Anyone neck-size their rifle brass?

[mkl]

To kenjs1:

You might want to start a new thread with this one.

Your question is not clear, however. Are you attempting to neck size a 270 using a 6mm die? If so, it ain't gonna work.

 

[kenjs1]

I went and reviewed the video link at Lee and will reseat the die as shown. I am not necking down. Using once fired 6mm brass and ran into a problem where the neck is being scrolled and crushed into rolled shoulders. It looks just like the picture in the instructions of a messed up cartridge. If I unscrew the die a little that problem disappears but I feel the adjustment is too minute between success and failure so that something else is amiss. Should the cap be screwed on completely tight?

 

[mkl]

Assuming you are using the correct die set for the cartridge, I can only think of two causes for the really crushed neck and case during a neck sizing operation.

1) You are using the bullet seating die instead of the resizing die, and the bullet seating stem is screwed down so far it crushes the case.

2) You are using the correct die, but the wrong expander ball. Measure the diameter of the expander ball. Is it around .240 inches?

That's all I can think of at the moment.

 

[Ol` Joe]

I take it you have their collet sizer? If so disassemble the die and make sure there are no burrs or metal shavings from manufacture left in the working parts. Lube it very lightly with a grease, I use Shooters choice red gun grease but that`s because I have it on hand for my rifles. Any grease will do, even vasaline. If the collet body and tapered ring hang up the result will be a crushed case as you discribe. Reassemble the die and screw it down until it contacts the shellholder on a raised ram.

Now is the tricky part. I add a 1/2 turn to mine and apply pressure by "feel" to size my brass. Too much pressure though will pop the top cap off the die ruining it, so go lightly if you try this until you get the feel for it. The presses that "cam over" such as the Rockchucker can have the die screwed in ~ 1/8 turn at a time and letting the press cam over when sizeing, adjust in small increments until the brass is sized.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

If you want to save yourself the price of a necksizing die, you can make yourself a spacer out of a large washer that has a hole just large enough for your F/L sizing die to fit in and file down to 16th of an inch thick. Put it between your die and press and you have both a neck-sizer and F/L sizer in one.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

For bolt guns I'm starting to wonder why bother full-length sizing. Seems neck sizing gives longer case life, easier reloading operation, and maybe better accuracy too.

I've picked up tons of once-fired brass at ranges. I full-length resize and trim this brass, and then necksize from then on.