Sizing 30-06 brass

[karnaaj]

This is a new caliber for me and decided to give RCBS dies a try (have been using Lee and Hornady). I have the sizing die adjusted according to instructions on my Hornady LnL AP and I am having to use way too much force to get the die all the way down. It gets to about 1/2" from the base fairly easily but that last 1.2" is a bear. I normally use Hornady One Shot as a lube but I also tried Imperial Sizing Wax with the same results. Any ideas what might be happening? Thanks.

 

[33rowdy]

Not sure what your "way too much force" is to you but it is tough with my Redding Die and Rock Chucker. I myself use Lyman spray lube. If you have a neck sizer you can use that 1st then use your full length die. It will help.

 

[Chawbaccer]

Try with out the sizing stem, is it easier then? How about the dies, no chance they are small base dies? Did you clean the dies? If they are defective, RCBS will replace them no charge.

 

[USSR]

Sounds like you are either dealing with a small base die, or brass fired in an autoloader, or both.

Don

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

ditto #3.

 

[jaimeshawn3]

I like the Lee lube - and when I first start I like to leave a white film all over and then size part way down and check the wipe pattern on the case.

If it is a smallbase die or the cases are bulged or bent from an autoloader, you will see the wipe pattern clear down the case early, normally you should be able to neck size with almost no effort and see the wipe pattern for that w/o much of anything happening to the case until the last 0.030" of the neck.... Then the cases will start to full length size.

Chawbaccer has a good point that if for some reason your depriming pin is set way too long or the brass is Berdan, it's not going to work.

 

[CU74]

My guess is something is wrong with the die.

I don't understand the "..brass fired in an autoloader.." comments. I use Lee dies in a Lee single-stage press and Imperial Sizing Wax to full-length resize .30-06 from my Garands and FN-49. I have had only one problem - the one time I got a Berdan-primed case mixed in with my brass.