is my sizing die adjusted correctly?

[VrockTDSaz]

I am resizing with a Hornady full length sizer.* I* marked on the brass as far down as I can get the resizing died to go.* While sizing and the ram is all the way up; the shell holder is touching the die. This is when the brass is in the sizing die, so I think I am accounting for cam over.

 

[MEHavey]

1. Are you setting the die 1/8th turn past the point where it touches the ram?
2. What lube are you using?

 

[hentown]

Get a Wilson case gage. Also, the OP doesn't seem to understand the meaning of "camming over."

 

[Poper]

Get a Wilson case gage.

Or a RCBS Precision Mic.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_T7gteAlkc)
Great tool!

Poper

 

[VrockTDSaz]

1. Are you setting the die 1/8th turn past the point where it touches the ram?
2. What lube are you using?

1. Yes. In fact, in order to get the shell holder to touch the die when sizing a case, I had to turn the die in a little more. When I run the case into the die the shell holder touches the die.

2. Lube is One Shot

3. Case gauge is on the way.

4. I thought cam over was when the ram would touch the die when a case wasn't being sized, but when you actually ran a case up into the die, there was a gap. So, I turned my die down until it touched the ram with a case in the die. Do i need to go 1/8 turn after that?

 

[VrockTDSaz]

This is what it looks like

 

[rcmodel]

It's too dark behind your shell holder to see if there is a crack of light showing through the die / shell holder gap to tell if you are in full contact or not.

Anyway, it doesn't matter anyway.

Your ultimate goal should be to adjust the sizing die so your rifles bolt will just barely close on a sized case.

That could be before cam-over, or after cam-over.
Or somewhere in between.

rc

 

[ranger335v]

Vrock, all we can tell you is it looks normal. But looks isn't the question; how it actually fits your chamber is!

There is no simplistic formula like "1/8 turn" or "cam over" that means anything either, there are too many variables in our chamber, die, shell holder and presses for rote die adjustments to be anything but beginner level help.

Try to chamber your already sized case and close the bolt on it. If it's hard to close you need to turn the die down a small amount, and I do mean small, like 1/16 (about .0045") turn. Size and check again; continue until the bolt closes with little apperant handle drag. The full min:max headspace tolerance for bottle neck cartridges is usually .007". A 1/8th turn changes a die .009" so keep your adjustments small or you will over shoot the goal! Do this correctly and you really won't need any so called case "head space" gage. (Headspace is in the chamber and we can't do anything about it, all we can do is try to make ammo that actually fits.)

If the bolt closes on your sized case easily the first time you've already gone too far. Back your sizer OUT/up a quarter turn, take another fired case , size it and start chamber testing again, continuing as above until your test sized case fits the chamber with minimum slack. Secure the die lock ring there and size the rest of your cases - but try sizing and chambering several more tho, you may need to refine the adjustment.

All "cam over" means is the lever and toggle block has pushed - cammed - the ram a bit 'over' fully up and started back down; it doesn't matter if anything is in the press or not.

 

[James2]

When the shell holder kisses the die, that is full length sizing. You can't go any more than that.

Cam over has to do with the linkage on the ram. It is a little over full up. As you move the handle the ram goes up. When you hit full up, the handle will move a bit more and the linkage cams over and the ram actually moves down a bit, then something will hit the stop and that is as far as the handle will go.

Cam over has nothing to do with whether the shell holder hits the die or not.

 

[James2]

As your press nears cam over that is the place where the mechanical advantage is the greatest. I like to adjust the die so that the shell holder touches the die just before cam over. The press doesn't actually cam over but I get that mechanical advantage for the last bit of of movement of the brass into the die.

 

[witchhunter]

You don't always want to "cam over." Listen to RC, the correct way to adjust your die is to load an empty, fired case in your rifle and adjust your die so that the bolt just closes on it. This will eliminate excessive headspace in your reloaded rounds.

 

[James2]

If your brass has all been fired in the rifle it will be used in again, it is possible many times to leave a bit of space between the die and the shell holder to lengthen the life of the brass and adjust the head space to a minimum. When you do leave a space, the ram will cam over.

 

[Weber]

Do you have a case gauge?

 

[243winxb]

So, I turned my die down until it touched the ram with a case in the die. Do i need to go 1/8 turn after that?

Maybe, depends on the make of the press. Hornady's should cam over to remove any slop in the linkage or from a loose bushing. Measuring head to datum with a gage is the only way to know.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Ask the gun. Will cases sized in this die freely enter the chamber of your rifle? If you have more than one rifle chambered for this cartridge, will it freely enter all chambers?

If the answer is "yes" you have no problem.

What's happening here is the die is sizing down to the webb -- the unsized portion of the case is solid brass and should show very little expansion with any safe load, so it doesn't need sizing.

 

[VrockTDSaz]

That's a lot of good advise. I never thought in terms of just sizing enough to get it to chamber. This batch is bulk ammo that I need to run in three different chambers: Bushmaster, S&W and Bravo Co.

When I start loading rounds specific to my SPR I will try to size specific for one rifle.

For now I guess I'll make a few dummy round and make sure they chamber in all 3. Is it a good idea to experiment and size a couple to a few different lengths, make dummy rounds and see if that chambers?

I'm using a Lee Challenger just to get the round figured out. Production will be on an LnL AP

 

[rcmodel]

It's a good idea to buy an L.E. Wilson case gage and use it to set your die.

If it fits the gage, it is SAAMI spec ammo and will fit all three rifles.

http://www.lewilson.com/casegage.html

rc

 

[VrockTDSaz]

RC thanks, I have one on the way. Should be here soon.

 

[fguffey]

Verify, you want to know if the case was sized when the ram was raised? The deck height of the shell holder is .125”, if the case is returned to minimum length/full length sized there will be a case head protrusion of .125” from the die.

Verify, rotate the shell holder until it can be removed from the ram and case at the same time before lowering the ram, after removing the shell holder remove the die from the press then measure the protruding case head, the case head protrusion form the die should be .125” if the case was restored to minimum length.

I have 4 RCBS Rock Chuckers, none of them cam over, I can modify the Rock Chucker to cam over but, that would defeat the design. A few years ago on YouTube a video was made at a Cabels of a Rock Chucker being put through its paces. To the dismay of the person making the video he observed the ram of the press tilt forward at the top, there was no die in the press, there was no case in the shell holder, the press was in the idle configuration. My Rock Chuckers do not cam over, I have 7 Herters, all of my Herters cam over, there is a reason my Herters cam over.

Technique, adjusting the Rock Chucker for full length sizing is different than adjusting the RCBS A 2 press, the A2 is a cam over press.

F. Guffey

 

[Laphroaig]

Apparently different people have different definitions of "camming over". Mine is adjusting your die so that the shell holder puts some pressure on the bottom of the die on the upstroke. This will give you the maximum amount of sizing that your die has to offer.

As many posters have alluded to, it is not always required to get a case to fit your chamber. I need to do it for 7.5 x 55 to get them to fit in my K31's, and also do it lightly for 30-06 which I load for a multitude of rifles. Otherwise, not so much.

Laphroaig

 

[Scimmia]

Apparently different people have different definitions of "camming over". Mine is adjusting your die so that the shell holder puts some pressure on the bottom of the die on the upstroke.

That has nothing to do with camming over. Camming over is when you go past the top most travel of the ram and it comes back down slightly at the end of the stroke. Think of what a cam lobe looks like.

I'm using a Lee Challenger just to get the round figured out. Production will be on an LnL AP

Lee presses do not cam over.

 

[fguffey]

Scimmia, I have RCBS instructions/dierections from the very early 60s and late 50s, they describe bump as a function of the press, they also destiongish between cam over presses and presses that do not cam over as in the press that does not cam over does not bump.

F. Guffey

 

[Maj Dad]

Multiple Rifles

I didn't notice if anyone mentioned (and you may know already) that reloading for semi-autos sometimes requires a small-base sizing die, but none of mine do. But - loading one caliber for multiple rifles, you will have to size for the one with the tightest headspace. I would try a standard full-length sizer, and if they all function, you're set. If not, you may have to go to a small base die, otherwise you're setting yourself up for possible failures to feed by trying to size to minimum dimensions.