I'm also a one case shooter and people interested in "traditional" shooting would fall more into that way of loading. It's not as slow as people would try to make you believe. I've resently shot two CBA matches, using one case.

As for the expense of re-decapping, you can get a Lee capper, usually for under $30 and a 310 tool with a decapper die, very economically. I have lots of 310 decapper dies. They are probably the most offen found 310 die.

I NEVER put anything past the case mouth, I rang a barrel that way, before Charlie did his experiments but, I STILL cringe at the though of it! Once bitten, twice shy! The ONLY way that I know of to ring a chamber (my case) or barrel is to put something in the case!

I've tried many different type wads at the case mouth but, found no difference in my rifles. As far as spilling powder w/o a wad, I load short cases in a Borchardt and a HW, probably the hardest actions to load a case in. My ELCO 33 Max in the Borchardt, with up to 16 gr of powdwer and the HW gets a 32/20 case with up to 11 gr of powder and my 30/30 Wesson in my Hoch with up to at least, 16 gr powder. It's my wifes rifle and she loads it w/o trouble, that way, too. A external scope, with it's taller mounting gives more room, too. But, she was able, with her smaller fingers to load it with a low mounted modern scope. I had trouble but, still got them in w/o spilling.

I think many people just assume they can't load the smaller, shorter case and haven't applied themselfs to the task. I know that I could load a MS in a Miller or Hoch, if I had one.

Regarding the short cases being to tight to chamber or extract, that is only do to chambers not cut the right size or way.

Frank

J Louis,
You are fimilar with my 33 ELCO Max. I shot the whole match of 65 record shots at your range, with one case. I have NEVER had case extraction issues with it and I have run pressures high enough to pierce primers. I've run 10 shot groups at 1600+ fps with my 240 gr bullet. 

The only time that I ever have any trouble inserting a case or extracting one, is after hundreds of firing with the same case and never a stuck one. Resizing and they are good for more than a hundred more shots. I used one case to shoot the entire Spokane match (over 240 rounds). My normal velocitys are 1475 fps, no slutch in the pressure department!

On a tapered case, if the case head area isn't about .002 larger than the solid head (.200 - .250 forward of the rim) you will have the problem of sticking. Many, many MS have that problem, for that reason. The orginal chamber drawing was not large enough in that area, at least the PTG reamer drawing show that.

On a tapered case, if your case sticks, the chamber at the front of the case head is to SMALL.

Frank

OK here is my W.A.G. When the wad is in the case mouth it giver just enough resistance so that the powder explosion expands at the neck, sealing the chamber. When the wad is placed down further it causes the case to expand in the body leaving the neck relatively untouched. As the pressure flows up the barrel it hits the bullet and looks for the path of least resistance and flows out between the case and chamber puckering the mouth.

40 Rod

"swelling of the web is brought about by to much pressure"

Not to sure of that. Shooting Black Powder in my 40-65, after about 50 60 shots on a case I'd have to shove the case in to a full length sizing die with out a shell holder, then knock the case out with a brass drift I made.
Once that was done the cases no longer extracted a bit hard. 
I do the same thing with my 32-30 Imp now after so many shots.

As for using a wad, I do. And set it .200" off the powder.
I feel it gives me consistent ignition of the charge.  The powder is in the same position each shot.
I was taught constancy is a good thing.

Quote:


Did the wads increase the accuracy of those cartridges or where you using them just to keep from spilling powder?

I've tried LDPE (1/16), Floral foam and pipe insolation wads in the case mouth of my 33 ELCO and found no accuracy improvement. I can load fine w/o spilling so, I didn't continue there use.

I agree that the collapsed necks are random and maybe the smaller capacity cases have a advantange in that respect. I could be wrong but, I can't ever remember collapsing a neck on my 33 ELCO, if I did, it would be very, very rare as I don't remember.

Frank

I haven't worked with the 25 Hornet.  I'll give a little deeper seating a whirl.  Thanks.

By the way does anyone use 1/8" cork wads seated about 1/16" deep at the case mouth? And if so what results, pro or con, are you getting?

Jack