Absolutely love my Sheridan too, but if the OP is describing the problem accurately (or i am understanding it correctly), the rounds are getting hung up BEFORE they get to the chamber on the ramps...could still be an issue the gauge would catch...
"Of course I'm carrying a gun. It's where I keep my bullets".
Loading the 220's can be a problem. As other have said length and magazine combinations can be frustrating. If you are loading to 2.245, that is a lot longer than most people do, you would have better luck at a COL of less than 2.200( Remington factory length is 2.118) and a for best feeding probably closer to 2.150 unless you are using a modified mag.
If you want to run at 2.245 only load 3 cartridges and see if they feed, if they do you found your problem.
The problem is that when you get enough loaded in the magazine at the longer length, the bullets are riding on the ribs and everything gets jammed up and will not feed. This sounds more like the problem you are describing.
....I can't provide the specific link to the thread this was posted in, but it allegedly is direct from Mr. Silvers or AAC on cartridge OAL's they recommend...
******************************** Existing AR magazines have a rib which normally contacts the 5.56mm case-neck. With 300 BLK ammo, the contact is on the bullet. Because the bullet is a larger diameter, the rib will push the cartridges out of alignment, and can lead to binding potentially resulting in Failures to Feed. For this reason, it is important to load ammunition so that the contact point with the magazine rib is on the bullet ogive in an area of about 0.250 inch diameter. Here are some suggested OAL for popular bullets:
r.tenorio671 wrote:....I can't provide the specific link to the thread this was posted in, but it allegedly is direct from Mr. Silvers or AAC on cartridge OAL's they recommend...
******************************** Existing AR magazines have a rib which normally contacts the 5.56mm case-neck. With 300 BLK ammo, the contact is on the bullet. Because the bullet is a larger diameter, the rib will push the cartridges out of alignment, and can lead to binding potentially resulting in Failures to Feed. For this reason, it is important to load ammunition so that the contact point with the magazine rib is on the bullet ogive in an area of about 0.250 inch diameter. Here are some suggested OAL for popular bullets:
r.tenorio671 wrote:....I can't provide the specific link to the thread this was posted in, but it allegedly is direct from Mr. Silvers or AAC on cartridge OAL's they recommend...
******************************** Existing AR magazines have a rib which normally contacts the 5.56mm case-neck. With 300 BLK ammo, the contact is on the bullet. Because the bullet is a larger diameter, the rib will push the cartridges out of alignment, and can lead to binding potentially resulting in Failures to Feed. For this reason, it is important to load ammunition so that the contact point with the magazine rib is on the bullet ogive in an area of about 0.250 inch diameter. Here are some suggested OAL for popular bullets:
...Thank you, Sir !! I don't own an AAC product so I was unaware of the manual's contents. If not already, this PDF would be a good item to sticky in the handloading section for the folks starting out and looking for baseline info to start with.
...Thank you, Sir !! I don't own an AAC product so I was unaware of the manual's contents. If not already, this PDF would be a good item to sticky in the handloading section for the folks starting out and looking for baseline info to start with.
There is a ton of great stuff in the early posts that needs to be on a must read list. A few years ago it was easy to go back and read everything. If you run a search on something, set it up to see the earliest posts first and you can see folks working through things we take for granted now. There really is a huge pool of knowledge here that wants to share.
Can you drop a cartridge into the chamber, release the bolt and shoot it, without putting the round into the magazine ?
I'd still like to see a close-up photo of your reloaded ammo and their measurements, of O.A.L. and diameter of loaded cartridge at the case neck. Maybe take a fired 5.56 case and place it over the of the 30 caliber bullet and give it a twist to form a visible ring to help us see approximately where the loaded cartridge is that diameter. It would help with a visual reference of where the cartridge should be .25", relative to where the magazine reinforcing ribs are.
There are fewer up side benefits to running any of the 300blk specifications long in an AR, compared to other action types.
AR15's are machines and all the parts have to work together. That includes your ammo.
Loaded too long and the case rim hasn't cleared the magazine fed lips. You can load and shoot some surprisingly short ammo from the magazine in the lighter bullet weights without much problem.
Please post pictures of your loaded ammo, and perhaps a picture of the gun just after the bolt has been released so we can see the condition.
I am hoping someone here can help.
I just start reloading 300 blackout.
I first purchased some once fired brass and 150 FM bullets.
I did not have any issues with any of those rds, they chambered and fired ok.
I bought some 150 Hornady SST bullets and used the same brass after cleaning.
Some one the rds will chamber and fire fine. But most will not chamber, the gun will not go into battery.
I am using Dillon 650 with Lee Dies.
I pulled the bullets from the rds that wont fire and ran through the sizing die without the decaping pin.
The brass chamber fine, but when I load with bullets, but as I mentioned earlier most of them wont chamber.
I bought a 2" cut off saw and a Squirrel Daddy jig to cut some .223 brass.
I then deburr and run through the sizing die without the decaping pin.
As it stands right now, I have played with the die settings and got most to chamber, but others wont chamber.
I am thinking of buying some new brass and trying that, I dont know what else to try.
By the way I have reloading 8 different calibers for over 20 years, have never had such a problem as with the 300 blackout.