Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Sizing Weatherby Brass

I am just getting started reloading my 340 Weatherby and was hoping someone would help educate me on Weatherby brass. Like I said, it is 340 brass and just want to know how far down the neck most folks are sizing to. If my die is touching the shell plate, it looks as though I am sizing into the shoulder. I have yet to touch the shoulder with the die body even when the press cams over. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Get this stuff:
http://www.derbydust.com/xcart/product.php?productid=13

lube your case with Hornady One Shot Aerosal (not the pump spray !)

Then dip the necks up to the shoulder in the dry lube. Run it into the sizing die and you will have a visual of how far down the neck you are sizing (it's also real good stuff to avoid expander ball galling)

In a belted case of any type you reall want to headspace on the shoudler rather than the belt to both extend case life and improve accuracy.

Weatherby factory brass is a bit soft, so the main issue is keeping the length correct. As long as it chambers easily, don't worry about pushing back the shoulder. IF the time comes you need to and the primer pockets are still tight, you can buy a "bump die" from Redding whose only purpose is to push the shoulder back JUST enough to allow proper chambering.

As a rule of thumb, only size the neck down as far as the bullet will be seated in the case. However, in a hard kicker like the 340 in a rifle that doesn't weigh a lot there are some prudent rules for hunting loads:
1. Use only new or once fired brass for hunting loads.
2. Crimp the bullets with either a roll crimp (if the bullet has a cannelure or has grooves like a TSX), of not, use a taper crimp.
3. Avoid bullets with plastic tips as they can break off and jam up the magazine.
4. Cycle test all ammo through the rifle before taking it afield.
5. Do not leave the same rounds in the magazine after you have fired and just top it off. Check the ammo in the magazine for any set back of the bullet or other issues.

The 340 is a handfull and 99% of what it is used for can be handled by loading it to 338/06 or 338 WinMag levels.

In the midst of a 338 RUM build but it's gonna weigh at least 15 pounds and be a single shot with 1 34" barrel for 2000 yard gong ringing, so life will be a bit simpler than were it a medium heavy magazine rifle.

Good shooting !

I use neck sizing dies.

Thanks so much for the info. I will take your advise and get the necessary lube and dies.

Neck sizing die are great but unless you just use "pooper loads", eventually all brass with a shoulder will need a slight bump to chamber easily. IME in a 300 WM &
30-378 WB, the soft Norma made WB brass doesn't last long enough to need it as the primer pockets open up first.

Here is what I have done so far. I took some once fired brass in this particular gun and tried to chamber it. Some would chamber and some would not. The stuff that did not chamber go the old light/candle blacking trick to see when the die was just touching the shoulder. I never saw any marks on the shoulder but could see the die working its way down the neck. I stopped the die when all cases would chamber without resistance. The die is not all the way down to the ram so I am guessing I have some good brass that is necked sized only and will feed without problems. Am I correct in my thought process even though I could not see marks showing the shoulder was set back at all?

Thanks

You did perfectly. But as you shoot that brass more and more the rechambering problem may re appear. It will probably come back with just a smidgle of bolt effort to close the bolt and get worse and worse.
What I do when I get the die to lightly crush fit in the chamber is take a marker and put matching index marks on the thread of the die and the lock ring. Moving the marks appart 1/8-1/4" will probably result in another .003" push back of the shoulder as you work the die down.
I have and highly recomend the hornady headspace bushing measuring kit for about $35 ....I love mine.

Not true. I use Lee Collet Neck Sizing Dies and am not whimpy nor conservative in my loads but have '06 cases that have been reloaded over 10x and 257 AI brass at or around 7x, none of which have needed my Redding Body Dies... or shoulder bump, for that matter.

Lee Collet Neck Sizers rule, IME.