Old loads in new rifle - should I?

[603Country]

As you might know, I'm not new to shooting or reloading, but I have just come to a situation that's new to me. I just sold my Ruger 77 Compact in 260 and am having a new rifle built in the same caliber. I have probably 50 or 60 rounds that were fireformed and neck sized (standard RCBS NK die) to my former 260. I can pull the bullets, dump the powder, pop the primers, resize the brass and start over. But...if by chance the fireformed rounds will chamber with no effort in the new rifle, and if they are not too long on a COAL basis, should I be able to shoot them?

Now what I probably will do is to pull the bullets and go with that first approach, mostly just to not waste the bullets themselves, but what do you think about my shooting them. They aren't anything more than a mid range powder charge.

 

[steveno]

if a neck sized round chambers ok in the new rifle you should be ok. however the new rifle could be just enough different to cause problems. make a couple your neck sized rounds into a dummy rounds and give them to the gunsmith to try in the different chamber. they might work just fine and then again you might have to pull the rest of them and full length size them.

 

[dahermit]

If they fit in the new rifle, and they as you say, are a mid-range load, if they were mine, I would go ahead and shoot them in the new rifle. You will then have fire formed cases for your new gun.

 

[Paul B.]

Nowhere did I see that the loads in question are "midrange" loads. If the new rifle is a true "custom" build, I woud be very much surprised if the neck sized round would fit and chamber in the new firearm.
What I would suggest is the op buy and universal decapping pin and after pulling the bullets and salvaging the powder, use the decapper to carefully remove the primers. Then a proper full lenght resize on the salvaged brass anc be done without a problem. Use the reclaimed primers and bullets for fireforming loads in the new rifle.
I have several rifle with custom barrels and chamber that are match grade. Ammo loaded up for a strictly stock factory rifle prove to be too hot for the custom chambers. If your gunsmith is worth his salt, you new chamber with most likely be tighter than the commecial chamber you've been using.
Break that amo down and use the salvaged material to make fireforming loads. That will make the new gun happy and save you potential problems.
Paul B.

 

[603Country]

Well...this new barrel will be a custom one, and it might be a bit tighter. I'll probably disassemble the loaded rounds and 'redo' them. But, I will see if they fit in the chamber. And, I have some new Lapua cases (just arrived via UPS), so I'll load and shoot a few of those and compare new fireformed cases from the new rifle with empty fireformed cases from the old rifle.

It's just been a solid fact of life for me, for so long, that you just don't shoot fireformed rounds from rifle A in a same caliber rifle B. So I've never done it. Now I could do it, but probably won't. We'll see.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

If you have new brass, the safest thing to do would be to work up a load to the charge that your old rounds have. Then, if they fit the gun, you know they're fine.

 

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

If you can afford to buy a new custom built rifle. Why not buy some new bullets for it too. Pulls often have scratches scraps and indentation from your seater die. You fellows from the Lone Star State are known to be generous. Run a little drawing here. Take a few names. Number them. Draw a number out of a hat after a period of time. Send em to a guy who can really make use of your pulls. 5-6 bucks you may have invested in their mailing is all. It would be interesting/fun to see who wins the drawing out of all the entry's. You may be surprised at the count. Those members watching your drawing from day to day.
Maybe a little comment from those entering the contest "why they could use a few pulls?" would be beneficial to know? Maybe not? Anyway. Just another opinion like so many before me.

S/S

 

[stubbicatt]

Why decap the rounds? Just remove the de-capping pin and FL resize, and reassemble with whatever starting load of powder you deem appropriate. Reseat bullets, and voila!

Though I would take at least one of the old cases to create a dummy round for use in determining the distance to the lands.

Enjoy your new custom rifle.

 

[603Country]

I like Brian's idea. That'll work just fine. But, in the event that the new rounds that are loaded to the old powder charge shoot poorly, then I'll pull them all. And SureShot's suggestion isn't necessary. I use a kinetic puller and I put a couple of wads of cotton balls in the end of the puller. The bullet tips don't get deformed and they are quite fine for reuse.

Now, if the gunsmith will just hurry up and get the rifle finished, I'll go pick it up and do some shootin...

 

[Sevens]

Nowhere did I see that the loads in question are "midrange" loads.

In the last sentence of his post?

I'm with the camp of simple, safe and easy.
If they will fit, the bolt will close without a struggle and the powder charge puts them safely below most published MAX loads, I don't see any reason in the world to not shoot them, and see how well they print.

 

[.284]

I've done it but.....

I have shot reloads produced for a gun I once had in a new gun in the same caliber. However, I measured the new chamber very carefully prior to shooting. The case shoulder was within a .001 but the distance to the rifling was considerably shorter. I was able to seat the bullet about .020 deeper and fire away. This would be my concern.......had I not made that determination, I would have had a bullet sitting firmly against the lands and I'm sure raised the pressure to a dangerous level.