Neck Sizing Tip

[mkl]

For those of you who use a full length die to neck size also, this may be of use:

To avoid having to adjust the lock ring each time you change from FL to neck sizing, leave the lock ring set for FL and place a couple of nickels under the lock ring as you tighten the die down. This will give you a "back off" of about .072 inch which works fine with most of the stuff I reload.

Note that one turn on a 14 threads per inch die is .071 inches.

The lock rings on most of my dies are a bear to loosen and reset, and the use of a "shim" under the lock ring makes adjusting for neck sizing much more convenient.

 

[snuffy]

What you are describing is not neck sizing. That's PFLS, Partial Full Length Sizing. Neck sizers actually size the WHOLE neck down to the junction of the neck and shoulder. Your method leaves a portion of the neck unsized. It works quite well in some rifles, others will NOT chamber a round sized in that manner.

 

[mkl]

I do have several neck size dies and use them.

For those that don't have or don't want to invest in a separate die for calibers they reload infrequently, neck sizing with a full length die is possible. Most articles I've read say back the FL die off one to one and a half turns. The nickel backs it off one turn.

In my dies (RCBS and Forster) backing out one to one and one half turns will not reform the case body. Granted the neck is not sized all the way to the sholder, but it still seems to hold the bullet quite well.

I agree that a special purpose neck sizing die is the best choice.

 

[mkl]

Snuffy:

others will NOT chamber a round sized in that manner.

I'm curious as to why that would occur. If someone is neck sizing, we have to assume the cartridge is going back in the same gun that fired it in the first place -- otherwise they would be FL sizing. Seem like if the cartridge came out of the chamber, it would go back in that same chamber.

Do you know what causes it not to re-chamber?

 

[Walkalong]

Probably the expander pulling back out, dragging the neck/shoulder junction forward.

Irregardless, what you decribed is partial full length sizing, however similar to plain old neck sizing.

 

[langenc]

As Walkalong said-stretched neck. Prevention is with a inside neck luber. I had that problem but no more. The RCBS tech support helped me psych it out. Actually it was the lady that answered the 800 #-I think many of them reload.

 

[snuffy]

Do you know what causes it not to re-chamber?

The die in question was a Hornady universal neck sizer for most 7mm cases. The caliber is rem. 280. The brass was fired in the same rifle, a Ruger m77. As to why, I never did figure it out. It wasn't the expander ball, I always lube the inside of every case with a nylon case neck brush rolled on a lube pad, then pass in and out of each neck. I just went back to the RCBS fl die, it straightened that brass out so it could be loaded. The shoulder had a kind of rounded shape to it.