Full Length Sizing for LR precision shooting

[kthomas]

I have a properly cut chamber, FL size after each firing and anneal every 6-7th firing. Reloading takes up enough time, I like to spend the time I do have out shooting.

There's a lot of voodoo, myths and lore around reloading.

If you have good quality components (for me that means Lapua brass and Berger bullets), good reloading equipment (quality press, dies, powder dispensing equipment), along with a properly and precision cut chamber in a quality barrel blank, it's really hard to get loads that don't shoot good.

If you are ultra competitive, and are reloading to get to the podium and set world records in disciplines that are all about how well the rifle and ammo shoots (benchrest), there may be some extra time consuming steps that may edge you over the next guy.

I would argue that for the vast majority of people, in most shooting disciplines, if you start with good quality components and equipment, and perform a simple but precise and repeatable reloading regimen, that will take you where you need to go in your precision rifle journey. There's a plethora of extra steps you can take if you choose to - but a lot of times they only gain you marginal performance (if that), and you have to be honest with yourself and ask if those marginal gains are even noticeable down range, or if you as a shooter can even shoot the difference.

 

[Boomer454]

I hit necksize by accident. I meant to pick full length size. I like to just bump the shoulder back 2 thou with a full length sizer. Seems to be working well for me.

 

[TrxR]

Top long range shooters do not simply full length resize. The best of them use custom sizing dies. Erik Cortina interviews Speedy where Speedy speaks of custom sizing dies and Erik blows it off. The video above is not the video I'm speaking of... Even in the video above you can see a few guys hesitate because they are just not elaborating that they use custom sizing dies. If you pay close attention you will notice.

These dies are tuned to the owners chambering reamer.

The dies are tuned so the body diameter is sized specifically to only minimally resize the side wall.

The die is set to just sniff at the shoulder, just barely enough.

The end goal, no matter who says what is to minimize the energy loss that is caused by blowing the case out to the side walls of the chamber. The more energy lost to blowing out the side wall the more velocity spread you will have.

This is based on the assumption that you have a competition grade chamber... Not some sloppy factory chamber.

If you have a sloppy factory chamber, you will likely not realize the benefit of most of what a top long range competitive shooter will do.

Erik Cortina is doing the shooting world a disservice by offering a lot of bad advice. My Advice is to exercise caution when watching his videos. He is sponsored by Lapua and is benefited from bragging that up for one thing, but he offers a lot of advice that applys to one specific situation and out of his ignorance attempts to project that onto every other variation. If you understand the subject, you will scoff at most of his content.

The only real good advice from Erik is sizing the brass enough so you don't gall your lugs. That is good practical advice. It's just not the whole story.

Beyond that is chamber design and that's a whole big part of how a rifle and bullet will perform. Its huge.

Some of them are using off the shelf redding as it matches their chamber or they had their reamer designed to match the die . Some are using off the shelf or custom Whidden dies (custom a little more money but not alot) one guy told me he uses custom hornady dies. Benchrest is similar but alot use Harrels which are quite reasonable .

Basically as you said you want it to size the brass just enough.

 

[iron cat]

The poll should have a " neck size and shoulder bump" or possibly a " partial FL size " category .
Cat

 

[b_w.]

use a forster bushing bump die for 6.5 creed. Needs a FL size every few loads. full length bushing dies on anything new.

 

[Dogleg]

The poll should have a " neck size and shoulder bump" or possibly a " partial FL size " category .
Cat

This^^^, For the most part I partially FLS everything, aided by Redding Competition shell holders. Precision and favoured rifles get the FL bushing die with the ball removed treatment as well.

I'm sure most in this forum know there is a difference between FLSing and crushing a shoulder so far back that the case crawls off whimpering and wounded looking for chamber to separate in or garbage can to curl up and die a sad and early death in. Sometimes terms are confusing though. Our nomemclature is half gun-slang.