Brass sizing question
- Thread starter blargon
- Start date
Chaambers are likely different from gun to gun. Some might fit with neck sizing only. Better to keep the brass from each rifle seperate, if you're going to neck-size.
You could try to chamber each peice in the rifle you will shoot it in before you reload it, but if you are going to go through that much trouble, why not full-length resize it and start fresh? Then keep it seperate and neck size from that point on.
You could try to chamber each peice in the rifle you will shoot it in before you reload it, but if you are going to go through that much trouble, why not full-length resize it and start fresh? Then keep it seperate and neck size from that point on.
Here's another option to reduce unnecessary working of the brass:
1. Fire a cartridge out of each rifle.
2. Test loading the fired casings in each chamber to find which casing fits the tightest and is therefore fired from the largest chamber.
3. Use a full length sizing die and screw it down to touch the shell holder with the press ram in the up position, then unscrew it a half turn and lock it.
4. Size the largest casing in the die that is setup as above.
5. Test the sized casing in each chamber.
6. If the sized casing does not fit in all three chambers and allow the bolt to close easily, turn down the die very slightly and repeat steps 4 - 6 until it does.
You should end up with a die setting that sizes casings to the minimum shoulder setback that will still fit all 3 of your rifles.
If anyone has any corrections or safety concerns with what I have written above, please post them.
1. Fire a cartridge out of each rifle.
2. Test loading the fired casings in each chamber to find which casing fits the tightest and is therefore fired from the largest chamber.
3. Use a full length sizing die and screw it down to touch the shell holder with the press ram in the up position, then unscrew it a half turn and lock it.
4. Size the largest casing in the die that is setup as above.
5. Test the sized casing in each chamber.
6. If the sized casing does not fit in all three chambers and allow the bolt to close easily, turn down the die very slightly and repeat steps 4 - 6 until it does.
You should end up with a die setting that sizes casings to the minimum shoulder setback that will still fit all 3 of your rifles.
If anyone has any corrections or safety concerns with what I have written above, please post them.
It depends what you are going to use the ammo for. for target accuracy, you must segregate and neck size your brass. "in-the-middle" sizing is fine for stuff that you are going to bang off at the range or at tin cans. For hunting, I full length size everything, rather than risk a malfunction with this winter's meat headed for the tall timber.
Do not full length size them. Size them only enough to fit in your gun. There is never an advantage in FLS unless they are being used in a semi auto. You might even get away with neck sizing only if the gun they were originally shot in had a tighter chamber than yours.
If they were all different lots, this is counter productive, anyone looking to get top accuracy and reliable performance from any gun/caliber should take a different route in their handloading practices.
bigbull
If they were all different lots, this is counter productive, anyone looking to get top accuracy and reliable performance from any gun/caliber should take a different route in their handloading practices.
bigbull
sunray said:
This is not accurate information, all guns/chambers are different, the guns that fired these rounds can have a smaller chamber than yours. In the interest of maintaining good case life the normal reloading practice of resize only as much as is required takes precedence, reliability is guaranteed and the need to bounce your die off the shelholder is not required.
bigbull
I would full length resize because 1: they come from different rifles and 2: I assume that you're going to use them in a hunting rig as opposed to a target rifle. If your'e not sure of the source ie: how many times they've been fired, I'd check them over real well after tumbling.
