full length or neck sizing

hound2013

hound2013

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just wondering what is the best way to keep your brass in shape do full length sizing or just the neck all the brass is for my guns only ????? what do you guys prefer to do >>> whats works the best ....... thanks hound 13
 
I like neck sizing only for the sole purpose of eliminating the need for lube. Getting rid of the lube and cleanup drastically increases my productivity. Any accuracy/consistency gains are just a bonus.
 
Depends what you're loading for. For bolt actions with long throats neck sizing is usually ideal. Levers and pumps can be neck sized but it won't take much crap in the chamber to make extraction tough. Neck sizing for a semi can be very dangerous, some have done it with success but it is a bad idea. A lot of semis will fire out of battery, if the bolt doesn't lock you're gonna get hurt. As for the reloading itself I love neck sizing! The benefits are many including much longer case life, even cheap dies can neck size with little to no runout, trimming usually isn't needed for many firings, no lube required etc. Its just faster and easier to do and in my factory rifles it produces the best accuracy. For my levers and semis I FL size every time for reliability. I hate it he he.
 
i'm not a rifle reloader accept for 7.62x54r and 7.5x55, but i use the lee collet die for neck sizing the 7.5x55 (they don't make one for 7.62x54r for some reason). after smoothing it out it works great.

here is the video i used for setting up and smoothing out the dies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhTUgytUGnM
lee makes them for all calibre's you listed above.
 
I'd grab a neck die for the bolts for sure, you could try it in the .30-30 but I don't think there's a whole lots to gain there. Hands down the best value in neck dies is your FL dies. You can back them out to just size the neck. With a separate decapping die you can remove the expander from your FL dies to minimize runout. The next best value is the Lee collet die. Since you already have FL die sets I'd just buy the neck dies separate unless you want the extra FL and seating dies plus another shellholder. Titan reloading sells individual dies and their shipping rates are very good. Always use USPS so you don't have to pay brokerage fees. I find with titan, the prices are so much lower that its still saving me money to buy from the states even after shipping. The better brands make better FL dies in that you can adjust neck tension, but none do anything more than that over the Lee. The Lee collet die is known for not inducing any runout but the downside is you're stuck with whatever neck tension it gives you (its on the lighter side) unless you have access to a lathe to make custom mandrels. Bottom line, its the best value and works very well. That doesn't mean more expensive dies aren't better because they are, but the gains get pricey after the Lee. Just my 2 cents.
 
Neck sizing dies can also (supposedly) extend the life of your brass. That being said, the only time I've lost rifle brass to split necks was due to other things I'd done to the brass in the meantime. I also haven't reloaded the same brass 10+ times (yet..... ;-}) )

Your semi and lever should have full sized brass loaded for them. Bolt action rifles can squeeze a marginally tight round into the chamber; it'll be hard to close the bolt, but it will close. I doubt you'd be able to do the same with a lever or semi-auto.
 
For my Nem, i only neck sized, i gain 1-2 grain of capacity, and this rifle just love max load... JP.
 
I neck size for bolt guns only - if you have 2 guns in the same caliber, remember to segregate your brass. You should not ever neck size for a semi, and you should always crimp for a semi. Remember to check your case length - it still stretches, just not as much.

PS 7.62x54R probably would use the same neck die as the 303 Brit.
 
Lee also makes Collet dies for calibers that are not listed, it's a special order but they don't accept those these days. Some chambers don't work with neck sizing even if it's a bolt. My Sako 338 is like that. For semis you can also try this trick: back your sizing die about 0.050". It will leave a unsized shoulder that helps accuracy for loose chambers. I do that for my M14 and M1 Grand.
 
thanks for the info guys it seems alot of you full length size i think if i dont get a whole lot of rounds out of the brass ill just buy some more its not the end of the world... thanks hound13
 
If you set up your FL die correctly it won't noticeably affect your brass life vs. neck sizing only. But start knocking back your shoulder by 5-6 thous and you'll be buying brass a LOT sooner. Best to get a datum measuring tool and/or check the amount of sizing you are dialled in for by chambering the resized brass using your bolt with firing pin and ejector removed. There are lots of threads around about how to set up a FL die properly. Personally, I think it makes sense to FL size for consistency.

If buying Redding Type S bushing dies you might consider getting a custom die made to match your chamber (specs determined by using several cases fired 2-3 times). The cost from places like Whidden are pretty darn close to the cost of the Redding dies (and they use Redding bushings) and you'll get a perfect match. I've stopped buying Redding sizing dies for that reason (but I still love their Competition seating dies).

Also, for $15 a set of die shims will save you a ton of time/grief getting the die set up.
 
hound2013 said:
sounds good to me where can i get neck dies im having trouble finding them 30/30, 308 <243, 223, these are the ones im looking for thanks hound 13
Click to expand...

You do not need to buy Neck sizer dies.

Assuming you only have one rifle in each caliber, back off the die so that it sizes the neck only part way down. Start with sizing only half the neck. You will be able to see how much of the neck got sized. Do a handful with half the neck and then chamber them all and make sure they all chamber ok. I am assuming that at this setting the body does not get sized at all, so you won't need lube, or just a little bit on every third case.

It would be best to find some brass fired in another gun that won't chamber in yours. Use this to set up you die, sizing enough of the neck/body so that the case will chamber. Lock this setting and the die will then turn out brass that will fit your chamber, but has been sized the absolute minimum.

I use the Lee 308 collet die to neck size a number of different calibers. See if it will size your 7.62-54R. A slightly tight neck won't hurt anything.
 
I full length size everything, i tryed the lee neck sizing dies and wasnt a fan, tryed hornady and thought the same, ive heard the best to get is a redding neck sizing die with the different collets.
 
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