Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Neck Sizing ?

About the only cartridge I neck size only is my 223AI . Since I fireform from a lot of different manufacturers brass, it is already fireformed to the chamber. I just need to set the neck tension properly so I don't overwork the brass . I always try a few random cases during the process to make sure they still fit the chamber before loading a bunch of ammo. Even with neck sizing only you will probably eventually have to full length resize to keep the case to chamber dimensions for reliability.

Uhhhhhhh . . . stick it in the chamber (was this a trick question?)

PFL size. Next question please.

Good post mathman.


Then you size your ammo for the smallest/tightest chamber. Bump the shoulder back .002 for that rifle and all the ammo will fit your other rifles without worry. This stuff really isn't that hard, nor does it take a rocket engineer to load ammo successfully. At one time I was loading for 6 30-06 rifles and this was the method I used. I still have some brass from back in those days and it is still good stuff. Now, if one of those chambers is out of spec or oversized, it's time to have that rifle rebarreled, or send it down the road. Not that it is a bad rifle, but that it will be the reason your brass is getting overworked. Now try developing a good load that works very well in 6 different rifles that shoot the same cartridge and get back to me. You may need mathman's help deciphering the law of averages..

Absolutely. Bushing neck dies work much better, but I prefer the Type S Bushing FL dies.

In some circumstances the inexpensive Lee collet die works better than a bushing die.

Example: Common WW 308 Winchester brass with .012" neck walls fired in a factory chamber with a .344" neck.

Someone needs to further explain to me how fireformed, rifle specific, neck sized brass (Lee collett) can cause runout problems? The collet neck sizing die sizes the whole neck, unlike the
bushing neck sizing die, and doesn't require case lube. Increase in run out hasn't been my experience at all, over about a 10 year period. About every 5th firing I bump back shoulders with a body die, but always check to see how post prepped brass chambers before loading. Never had any accuracy issues, ever. Guess I'm missing something.

Doesn’t a piece of brass that’s been fired in a particular chamber fit that particular chamber better than a piece of brass that’s been resized to fit a SAAMI spec chamber?




P

In this context I believe full length sizing to fit the chamber means adjusting the die to provide for just a bit of shoulder clearance, say .002" for example.

You'll also see comments like "I neck size until they're a little snug so then I use a body die (or FL die) to squeeze them a bit so they chamber smoothly again." What this indicates is from firing to firing the fit of neck sized brass to the chamber does evolve.

The reason Cortina and those guys FL size is so the brass fits the chamber the same way every firing. In the super accuracy/precision realm consistency is the name of the game.

JG, I don't think they are talking about Lee Collets, rather conventional neck sizers like this:


https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012087763?pid=623908

FL size properly to feed & function in any rifle

+1

Lee collets......

are great........

If used in the same bolt gun

That explains a good part of it (for me), but I'd bet a dollar to a donut they're using some pretty pricey custom dies too.

My own method is the Lee Collet die used with Redding body dies and Forster seaters. One of the main attractions to using that method was to escape the necessity of lubing cases during every reload, but after using these dies for a while I got to where I go ahead and run everything into the body die each time I use the cases whether they really need it or not (because I'm too lazy to check them and keep track of number of firings among other things, mainly). So much for avoiding lubing cases.

I'd say I am accomplishing the same thing they are in terms of sum result, except I'm not spending hundreds of dollars on precision dies. Since I like to use run-of-the-mill sporter weight rifles for the most part and don't expect to ever take a shot over four hundred yards anyway, I doubt that spending beaucoup bucks on Whidden or even finer dies would be worthwhile. But then again, I haven't tried it.

+2

I have one Whidden FL die...maybe one day I'll see the need for more. It's nice because A) they don't squeeze the body diameter more than necessary and B) you get to specify exactly what finished neck diameter you want. The one I have leaves the case neck at .0015-.002 under bullet diameter with no expander button installed in the die and (99% of the time) don't need to be hit with a mandrel or LCD. It is very obvious when you use them that you are moving less brass.

Big time saver, for me anyway. The cases come out straight but not straighter than any other method.

I can believe that. I'm sure no one pays the price for those expecting anything less that perfection.

Do you see problems with neck thickness when you use different brands of brass? I would think if you're going to lay down the cash for dies like those, you probably try to stick with Lapua and other top tier brass.

I measure the fired case, and push the shoulder back .002" to .003"

I've played around with neck sizing and have seen no increase in accuracy or case life when using a conventional die. I do use a bushing die when I'm loading for a few of my rifles that have tight neck chambers that require neck turning. I use a body die on those cases every 3rd time to help them chamber easier.