I just set up my press tonight for the first time , and decided I'd resize some 30-06 brass. After lubing some cases up I started resizing a few. I noticed that the case goes into the die very easily until the last 1/2 inch or so then it goes very hard. I noticed my case necks were dented, and after several cases lube stated to come out of the little hole on the side of the die body. I thought maybe that I was putting to much lube so I took the die apart and cleaned it out then started again, but I was still meeting a lot of resistance in the last 1/2 inch of the case and when I lower the ram I meet a lot of resistance in the first 1/2 inch or so. Is this normal, and how much lube is to much? Just so everybody knows I'm using a Lee full length resizing die. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Dented case necks?
- Thread starter lorne19
- Start date
M12shooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- East St. Paul, mb
Too much case lube or the vent hole might be plugged.
blaser.306
CGN Regular
- Location
- Saskatoon , Sask
Mark your case neck with a sharpie or candle smoke/soot and be sure that you are not trying to create headspace/setback of the shoulder It's pooosible that your causing youself more greif than needed!
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If you are Full length resizing and your die is set up correct (turned in to shellholder and a bit more) there is either a lube issue or the vent is plugged. You will need to use lube for full length rifle sizing. Just enough but not too much.
Dented case necks from fired ammo are fairly common in my experience. It's part of what resizing fixes. Like PileBuck said, don't use too much lube, and don't put any on the shoulder. For full length sizing you just need a bit on the body and in the neck. I prefer the Lee stuff.
My guess is the resistance you feel for the last 1/2" is the body of the brass being sized. When I full length resized 223, I could tell from looking at the sized brass that only the bottom part of the body was being significantly squished by the die.
The resistance for the first 1/2" of lowering the ram is different. In full length resizing, the neck is squished around a cylinder of steel that is thin on top and wider below. When you lower the ram, the neck feels the cylinder widen, which stretches the squished neck out to the proper neck diameter necessary to hold a bullet. This picture shows what I mean:
http ://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h298/carteach0/case%20sizing/DSCF3279.jpg
My guess is the resistance you feel for the last 1/2" is the body of the brass being sized. When I full length resized 223, I could tell from looking at the sized brass that only the bottom part of the body was being significantly squished by the die.
The resistance for the first 1/2" of lowering the ram is different. In full length resizing, the neck is squished around a cylinder of steel that is thin on top and wider below. When you lower the ram, the neck feels the cylinder widen, which stretches the squished neck out to the proper neck diameter necessary to hold a bullet. This picture shows what I mean:
http ://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h298/carteach0/case%20sizing/DSCF3279.jpg
I seem to have figured out my problem with my 30-06 die, now my cases come out fine. But my 7.62x54r die is still doing it, and i can't seem to figure out the problem. Dose it matter if the vent hole is blocked by the lock nut? Also when setting my dies up it says in the instructions to turn them in till they touch the shell holder then turn them in another 1/4-1/3 turn is this about right?
