Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Neck resizing question?

How many times do you fellas(experienced reloaders) shoot your cartridges before you have to full length resize. I note that after 3 firings they are starting to stick in the chamber but can be still ejected. I'm seeing really good groups all the way to 725 yards hitting inside 10 inch circle. 338/378 bee.(Accumark). Hate to resize full length because I know that I'll be opening up my groups but ???? The brass taper is at spec by the Sierra manual. The necks open up 4 thou after firing, so I don't think it's the neck sticking. I've trimmed a few cases already. Shooting 300 grain HPBT Match king bullets and Fed 215 with 94 grains of 7828.

I ain't playin' the game with your caliber but my stuff better be hitting inside a 5 inch circle at that range....at worst case.

I FL every load, but only bump the shoulder just smidge, and routinely have zero chambering/extraction issues.....

Nope, not if you full length size them right.

I also F/L size after every firing.
Never experience any chambering problems, which is why I F/L size after each shot.

If you Partial Full Length Resize so that the shoulder is pushed back .001" then your accuracy should not suffer. You can do this by measuring with a Headspace Gauge or set your rifle up and size so that you only get a very slight crush fit.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...n_I_neck_size_with_a_full_le#Post3308067

I neck size 4 times, partially full size by setting the shoulder back about .001" after the fourth reload, anneal, and start the cycle over.

In belted mags I typically get 10 reloads, sometimes slightly more, before cases start thinning near the web for the beginning of incipient case separation. In my experience accuracy starts dropping off about the fourth reload hence annealing at that point. Also, like you, it starts getting harder to chamber the round at about four.

OK thanks guys. Read the posts on neck resizing. Some good info there. I'd like to see someone take this rifle and show me how to get better groups at 1/2 mile. I'm very satified with the results. When using a lead sled and doing every thing possible to hold this thing down. I can shoot my 6,5 x 284 12F, no problems but when you grab this stick you got to hang on harder. About 6 of my shooting buddies have tried it and yes most of them can out shoot me with my own rifle but they don't wear glasses and their vision is much better than mine.

I have done some testing on full length and neck sizing and for my part I full length resize everything for a number of reasons..First of all I need my ammo to fit in any gun as that is a convienience that I cannot do without..I have never seen any accuracy improvement in a "good" barrel. I hunt with all my guns so neck sizing is out, even if you run them through your gun prior to a hunt and they work 100%, you will invaribly find one that sticks, and your in trouble and whistling 'who'd a thought it" it just happens.

Many folks do neck size and that's fine..It's not for me.

That's correct Atkinson but when you pay 80 dollars for a box of 20 empty brass you need to try and get as many reloads as you can possibly get with out the scenario that you speak of. So now I kinda know that my neck resizing can do ok for 3 times and then full length them. What my question should have been is "how many times can I neck resize on this particular round before a problem comes up"? If I full length them every time, I will get half the life from my brass versus necking occasionally. This I know from previous boxes of the same brass.

When you were full length sizing them how much were you moving the shoulders?

My shoulders do get a good workout and my feet come off the ground by the time the press is down. LOL
I know where your headed with the question but I dont know that it would be relevent in this case.

Never mind.

I use full length size dies but rarely run the die down to the shellholder. My ammo is sized until it very readily chambers in my rifles (though it doesn't always work in others' rifles in like calibers). To me, reliability is an utmost concern and I cannot have ammo that will not run reliably - BTDT. Even so, I shoot more ammo in practice or testing than in hunting, but my greatest loss of brass happens when I hunt - and I do try to pick up my brass. It is not the primary priority however.

Thanks for the help and your posts were excellent using the link supplied.
My problem you understand now. I can't feel shoulders when my feet are off the ground trying to resize these damn jugs.
You could do the shoulder check with lighter brass like 30-06 300 mag which I do watch for shoulders when you can.

Would one of these help?

http://www.redding-reloading.com/pages/ultramag.html

I think your onto something there mathman. Dump my old 35 year clunker for new one. Does Obama pay for some of it? How do we get the tax payers to help us out here. Seriously you may have given me the best advice and I will get that new Redding press and give that old thing to someone. I've been using some of the Redding dies and they are good but they have issues which damage to top of HPBT bullets. Thanks and have a good day.

Chambering is not the problem its removal after firing. I always test my reloads for chambering issues after the first one rolls off the press. I learnt the hard way on that a long time ago. Maybe something in translation. Does chambering mean in and out? I know Canuck language varies from place to place. LOL Have a good day.

I`ve always felt a case that didn`t want to leave the chamber after firing was probably abused a little and the powder charge should be reduced a tad. The way it was sized has nothing to do with extraction
JMO

You are right 378, if you are having a sticky problem with ejection then that is different.

Let me ask you a question, on a case that was sticky that you have resized, does the bolt close with little effort or is that case then sticky to chamber.

The reason I ask is that I have a custom rebarrel that has that problem. After 3 or 4 firings the bolt is a little hard to work and that case, even when resized to set the shoulder back .001", will be harder to chamber than once or twice fired cases. My problem is that I have a tight chamber and my Redding Body Die does not size the case body enough and it drags at the pressure ring.

IOW, if you have a tight chamber then you need a tight die.

Interesting case with the die thing. When I full length resize they probably could fit in any 338/378 on the market. The bolt closes nicely and cams with no problem. Ol Joe made an interesting comment and I will look closely at this. He may be partially right on that comment and I will try some next time with a tad less powder. A few months ago I started using the Fed 215 because we had none in the country here for some time. I haven't checked them on the crony but the other rounds with the CCI primers were showing 2900 ft /sec. It was also much hotter that afternoon. There is so many variables some times you just want to have a shot of whiskey and step away from it for a few weeks.