resizing question

[B.W.]

So I've been neck sizing only my 223 brass with a lee collet neck die with much better results than I had fl sizing them with my rcbs die. I now need to bump the shoulder. I wanted to ask some of you more experienced guys if my process would be the way to go with the dies I have. I was going to remove the expander ball in my rcbs fl die and bump the shoulder .002 and then neck size them in the collet die. Do you think this would produce more consistent results than just useing the fl die. I''ll be shooting these in a bolt action, target shooting out to 600 yards

 

[Jim Watson]

If you size them in a standard die without expander ball, the necks will be undersize.
The Lee Collet would not do much other than expand the necks over its mandrel. Would that be more precise? I don't know.

Unless you wish to buy a dedicated bump die, just FL size them in the regular die, load, and shoot.

 

[USSR]

I was going to remove the expander ball in my rcbs fl die and bump the shoulder .002 and then neck size them in the collet die. Do you think this would produce more consistent results than just useing the fl die.

You will be sizing your necks WAY down by using a standard FL die minus the expander ball. So what are you going to do, neck size your necks and somehow make them bigger? If you want to do what you want to do, which is bump the shoulder back and then neck size, get yourself a Redding Body Die.

Don

 

[B.W.]

Ok thanks for the reply. I just had better accuracy using lee die so I thought maybe incorperating the lee into the process would work better. I did try it on a piece of brass. It was pretty stiff going into the collet die but it worked. Id probably be over working the brass though?

 

[gamestalker]

Actually, I understand your reasoning, in that, your trying to retain as much of the fire form as possible. But in my honest opinion, I think the FL die will be counter productive to the fire forming process. The FL die is most definitely going to resize the body, as well as bumping the shoulders, so you may as well just leave the expander in the FL die, thus eliminating the additional step with the neck die. But it sure can't hurt to just give it a try to see if it helps in some manner.

I would measure your head to shoulders datum before and after using the FL die, then again after using the neck die to see what, if anything is changing throughout the entire process.

GS

 

[Walkalong]

Another option is to get a Redding FL bushing style sizer, but since you already have the Lee Collet die, you can just get the Redding Body Die as USSR suggested.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Are those Redding bushing dies really that good? I see them mentioned fairly often but have never seen on in action. Inquiring minds want to know? LOL

 

[John C]

A major source of runout in loaded rounds (as well as wear and tear on the brass) is a conventional sizing die. It vastly oversizes the neck, and then the expander ball pulls it out of whack.

An F-class shooter I know has had luck with bushing dies set to barely size his necks, and a carbide expander ball for lower friction.

Alternately, get a redding body die to bump the shoulder back, and then collet size.

You capfuls also hone out the neck of your current die so that it just barely sizes your brass, and use your current expander ball or your collet die.

 

[USSR]

Are those Redding bushing dies really that good? I see them mentioned fairly often but have never seen on in action. Inquiring minds want to know? LOL

AACD,

I use them exclusively for the 3 bottleneck rifle cartridges I load for; .308, .30-06, and 6.5x55. While there are FL sizing dies that use bushings, I use the Competition Die Sets that contain a body die and bushing neck sizing die. Essentially using both of these results in FL resizing in two separate and distinct operations. With bushing dies your necks are worked less because you are simply reducing them to exactly the diameter you want, not reducing them below what you want and then bringing them up to whatever size your expander ball is. Also, your necks are straighter, not being pulled out of alignment by that nasty expander ball. Now, you will hear guys say "bushing dies are only for neck turned brass", but this is simply not true. All the guys I shot with in LR competition used them, and I can't think of a one who turned their necks.

Don

 

[ArchAngelCD]

AACD,

I use them exclusively for the 3 bottleneck rifle cartridges I load for; .308, .30-06, and 6.5x55. While there are FL sizing dies that use bushings, I use the Competition Die Sets that contain a body die and bushing neck sizing die. Essentially using both of these results in FL resizing in two separate and distinct operations. With bushing dies your necks are worked less because you are simply reducing them to exactly the diameter you want, not reducing them below what you want and then bringing them up to whatever size your expander ball is. Also, your necks are straighter, not being pulled out of alignment by that nasty expander ball. Now, you will hear guys say "bushing dies are only for neck turned brass", but this is simply not true. All the guys I shot with in LR competition used them, and I can't think of a one who turned their necks.

Don

That is a good explanation Don, thank you...