Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Full Length vs Neck Sizing

I find this a ever fascinating topic!

Seems so much to learn and consider.

I understand the need to get the ammo to feed, chamber , and go boom! ( most important)

How " accurate" or tight the groups are should be self explanatory. Kinda like a golf score.....you know what you got,
So why the need to expound on others perceived follies! As in they know what they got....hopefully they are happy, or open to suggestions.

Get a Lee Ultimate die set and a Redding body die.

Thank me later.

Partial sizing is FL sizing. What it does is resize the case to fit the rifle chamber the case was fired in! There are min size and max size that work in rifle chamber's.Do a couple neck sizes with an FL die and you probably won't get it to chamber again. At that point start moving the sizing die down a bit at a time till the case will chamber easily. before that point you'll find you can chamber the case but you'll also feel a rub. That's from the shoulder not being pushed back quite enough And it's rubbing in the chamber, close but for me not close enough. Some guy's like to feel the shoulder rub!

The debate is really just about whether "FL sizing" refers to returning the brass case to have clearance in the chamber in question, or to SAAMI dimensions. The die adjustment description in the instructions of most manufacturer's FL die sets corresponds to returning the case to SAAMI dimensions, but I can understand the other side of the argument, as well.

I've never had a die i could back off a full turn that would go from bumping the shoulder back .002 and then back a full turn and still size the web.

FL sizing is when we set up a conventional die according to instructions where the press is on the verge of camming over or fully camming over. PFLR is backing the die off and sizing the case, but not sizing it fully to the die's ability. Sizing to SAMMI specs usually requires a small base die.

I guess I “ Bubba” size my brass. I have five 7mags, multiple 264’s, 308’s, 270 WSM’s 30-06’s. I have no problem getting sub inch loads. There is no way I could keep all of those separate. Multiple Creeds, 223’s, 270’s, probably more I can’t remember. Couple 300 Win mags, two 6.5-06’s. I’d have to have a lot more space for loaded Ammo too. Maybe if I had a target rifle, I’d neck size.

Since this thread is BIG GAME RIFLES the answer is simple.

ALL hunting ammo should be loaded into fully prepped NEW cases. That means FL sized, trimmed, uniformed and deburred pockets and chamfered necks.

OR you can buy Nosler brass and FL size it.

An ammo failure can ruin a hunt or worse.

I disagree. I prefer my hunting handloads to be in once fired brass. Prepped of course. It has been proofed that way.

Hmm, so what do you do with the brass once it's been fired? Do you throw it away? I mean, I'll be happy to take it off your hands. Even pay the shipping........

Just to fan the flames I don't consider brass to be completely fire formed until the second loading and in severe cases the third. Don't see it anymore but some custom die makers wanted to work with twice fired brass to make the dies from.

I would only do the hard full length sizing for autos and lever guns. The FL bump and either the Lee Collet or a bushing die is where it's at for me for hunting loads.

Are you sure they were not advocating for the "other" guy to full length size? I have a 243 that is super accurate when I neck size it. It shoots very well with full length sized brass barely bumping the shoulder back. If the rifle has a large chamber brass will last longer and it will probably shoot better with neck sized brass.

That is probably a good time to anneal also. All the ammo I load is marked to show what rifle it is loaded for.

Well far be it from me to disagree with guys with 24 and 35 thousand posts.

When I'm HUNTING I'm not picking up brass so there is no "after".

There are many people who have even figured out that it is difficult, for HUNTING, to load better ammo than premium factory made.

Buy a super accurate 6.5 CM and try and do better than Hornady ELD PH ammo. My Tikka puts 3 in a dime.

35 posts or 35 thousand doesn't matter. We're talking about handloads here, not factory, and I stated why I do what I do. That is all.

No need to come on strong with a "final word" type statement and get your back up when someone disagrees with you over a technical point.

I can't count the number of arguments you could have just by uttering those words. Probably lose about 80% of em too.

The bullshit is running really deep in this thread

"Yeah, I meter my charges using one of the ol' lady's teaspoons...how 'bout you, Sam?"

"Me too. Dave, how do you do it?"

"Yup, same. Teaspoon method here. How are you charging, George?"

"Teaspoon, just like all the rest o you knuckleheads. Gave my Sartorius to the wife to use in the kitchen. She's made some fantastic donuts using that thing."

"Donuts?"

"Aw hell...just another internet myth. Donuts don't bother me none."

Hah!

I wonder, are you saying that reloads are not to the level of quality of Nosler factory ammo or similar? Well I have shot some pretty good factory ammo. For most hunting the cheapo stuff from Winchester or Federal will get the job done. That said in the last 45 years which is some 4 years after I started reloading I have used reloads for 98% of all my hunting. I can absolutely say that good factory brass that has been fired 4 times or so and loaded properly is every bit as good as any factory load brass. It fits my chamber perfectly, I have shot groups with those cases and know none of them has any issues. I have had issues with factory ammo. Remington misfires, poorly made brass. Federal with brass so soft it looked like a proof load was fired in it. Winchester oddly has always been pretty good to me. Mostly I shoot factory ammo up for the brass. Sometime I would just pull the bullet and save the powder only to load the factory brass with something I wanted to shoot out of it. I have had problems with Hornady ammo not being accurate in my 257. I consider Hornady brass at the lower end of acceptable. As for accuracy I will accept at the most MOA in my hunting ammo for big game. Better does not always just mean accuracy. When I started loading ammo there were no factory rounds topped with partitions out there. Factory ammo in general was good if it shot into 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Sure if I only shot 40 rounds a year I would probably shoot factory ammo but the reality is I burn at least 1200 on a slow year.