6.5 Grendel reload chambering issue

moonshine44

moonshine44

Well-known member
I have an AR that i put together a number of years ago with a 20 inch Black Hole Weaponry .264LBC barrel. I decided recently that I wanted to lighten it a bit so I changed to a Bear Creek Arsenal 16" 6.5 Grendel barrel. The problem that I'm having is that my reloads, which ran fine in the other barrel, won't chamber in the new one.

My reloads are done with Hornady 6.5 Grendel dies. I did a bunch of measurements on a factory Hornady round and compared it to one of my reloads and couldn't really come to a conclusion. So I did a sharpie test on one of my reloads and it came out with a ring around the case just below the shoulder. I'm assuming that this means that I need to move the shoulder back a little, but how exactly do I do that? If I recall correctly the sizing die is touching the shell holder now. Can I grind a skosh off of the bottom of the sizing die and make this happen?

Thanks in advance for any help I can get!
 
If it is below the shoulder setting the shoulder back won't help.

Check to see if factory ammo will chamber in the barrel. If it does you have a problem with your reloads. Your first barrel might have had a slightly oversized chamber and would work with your reloads.

It really sounds like your over crimping the bullet and if you aren't possibly hitting the crimp ring in the seater when seating the bullet and expanding the shoulder.

Think of shoulder as a triangle, when you push down on the top of the triangle the base will spread out. When you press down too hard crimping it will spread the base of the shoulder same if the top of the neck hits the crimp ring when seating bullets with out a chanelure or seating a bullet with a chanelure other than in the chanelure as the brass has no place to go and pushes down the neck.
 
Factory rounds do chamber. I'm thinking that I do have a problem with my reloads, I'm just not sure what. I use a Lee Factory Crimp die for crimping. I'll try maybe not crimping quite as much and see if that helps. Thanks.

Anybody else?
 
Originally Posted By: koomanI’m sure you did, but did you switch to the type 2 bolt when you switched to the bca barrel?

Actually, no. I already had the Grendel bolt in the gun.

It turns out that the crimping was the issue. I went out to my shop and loaded two rounds at a time (I'm retired; I have that kind of time) and test fired them. No ammo issues at all.

Thanks, folks!
 
To much seating/crimping pressure, pushes the case out at or just below the shoulder/body junction. Softer brass will retain the memory of the brass work and often spring back after sizing(work hardened).
 
Originally Posted By: spotstalkshootTo much seating/crimping pressure, pushes the case out at or just below the shoulder/body junction. Softer brass will retain the memory of the brass work and often spring back after sizing(work hardened).

That seems to have been the issue. I loaded some new rounds with a very minor crimp and now it's running like it should be again.

Thanks!
 
Moonshine44- glad you figured it out.
I watch a lot of 6.5 threads. I was having a issue with my Grendel that I couldn’t figure out last year.

I was shooting 100gr Nosler plastic tipped with no issues .
I ran low on them and couldn’t find more so I switched to 95gr vmax .
When I did , I started having issues. When unloading gun after sets every now and again it would pull brass out and bullet would stick in camber/ barrel emptying powder all over ar action and bcg.

I gave up and built a ar10 in 6.5 CM

I’m not a reloader so I just buy ammo.
You have any suggestions for a guy like me that doesn’t reload?

It would be nice to be able to use it again as a “buddy/ backup gun”


I wanna add that I kept my 17 cal cleaning rod in gun case and just tapped bullet back out and opened ar and blew powder out and just kept running gun all season.
It happens sporadically, not every time .
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Shooter222Moonshine44- glad you figured it out.
I watch a lot of 6.5 threads. I was having a issue with my Grendel that I couldn’t figure out last year.

I was shooting 100gr Nosler plastic tipped with no issues .
I ran low on them and couldn’t find more so I switched to 95gr vmax .
When I did , I started having issues. When unloading gun after sets every now and again it would pull brass out and bullet would stick in camber/ barrel emptying powder all over ar action and bcg.

I gave up and built a ar10 in 6.5 CM

I’m not a reloader so I just buy ammo.
You have any suggestions for a guy like me that doesn’t reload?



Sorry, I really don't. I don't use factory ammo for anything but concealed carry. Maybe somebody else will chime in here.
 
Last edited:
It seems as if with the boat tail on the vmax there isn’t enough “contact area” between the brass and projectile to hold them together. They all seemed to be pressed the same.

Just my observation
 
Shooter222, you could hunt around for a gunsmith who has the right tools to cut the leade in that barrel a bit longer. I doubt they would charge too much.
 


Write your reply...
Back
Top