimp and they work fine. It can drive one insane though. My last order of red 16's and blue (mauve) 12's are working nicely. Fiochhi also show this soft condition in different lots. I'm a bit of a hull whore but soft hulls give me a chance to go light and use my speed bag and just shoot and toss! Euro hulls are generally not made with reloading in mind and they like the "one and done "concept.

[Rick Losey]

The MEC manual explains this issue. It has to do with volume. When I get back to the computer. I'll post the explanation

[Jerry Harlow]

Harold,

The Cheddite hulls are cheaply made with microscopically thin metal on the heads and plastic. I had the same problem(s) and ruined dozens and had to get a set of 16 dies for my MEC Super Sizer. Only way to reload them after firing. The metal is so thin when I shot some in 10 ga to 16 ga Gaugemate adaptors, the metal blew out so big I had to remove the adaptors and punch them out! That's how weak they are. Had same problem with hulls collapsing.


I found the 8 point crimp worked the best to help prevent the problem.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Ok, figured it out.When I installed the short kit plate, I used the original shell plate and not the new one. The original wraps around and under the riser plate raising it up an extra 1/16 or so, making it too high and crushing the hulls. When I realized that and put the new shell plate on that came with the riser, the problem disappeared. I had loaded these shells earlier this winter with no problem, that's what was so frustrating. It was not a volume problem, as I had used that load before successfully. I just screwed up and grabbed the wrong shell plate---wont be my last mistake. Thanks to all who offered their opinions

[Paul Harm]

Happy to say I never had that problem, but then I don't reload any Euro hulls, just American made hulls.

[Eric Johanen]

Well, there you are. I've done things like that myself. Last week I neck sized a 45-90 case with my Lyman neck sizer die and forgot to use the spacer washers. Ended up with a very long neck. Die is set for a 45-70 without the spacers. Sometimes the brain refuses to work properly!

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Yes, the problem was one created by my inattention. I was able to successfully load the 100 empty 2 1/2' cases without further glitch. About 6 hulls had to be discarded.

[Gary Laudermilch]

You can experience the same problem with thin plastic hulls by having the finishing die set too low. That is the one that rounds over the edge of the loaded round so they feed in auto loaders.