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neck-sizing? |
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billyburl2
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: January/08/2009 Location: Cottonwood, AZ Status: Offline Points: 4015 |
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Posted: September/18/2011 at 00:13 |
I am a relative newby to reloading, and I am interested in trying neck-sizing as a way of preserving my brass. The cartridge I am shooting is the .300 WSM, and brass is kind of expensive. Currently I am full-length re sizing every time. I.E. the press is set to cam-over. I have read several articles on partial full-length sizing, and neck-sizing, and was wondering which do y'all prefer?
And if you do prefer neck-sizing, which die do you use?
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If it is tourist season, why can't we shoot them?
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Longhunter
Optics Journeyman Joined: February/02/2006 Status: Offline Points: 466 |
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Neck-sizing for ammunition shot in only one rifle.
Lee collet dies.
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ArtP
Optics GrassHopper Joined: September/04/2011 Status: Offline Points: 26 |
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Usually neck sized ammo fits the chamber a little tighter. Brass that has been fired once in any given chamber is "fire formed", meaning enlarged to fit the chamber almost perfectly. For the this reason it can be more accurate than full-length sizing (not significant), yet it can also be more difficult to chamber. As was mentioned above, Nd's ammo shouldn't be interchanged, because of slight chamber dimension variations in rifles. For any sort of dangerous game, you would want to FL size, and some believe in FL sizing for any hunting just to eliminate any potential feed issues in the field. because a bolt action rifle has very strong camming action when chambering a round (and extracting), it is the only action you would want to NS for (single shot okay too).
I use Lee collet dies to neck size. They are a little unique in the way they size; they squeeze the neck around a mandrel and require NO LUBE (I hate lubing). This method works the brass even less, are among the cheapest dies on the market and, IMO, without going to a very expensive competition die, do a superior job.
I have bought Lee 3 die sets; NS, FL and bullet seater. I'm very happy considering a paid around $25-30 per set. I wouldn't mind having a better seating die though.
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Black n Tan
Optics GrassHopper Joined: January/21/2009 Location: WI Status: Offline Points: 18 |
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I neck size using the Lee Collet die. Works great, havnt measured run-out, but my ammo is very accurate. I believe Lee recommends you size your case 2x, turning the case 180 degrees on the second pass.
At one time I did try using my FL dies to partial resize. I guess it worked, just wasnt a real fan of it. I just backed off the die so it didnt squeeze all the way down the case. From memory I am thinking it was 2 full turns. I FL size with Forester or RCBS, but neck zise with the Lee Collet. The Hornady Loc rings are the way to go IMO. |
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tjtjwdad
Optics Journeyman Joined: December/11/2007 Status: Offline Points: 365 |
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Advantages: -Helps prevent over working the brass.
-Helps prevent brass stretching caused by full length sizing which ultimately reduces triming and re-chamfering the case mouth.
Disadvantages:
-Only for one specific rifle.
-No good for auto loaders.
Even with neck sizing, ultimately the shoulder will have to be set back. This can be done with a FL sizing die, a FL neck sizing die or a shoulder die (aka "bump" or "body" die).
May have missed a few...
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Longhunter
Optics Journeyman Joined: February/02/2006 Status: Offline Points: 466 |
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Contrary to popular opinion, neck sizing can work very well in at least some semi-auto and pump rifles. I have used it exclusively in a Remington 742 semi-auto, and in a Remington 7600 pump rifle (both in .30-06). I used brass that had only been fired in the specific rifle for which I was reloading, and have never had a problem.
There are a lot of misconceptions out there in the shooting world, and this might be one of them.
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trigger29
Optics Master Extraordinaire X = 180 Y = 90 (X+Pyro)+(Y-Pyro) = ? Joined: September/29/2007 Location: South Dakota Status: Offline Points: 4353 |
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I'm not a firm believer in neck sizing alone. I'm also not a firm believer in full length resizing.
I'm afraid with neck sizing alone, if the case fits tight in the chamber, and you can feel it when you close the bolt, any ammo that you loaded without runout, probably has some now. My current set up is to size just the case body with a Redding body die, (which doesn't touch the neck) and then neck size with a Lee collet neck sizer die. I set the body die to just bump the shoulder back .001-.002", and do this everytime, so things are consistant from one loading to the next.
This has worked for me so far, but keep in mind, I'm new to this as well, and by no means an expert.
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dsr
Optics Apprentice Joined: May/31/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 244 |
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For a hunting rifle I would recommend annealing
the brass. Brass gets hardened from
being worked and annealing should allow longer brass life. |
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jonoMT
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: November/13/2008 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 4853 |
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I've had the best luck doing a partial-FL resize using Redding Type-S dies without the expander ball. You need to choose the bushing ring size that will give you the desired results. In other words, the bushing diameter controls the neck tension. I chose to go with a bushing that would reduce the neck size more because I wanted a little extra tension. I don't want bullets changing their seating depth in the field. I set the die to partial-FL .002".
Why partial-FL? Neck sizing only doesn't counteract brass flow in the rest of the cartridge. That's especially important in the shoulder area of the cartridge because most centerfire cartridges headspace off the shoulder (an exception being belted cartridges). If you get brass flow there then you will run into problems like trigger29 mentioned. Think of partial-FL as neck-sizing with a little extra bump to the shoulder area. Done only a couple thousandths, it won't undo the fire-sizing much and it won't work the brass like FL-resizing does. Yes, with anything other than FL-resizing you'll limit the brass to that one rifle but that's alright if one of your goals is to tailor a cartridge and load to a particular rifle for the best accuracy. I maintain a two-box system for each rifle's brass so they don't get mixed with brass for another rifle in the same chambering. One is marked dirty (fire X) and the other clean (X) where X is the number of times the entire lot of brass has been through that rifle. I do that to keep track of it so that after 5 firings the brass will all be annealed to overcome work-hardening from firing and reloading. |
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Reaction time is a factor...
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supertool73
Optics God Superstool Joined: January/03/2008 Status: Offline Points: 11814 |
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I use a full length hornady bushing die for my .308. It also is capable of bumping back the shoulder where most bushing dies do not do that.
In my case I have to full length resize as my chamber is so tight I cannot shoot neck sized only brass. |
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sakomato
Optics Master Joined: February/28/2008 Location: Houston Status: Offline Points: 1166 |
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Another proponent of the Lee Collet Neck Sizer for the neck and the Redding Body Die when you need to push the shoulder back. If you neck size only the case will develop a crush fit by the 3rd or 4th firing and that is when you need to bump the shoulder back but only a minimum amount like .001". If you push the shoulder back too far everytime you will increase your odds of getting a case head separation and reduce the life of your brass by thinning at the pressure ring.
Now with the 300 WSM you may get a crush fit sooner than that because of the low body taper and the high pressure of most of the factory loads. If so then you will not be able to neck size only because you will get a crush fit sooner than normal cases like the 30-06.
My recommendation is to get a Lee Collet neck sizer and a Redding Body Die and then you will be able to neck size when wanted or size the case body and push the shoulder back when needed.
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tjtjwdad
Optics Journeyman Joined: December/11/2007 Status: Offline Points: 365 |
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Longhunter
Optics Journeyman Joined: February/02/2006 Status: Offline Points: 466 |
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[QUOTE=tjtjwdad
Never heard of neck sizing working consistently in a gas gun. [QUOTE]
You have now!
YMMV depending upon what you are shooting, and your own reloading practices.
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tjtjwdad
Optics Journeyman Joined: December/11/2007 Status: Offline Points: 365 |
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You're right..."heard". Good luck to ya" |
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Alan Robertson
Optics Master Joined: October/31/2009 Location: Oklahoma Status: Offline Points: 1763 |
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When you have it all cinched down and adjusted in the press, tighten the Hornady lock ring and you'll have the best of both worlds. Some people believe locrings w/a rubber o- ring keeps the die aligned straighter in the press. |
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