6.5x55 FL sizing question

M

MailleMas

Regular
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
2   0   0
Location
Swift Current, SK
I just finished FL resizing ~60 once fired PRVI brass. These were purchased a year or 2 ago as loaded 140 g SP. I have 17 that are over the 2.165" trim length. I used various lubes, all to similar effect - I settled on a beeswax and lanolin waterproofing compound (Tana Portage). Weird lube, but it worked extremely smoothly. The brass would usually stretch ~ 0.01" during the sizing operation. Is this normal, and I should just get a collet die or something? I also noticed a lot of the primers were pretty flat while decapping. Any thoughts or advice would be really appreciated. It's nice out, I have a lot of tannerite to shoot, and I had great plans for getting a lot of rounds down the pipe from hunting positions...

Thanks in advance :)
 
i had the same issue with FL my 6.5x55 cases..They were remington cases. Finaly after the 5-8 reload i was having case seperation.. just a heads up. Mine was in an old swedish military rifle. i was told to neck size only.. Switched to good brass(Proper 6.5x55 brass) and neck sized only.. Problem solved. I was told that your brass expands every shot.. trying to bring it down to factory size not your chamber size(old rifles) that brass has to go somewhere... normaly up the neck mouth and in turn loosing from your head. i have not gone over 10 reloads on this brass being neckzied only(Redding Die) with a dry lube and usuly have to only trim every 5 or so reloads. IMR4831 and CCI BR2 primers is my Go TO Powder producing great velocity with 130 and 140gr Sierra Game king bullets.

IM not new to reloading but im not a Veteran either... these are just experiences i have had and what i have learned. As to if im 100% correct about the case stretching im sure someone will chyme in. But the Case head seperation is not fun.. thankfully mine were just cracking and not full seperation. i actully had a faint light ring starting to show on the brass where it was getting week... once i noticed that i just pitched all my brass in that group and went for new.. not worth the risk.

Have Fun and play safe.

Josh
 
Dunk, I have every intention of trimming them, but assumed, like ackertjosh mentioned, the brass has to come from somewhere. It also seemed odd to me to need to trim after the very first firing.

Ackertjosh, I'll keep an eye out for case head seperation, thanks :) I only have IMR4350 and Varget right now, but I'll be looking for more powders in a couple weeks.

Cheers.
 
10 thou seems like a lot. Trim-to for 6.5 Swede is 2.155", but just trim after sizing.
Is the beeswax and lanolin not kind of expensive? Bee anything is expensive here. Corn farmers are killing bees with their chemicals. Two kilos of no-name honey runs $11.
 
Sunray, it would be expensive, but it was just sitting in the closet doing nothing...

As for trimming, I'll have to buy/make a trimmer now, but I will get to them eventually lol
 
Well - If the empty brass chambers in your rifle, then you can get by without trimming. However, sooner or later you will need to trim. If you play this game, you best check every brass that you intend to reload. After trimming, your brass will be about 10 thou undersize, and can go for about 3 or 4 resizings before another trim.
If you want to minimize case stretch, and maximize case life, then don't fully resize - set your die such that it resizes your brass to chamber in your rifle. This requires some experimentation by incrementally adjusting your FL die and testing individual pieces of brass till you get one to chamber with slight interference - then add a bit of margin - say half a flat of the die nut (30 degrees). Keep a note of that die setting for future reference in your load note book.
 
The exaggerated drawing below explains it all, when you full length resize the brass has only one direction to move and that is upward. When full length resizing it is also possible to make the sized case "LONGER" than its fired length.

shouldersetback_zps59bf1b04.jpg


I prefer full length sizing over just neck sizing except with some milsurp rifles that have larger diameter chambers to help prevent case head separations like the .303 British. Meaning most resizing dies are designed for smaller commercial chambers and over resize brass fired in military chambers.

The distance between the red and green dotted lines above is shoulder bump or shoulder setback, and for longer case life this should be kept to .001 or .002 on a bolt action and .003 to .006 on semi-autos.

I always make up a workup load for all my firearms starting at the suggested starting load, this gives me "ball park" pressure information by looking at the primers and measuring for expansion at the base of the case as the load increases. I also have brass OCD and try to take care of my brass to make it last longer, so the vast majority of my loads are "BELOW" maximum and do not stress the brass.
 
Last edited:
porpoise said:
if you dont have a trimmer use a file.
Click to expand...

Do you by chance hang around sunray?

And I'm prepared to live off the grid and do things the old fashion way "BUT" filing is out.

below my backup for my other backup.

Leetrimmer_zpsc2d6c83a.jpg


Files are sharpening hatchets and axes, for cutting wood and hitting zombies between the eyes. (or even sunray)

silhouettezombie_zps0faf3cdd.jpg
 
I'd suggest a collet die. I've been reloading 6.5x55 for 25yrs or so, and it adds a lot to case life. My primer pockets are usually the first thing to go, and it takes a LONG time.
Grouch
 
biged, maybe the poster just didn't go far enough and explain that there are "trim dies" available at very reasonable prices and a file is used to trim the cases???

Trim dies can be very good in some circumstances.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom