- Location
- Western Manitoba
I have been working with a Shultz and Larsen Model 65 in 7x61 Sharpe and Hart. I had read (perhaps on this site??) that it should be relatively straight forward to form 7x61 brass from 7mm Rem Mag brass. Managed to find a set of Herters Full Length and Seating dies on the EE, bought two batches of "once fired" 7mm Rem Mag brass and thought I was good to go. This first run of 88 is using Remington headstamp brass.
I guess the main thing I learned is that tolerances can actually all stack up against whatever it is one is trying to accomplish.
My regular press is an RCBS "-RS-" that I bought by mail order from S.I.R. in the mid 1970's. I've previously bent the handle trying to torque IVI 7.62 NATO into .243 (yeah, trying a snipe was probably a bad idea, but I was an underground production miner back then...), so was looking for an intermediate step in this sizing. Hit upon the idea to first run all the brass through the bullet seating body, to start the shoulder set back. Then trimmed with a lee precision case trimmer (7x61 S&H is a custom trim gauge ordered from Lee). Then all cases through the full length sizer with the die set to nicely "snap over center" at the top of the stroke. I was happy as can be, until I tried a couple in the rifle - would not chamber!!
Turned out there were actually two areas of concern. With the use of a jiffy marker, I discovered that the resized brass was hanging up in the chamber ahead of the "magnum" headspace ring on the brass. I've read of those "body dies" that resize right up to the front of the ring, but I don't own one. Tried these 7x61 FL sized brass in a couple other dies - they dropped right in to my RCBS 338 Win Mag sizing die body, but stopped at least 1/2" short in my RCBS 458 Win Mag die. Obviously, my 458 Win Mag die is on the tighter side of tolerances and solves the fit in the Schultz and Larsen chamber nicely.
(Edited 11-Dec-2019 to add: I have since bought a Larry Willis Magnum Case Head collect sizing die - I got a "really good deal" on 150 x previously fired Norma 300 Weatherby cases, but not one would chamber in my rifle after Full Length Sizing in an RCBS die. The Larry Willis die has a "drop in gauge" on top, and every one was too fat just forward of the belt - resized and salvaged them all, so that die paid for itself on that batch of brass)
This lead to the second area of concern - now the interference was on the shoulder face of the Full Length sized brass. Repeated the FL sizing to no avail. Stewed on it for a bit, and realized that I could get the case body higher into the FL die by sliding a feeler gauge under the case head in the RCBS shell holder. .003 did not work, but .005 has the brass chambering slickly. So, the Herters die was made to work with a shell holder that is thinner than my RCBS shell holders. We are now ready to load up some 154 Hornady SP and see what this one can do!
Thought I would share with those that might be trying to do this sort of thing with "whats on hand".
I guess the main thing I learned is that tolerances can actually all stack up against whatever it is one is trying to accomplish.
My regular press is an RCBS "-RS-" that I bought by mail order from S.I.R. in the mid 1970's. I've previously bent the handle trying to torque IVI 7.62 NATO into .243 (yeah, trying a snipe was probably a bad idea, but I was an underground production miner back then...), so was looking for an intermediate step in this sizing. Hit upon the idea to first run all the brass through the bullet seating body, to start the shoulder set back. Then trimmed with a lee precision case trimmer (7x61 S&H is a custom trim gauge ordered from Lee). Then all cases through the full length sizer with the die set to nicely "snap over center" at the top of the stroke. I was happy as can be, until I tried a couple in the rifle - would not chamber!!
Turned out there were actually two areas of concern. With the use of a jiffy marker, I discovered that the resized brass was hanging up in the chamber ahead of the "magnum" headspace ring on the brass. I've read of those "body dies" that resize right up to the front of the ring, but I don't own one. Tried these 7x61 FL sized brass in a couple other dies - they dropped right in to my RCBS 338 Win Mag sizing die body, but stopped at least 1/2" short in my RCBS 458 Win Mag die. Obviously, my 458 Win Mag die is on the tighter side of tolerances and solves the fit in the Schultz and Larsen chamber nicely.
(Edited 11-Dec-2019 to add: I have since bought a Larry Willis Magnum Case Head collect sizing die - I got a "really good deal" on 150 x previously fired Norma 300 Weatherby cases, but not one would chamber in my rifle after Full Length Sizing in an RCBS die. The Larry Willis die has a "drop in gauge" on top, and every one was too fat just forward of the belt - resized and salvaged them all, so that die paid for itself on that batch of brass)
This lead to the second area of concern - now the interference was on the shoulder face of the Full Length sized brass. Repeated the FL sizing to no avail. Stewed on it for a bit, and realized that I could get the case body higher into the FL die by sliding a feeler gauge under the case head in the RCBS shell holder. .003 did not work, but .005 has the brass chambering slickly. So, the Herters die was made to work with a shell holder that is thinner than my RCBS shell holders. We are now ready to load up some 154 Hornady SP and see what this one can do!
Thought I would share with those that might be trying to do this sort of thing with "whats on hand".
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