Beginning to load .223 soon

[Orange Boy]

I have been loading various pistol cartridges on a RCBS single stage press for awhile now and have obtained very good results. I'd like to begin .223 rifle cartridge hand loading soon. I plan to buy some new brass to start with and shoot it exclusively in a bolt rifle. Being that I will start with new brass (and only shoot in one bolt firearm) is just a neck sizer die OK to start with or should even new brass be full length sized before the initial firing? Then, as I read, even .223 brass shot in one rifle and neck sized will eventually need to be full length sized after a 4-5 reloadings. Is this true and how do you know when exactly to full size?

I just want to get off on the right foot with rifle reloading. I know I'll also need a to buy a trimmer for sure now. Thanks!

 

[rcmodel]

Yes, you will eventually probably have to FL size to alleviate hard bolt-closing after several firings.

Were it me, I'd get a FL die set and adjust it so you are not shoving the shoulder back any further then necessary to get smooth bolt closing with just a hint of drag on the handle.

.223 brass is both cheap & plentiful, so there is no reason to go to extra lengths to extend case life.

I'm getting 1/2" groups with my CZ-527 using FL sized GI surplus brass.
I doubt it would do much better with Nosler premium buck a piece brass.

rc

 

[Clark]

There are many ways to skin a cat, but if I were you, and have many 223 die sets to chose from, I would:
1) get case lube
2) get Lee 223 collet neck die
3) get Forster 223 seater die and full length (FL) die set.
4) send the full length die body back to Forster with $10 to get the neck honed out to .245"
5) Use a Lee decapping die until the honed die returns from Forster.
6) Use Hornady Vmax bullets
7) Never buy a trimmer
8) Never buy an "S" die or any other die that uses a bushing.

 

[Orange Boy]

Thanks for the reply Clark but I have to admit I'm not sure what "honing the neck out to .245" means exactly, and why would I not need a trimmer? I'm here to learn, so if you'd like to explain a bit further...I'm all ears.

 

[Clark]

Factory 223 chambers are .255" neck
Factory 223 dies are .240" neck.

That is .015" of changing the brass, of which only .002" is elastic deformation, the rest is plastic deformation, which causes work hardening and splitting, as well as eccentricity.
That is .013" of trouble.

When we get fancy for no neck turn varmint class accuracy:
So we buy .223 custom chamber reamers with .250" neck.
So we buy .223 custom dies with .245" neck.
That is .005" of change.
Only .003" of trouble.

When benchresters make chambers and dies, the match is within the .002".
That is .000" of work hardening trouble, but lots of other things can go wrong when tolerances are that tight.

 

[Orange Boy]

Thanks Clark for the detailed explanation. Why is the trimmer not needed?

 

[Clark]

If you neck size, you can get 20 firings before they need trimming.

I have ~8,000 pieces of 223 brass and fire ~ 100 per year, so I am done trimming.