stupid reloading question of the week: do I need a regular sizing die for bolt action

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1KPerDay

1KPerDay

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Hi,
I recently aquired a Czech VZ.24 mauser, 8mm. I will have to reload for it. I have purchased some Prvi ammo to begin with. Do I need the ability to bump the shoulder back at all? Or will Lee collet sizing dies be sufficient if I only load for this rifle? I assume the case still grows a little with each firing, right?

Or does the Lee collet sizer have the ability to bump the shoulder back?

Thanks for your patience. I'm still pretty inexperienced with rifle reloading... I've only done a few hundred .30-06 so far and results have not been particularly good.
 
"does the Lee collet sizer have the ability to bump the shoulder back?"

No. I know of no neck sizer that contacts the shoulder, by definition a neck die works the neck.

If you're just getting started, get Lee's Delux Die Set and you'll have both an FL die and the best neck die available for standard SAAMI chambers. Virgin fired cases are always a tad smaller in every dimension than the chamber due to springback so there's no reason to 'bump' shoulders after the first firing at all, just duplicate the longest fired head-to-shoulder length and all will be well.
 
I have .223 cases that have been reloaded 70 + times now and only neck sized. Then still freely chamber in the bolt action rifle they are reloaded for. Granted they may need to be "bumped" sometime in the future, but have not needed it at this point.
 
The average bolt rifle will need to be FL sized sooner or later. There is a Forster bushing bump neck die that moves the shoulder back, but may not be available for all calibers.
 
I'm glad you asked the question. I'm getting the deluxe die set to be able to do both or use range brass if I ever find any (.308 never seems to get left behind :( ). I would suspect the hotter and faster you load (higher pressures) the more likely you may have to FL size but this is just my own thinking. I'm hoping to start reloading myself soon too.
 
ranger335v said:
If you're just getting started, get Lee's Delux Die Set and you'll have both an FL die and the best neck die available
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That was my original plan (I have the deluxe sets in my other rifle calibers) but from what I've seen Lee doesn't offer the Deluxe kit in 8x57 Mauser. :(
 
For a surplus rifle it's unlikely that a more sophisticted or better marketed die set will make any improvements over the most basic 2 die sey you can buy, FL sizer and seater.
 
From what I've read, if loading for a single bolt action, brass lasts much longer if you neck size rather than FL sizing every time. That's my only concern. 8mm brass is kinda pricey.
 
brass lasts much longer if you neck size rather than FL sizing every time.
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If you full length size to the very minimum with a bushing die, it is a toss up in my opinion. I get plenty of reloadings with expander plug FL dies for that matter, as long as I size to a minimum. If your load isn't hot enough that it is loosening the primer pockets after awhile, and you anneal the necks from time to time, brass life can be quite long unless you are pushing the shoulder back too much.
 
If you acquire previously fired brass, you need to FL size it, then make sure it's not too long, before you load it for your bolt-action rifle.

For subsequent reloadings for the same rifle you can neck size.
 
"From what I've read, if loading for a single bolt action, brass lasts much longer if you neck size rather than FL sizing every time."

Yeah, we read a lot of such nonsense on the web. Fact is, most properly sized cases die due to neck splits and common neck dies work necks just as hard as FL dies do.
 
I guess I was thinking that FL resizing would have some effect on wear at the web. But I guess that doesn't really make sense, as long (as has been said) as you're not bumping the shoulder back too far.
 
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