Noob question..

[Duanebg]

Ok so I've just started re loading. And by just I mean I've loaded 50 rounds of .22 hornet and have yet to fire any. So I just put together my dies for my 303 Brit. On the first shell (and all since) I notice an increase in force required on the up swing of the arm on my rock chucked. I'm assuming it's the expander decamping unit as the case is pulled down over it but because it's so much more force then the 22 hornet I just want to make sure I'm not messing up. The cases look fine. They are once fired brass that are from store bought federal rounds. And I guess my second question is they are .001 longer then the max case length of 2.222" provided in the speers manual. I know I have to resize, but is it common after the first sizing on once fired brass? Again I ask because I didn't have to with the 22 hornet. Is this just how it goes with larger calibers? I have a rock chucked and rcbs dies.

Any help would be great, thanks

 

[ice2152]

Are you lubeing the dies and cases?

 

[Duanebg]

Yes I am. I'm not sure if I'm just being over sensitive as I'm new, but the force needed is noticeably greater.

 

[litledab]

Are you reloading brass you fired from and enfield for an enfield Just checking because enfield will stretch cases

 

[captainmike]

did you also lube the inside of the neck with a Q-tip? and which lube do you use
personally I find the imperial wax from Redding works best with just a thin film

 

[Duanebg]

Yes, sorry should have mentioned that. I fired the store bought rounds through my enfield. But they are stretched after the decapping/expanding. They go form 2.216 to 2.223 after I run them through the press.

 

[Duanebg]

Inside the neck of the case? No I'm not...

 

[litledab]

reloading once fired brass from an enfield is a different The enfield will allow the brass to strength if you full length size the brass you put it back to saami spec then fire it again the web of the cartridge will start to weaken and you will get case separation it is suggested to neck size brass only

lots of posts on this on the web

 

[Duanebg]

Litledab, are you saying most don't size to length? And thanks I'll search deeper for 303 specific stuff.

 

[litledab]

They will size to lenght if you use a fl die and trim but you don't want them back to saami spec the length from shoulder will be longer than saami spec and the neck length a little shorter if you just neck size and trim to 2.212

You can use a lee collet die or set your full length die so the die does not touch the shoulder

/w w w.303british.com/id28.html

 

[jsquig]

Litledab, are you saying most don't size to length? And thanks I'll search deeper for 303 specific stuff.

I think what is meant here is that they are neck sized, and then trimmed to length.

 

[Ganderite]

iF THE 303 BRASS WAS FIRED IN YOUR RIFLE, YOU SHOULD not full length size it. Just size the neck. You can do this with the FL die, by backing it out a two turns.

The increased effort on the up stroke is the expander die stretching the brass. If you switch to a Lee collet neck sizer/decapper die, stretching will stop. or, smear a little lube across the mouth of the case.

 

[Duanebg]

thanks guys, lubing neck now and that works for the force issue, and backing off my FL die. thanks for the help.