Full length VS neck sizing

[Captain FU]

Hello all,

I have a question about sizing. I am shooting a rem 700 in .243

Once fired brass(out of this gun), run through the neck sizer shows that the diameter directly behind the shoulder is .010 larger than new brass or factory loads.

The brass will chamber, but it puts up a small fight rotating the bolt.

Does the neck sizer touch this area, or is it neck only?

Your ideas?

Thanks for all your shared knowledge!

 

[USSR]

Neck Sizing die only touches the neck. Would suggest you get a Redding Body die to go with your neck sizing die. At some point you will need to bump the shoulder back anyways.

Don

 

[Walkalong]

Yep.

 

[Captain FU]

I guess what I don't understand is how can brass that has been fire formed to a chamber then be too large to put back into that same chamber.

 

[243winxb]

Possible out of round chamber. Are you lubing the inside of the necks? What brand of dies?

 

[ranger335v]

You are jamming your cases too far into the neck die. Back the die up a half turn. Or more.

 

[Randy1911]

I have a Rem 700 and just recently started neck sizing the brass. The instructions for the die said to screw the die in until it touuches the shellholder. When I rechamber the brass that has been neck sized only, it chambers just as easy as factory brass. My dies are RCBS. I would think yours should chamber just as easy. If it don't, you may have other problems. What brand of dies do you have? How do they chamber before neck sizing but after firing?

 

[Captain FU]

Dies are all RCBS

Thanks for all your help.

 

[Walkalong]

I guess what I don't understand is how can brass that has been fire formed to a chamber then be too large to put back into that same chamber.

It isn't at first, but as it get hammered in the chamber over and over under high pressure it starts getting work hardened and tight. The body and or the shoulder will have to be sized down and or pushed back a hair.

In my Bench gun I used a sizer cut with the finishing reamer. It was also cut to accept neck bushings. I was basically full length sizing the body/shoulder ever so slightly every time and controlling the amount of neck sizing with a bushing.

When I first started I used a Niel Jones sizer with neck bushings and a hand press (arbor), but it was hard to keep the brass from getting tough to chamber after awhile when running hot loads. It was fine with lighter loads. I still used the NJ hand die and arbor press to seat bullets.

If it was me, I would use the body die to slightly size the case every time and a bushing style neck die to size the neck. If I wanted to get fancier than that for a standard chamber I would get a smith to cut a full length sizer to accept bushings, and use it. I would just set it up to bump the shoulder back .001 to .003. If I wanted to get froggier than that, I would get a custom barrel and get the smith to cut a sizer that uses bushings with the finishing reamer.

 

[243winxb]

My testing with RCBS standard dies showed that FL sizing makes more accurate ammo then neck sizing. Both use an expander buttton, so case life is not longer IMO. I now use a Redding Type S FL sizing bushing die . Plus i control the shoulder bump when sizing. But for a factory gun, i now feel the best choice is a FL die custom fitted to your fired brass. Both RCBS & Redding, maybe others do this. Here is a good read for you. http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=11470/guntechdetail/Gauging_Success___Minimum_Headspace_and_Maximum_COL

 

[USSR]

I have been using a Redding bushing necksizing die in conjunction with a Redding body die for years now. I am essentially FL resizing in 2 distinct operations, and there is no expander ball to mess with my straight necks.

Don

 

[JimKirk]

I have had good luck partial FL sizing. That is full length sizing but controlling the amount of shoulder set back. It is simple, just adjust the die up/down from the shell holder so that there is a very slight resistance of the bolt when closing. Works well for me, as I have long case life and good groups.

Jimmy K

 

[Walkalong]

I have had good luck partial FL sizing.

In standard chambers that is all I have been doing.

 

[Slamfire]

I guess what I don't understand is how can brass that has been fire formed to a chamber then be too large to put back into that same chamber.

Because brass is operating at stresses above its yeild strength, but the steel action is still in the elastic region.

 

[ranger335v]

"I guess what I don't understand is how can brass that has been fire formed to a chamber then be too large to put back into that same chamber."

Some neck dies are simply cut a bit short. Neck dies don't have any support for a case so if the shoulder of the case bumps the shoulder of the die the body of the case below the shoulder will bulge.

It's not rocket surgery, back the die off a bit.