[Hikingman]

I've purchased a Redding neck sizing die for 303 British, and wonder how much is necessary for a bottle neck fired from the same gun? What is a good start for the first batch without over or under neck sizing? No instructions with this die, either.

John

[jgh4445]

I smoke the neck with a candle so I can see where the sizer touches the neck. I adjust my die so that it just barely kisses the neck. Just enough to start the bullet. At least that is the way I do it.

[dave from mesa]

OK I'm not a expert here but I neck size just short of the shoulder.
Take a case, use a stick match and smoke the case from just below the shoulder to the top of the neck. Run the case into the die and the soot will be removed where the die hits. You want to size no less than bullet diameter. Again i usually go just short of the shoulder. If someone has a better explanation then go with that.


dang I'm a slow typer

[1858]

I've purchased a Redding neck sizing die for 303 British, and wonder how much is necessary for a bottle neck fired from the same gun? What is a good start for the first batch without over or under neck sizing? No instructions with this die, either.

John, are you asking what OD or what length of the neck? Does your Redding die come with bushings?

If you're asking about the OD then size the neck to loaded OD minus 0.001" to 0.0003". If you're asking about length, that all depends on the bearing surface of the bullet. How much you neck size in terms of length may depend on how much of the bullet will touch the neck. For me, I use higher BC bullets so they tend to be long enough that I want to neck almost to the shoulder. Consistency is the key here whatever you decide to do.

By the way, if your brass is new you may not have to neck size at all the first time ... that's been my experience.

:)

[jerkface11]

Honestly my bench gun shoots well under MOA with full length sized cases. I just haven't bothered to set the die up to neck size.

[flashhole]

If you have the standard Redding Neck Die it does not accomodate bushings. It will be manufactured to constrict the neck smaller than the bullet diameter on the up-stroke of the ram and open it up slightly to provide neck/bullet tension on the down-stroke of the ram. You can measure how much it is sized with a caliper. As far as length goes, I size mine as far down on the neck as I can. For the cartridges I load I rarely ever load a bullet that does not go into the case neck further than the length of the neck. I want even uniform tension the entire length of the neck. Some will assert if you leave a small amount of unsized neck just above the shoulder it will serve to provide good head spacing. I've never seen that to be the case because the fire-formed brass head spaces nicely on the shoulder.

I recently picked up a neck lube trick that works really well. I use powdered graphite mixed in with #9 shot and push the case neck into the mix several times before I run it through the Redding Neck Die. It provides just enough lube to not drag on the expander ball on the up-stroke and doesn't make a mess. Powder won't stick to it either like it does with a wet lube.

[Walkalong]

You want to size no less than bullet diameter. Again i usually go just short of the shoulder.Yep.

[ironhat]

Hey flashhole, is there any reason why that shouldn't work with mica miked in with the shot. The only reason I ask is that I have a lot of the stuff and want to use what I have. Secondly, I had heard that can you use a FL die to do neck sizing by adjusting the die up off the shoulder? That doesn't sound right to me. If you adjust the die up that far you're probably not getting on the neck. Right or wrong? Sorry if this wandered off topic. No attempt to hijack intended.

[Hikingman]

Partly I was seeking recommendations for adjusting any neck sizing die for bottle neck cartridges fired from the same bolt action gun. I've got a set of Redding 303 dies in addition to their neck sizing die (and a 303 Brit. Lee Factory Crimp die.)

Another similar topic is taking a standard sizing die and backing off for neck sizing purposes. I chose to buy an actual 'neck' sizing die and found the three 'like new' for less than $30 and bought them instead of the Lee set w/ the neck sizer.

Thanks for the earlier responses.

[flashhole]

Ironhat - I can't see why it wouldn't work with mica as well as graphite. The graphite seems to transfer from the BB to the case nicely. I cut 3 shotgun shells to get started, you might start with only two and see if that is enough pellets. I put my mix in a flared mouth shot glass. It has a hefty base so it doesn't move around much and I get good access to the lube.

I've tried using a FL sizer to do partial neck resizing and never had any success with it. No matter how I adjusted the die it was always engaging the web on the case. Moving the case body must move the brass in some manner, usually making the case longer and requiring an extra trim step. I'm not a fan of partial FL resizing. Some are but I'm not.

Be aware the Lee Collet Neck Die operates on a differnt principle. It compresses the neck onto a mandrel. The mandrel is sized to the ID needed for each cartridge. It works well as long as the brass is not too work hardened and is sufficiently maliable to be resized. I have several collet neck dies and highly recommend them, especially in larger cartridges.

I find I really like my Redding Neck Die for my 22 caliber stuff better than the Lee Collet Die. It's just the opposite for my 25-06 and larger bottleneck cartridges. I like the Lee system better.

[fguffey]

it does not get dark inside the chamber just because the bolt closes, I want to get all of the use I can out of my investment in a tool, the sizer die will neck size, partial neck size, neck size with partial body support, size a case with a SB, small base-short chamber, size a case .017 thousands under a go-gage or .011+ over a go-gage, but to make it possible the incline plain (threads) must be understood. All of my presses are adjustable and I have confidence in all of them, for heavy work, I do not use a 'springy' press, all this means is I am exempt from making the additional 1/4" (.017 thousands) turn after contact with the ram up.

again, I want to control traveling, if the case can not travel, it can not stretch, and brass flows, brass stretches, and the two events are separate events.

F. Guffey

[fguffey]

there is an advantage to partial neck sizing, the upsized portion of the neck will center the case in the chamber, the upsized portion does not have to be excessive, bullet hold (neck tension) is determined by the amount of the neck that is sized, and I fine the motor mica from MidwayUSA useless.



F. Guffey