This belted stuff always cracks me up, and I got my first Rem 700 7RM in 1978. I have never even had to think about a belt, and I do own an unused Larry Willis die for the non problem of sizing right in front of the web.

We get the Remington Factory rifles to shoot just unbelievably, bed the action, free float the barrel, put on a good trigger, glass, and rings and bases.

Using the not so tough Remington brass, 65.5-66.0g of IMR 4350 with a 140g Nosler ballistic tip, accubond almost always shoots sub 3/8" groups on three shot groups, and key is Rem 9 1/2 with the bullet kissing the lands....even .010 off the lands will make groups open up. Since we are hunting, getting 5 shots on a case is more than enough, as they often get ejected out of the tree we are hunting out of, and the nephews do not save much brass. Barnes 140g ttsx are ungodly accurate .050 off the lands, same load.

Fast forward to the 180g ELD-M on deer, glory be, the lights came on. R#22 at 2850 and R#26 at 3030 and I am using 9T custom barrels with .210 throats for these 180's.

Now, when it comes to full length sizing, The case has a very distinct memory of the first chamber it was sized in, and this is no small matter! Interchanging brass between different guns, buying once fired brass, range brass, creates all kinds of issues. Brass sized down, will expand back out over time towards the first chamber it was shot in, you simply can not defeat the Natural Laws of Physics.

If brass is in short supply, and you have to load for friends and family's factory rifles, there are two solutions, a Small base sizer, or a RCBS full length sizer made prior to '79(the year is stamped on the top). Do not expect to size down brass and it stay sized down for 5 years, with this becoming more of a nuisance with mixed brass having multiple firings on it.

What is really messed up about factory chambers is that they are not chambered in line with the bore, with some being terribly egg shaped. Some guys think that they are shooting a hot load, neck sizing when they are only dealing with an egg shaped chamber where the brass will never be able to be neck sized.

The ugly truth about factory chambers and production dies is that reamer wear in all accounts. Dies have a spread of +/- dimensions, Chambers are all over the map in web dimensions and lengths. When you combine these two facts, adjusting dies becomes more problematic.

You always hear bump dies back .002-.003, when real world maybe a lot more. The reason for this is that you have run the die in far enough to reduce the web dimension to the point where the bolt will close. So, to reduce the web dimension, you may have to bump back the shoulder .006, or what ever the number is. This very issue will make a lot of guys go crazy, but it is a hunting rifle, not a target rifle.

My Remington and Browning A bolts LOVE HOT LOADS where they really shine in accuracy, and by Accuracy, I mean 3/8" and smaller groups, this is no understatement.

Before you die, you owe it to yourself to get a 7 Mag throated for a 180g ELD-M, run a 8.75-9T, 5 R barrel if you are hunting deer and hogs.

Last edited by keith; 12/02/22.