Headspace won't change

[bsumoba]

Hi guys, I noticed Ive made a mistake.

My full length die was not touching the case holder.

I screw it down to touch the case holder plus 1/4 turn, the Headspace finally move; however I insert into the "L.E. Wilson Case Length Headspace Gauge 308 Winchester". The case seems still too big. I haven't measure the headspace with hornady gauge yet.

at this point should I be unscrew 1/4 of turn or screw in the full length die 1/4 of turn?

Too big generally means your turn down (clockwise) the die. Your issue could very well be that you need a small base die. If you are shooting military brass that you bought online, chances are they are shot out of a machine gun or belt fed weapon and that punishes the brass and causes them to expand more than usual. A small base die is the only way to size it down enough to chamber.

Also, there are different types of .308 chambers. For example, my JP barrel on my LR-308 is a "match" chamber, meaning there is less "slop" in the dimensions for the case and is held to tighter tolerances, which means the ammo I feed it also needs to be made to tighter tolerances. Some factory rifles are chambered with a reamer that is made with a little looser dimensions so a lot of different types of ammo can be used.

[pacrat]

JagerDog
Thanks - I was doing rifle cases in a single stage . When nephews got 308s and 782 , I could no longer use just one tool head . Way to hard to punch out primers by hand .
My books says one die works , but to size inside and out side of case at same time made no sense to me . So I adjust the Lee decapper to size inside case , then another Lee far outside .
Belling , I got used to when doing the 44 and 50 AE - I hand place both the cases and bullets - the cases were sticking / getting stuck in tubes and the bullets were top heavy .

Still confusing lack of proper nomenclature terms.

Lee "decapper" dies do not size anything. They only punch out used primers. They are a Universal die and one size fits everything.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Lee-Decapping-Die/1200579.uts?productVariantId=2959339&WT.tsrc=PPC&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=03227827&rid=20&gclid=CJjAzoG_r9MCFQ2SfgodxsMMXQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

Lee Collet Neck Sizer dies, also have a decapping pin and do size the NECK of the case, indexed off of the interior of the neck on the mandrel. But are not a decapping die. They are caliber specific. And decap as a secondary function, as does the decap pin on a FL die.

https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/215819/lee-collet-neck-sizer-die-223-remington?cm_mmc=pf_ci_google-_-Reloading+-+Dies+%26+Shellholders-_-Lee-_-215819&gclid=CMWJxrW_r9MCFQKRfgodn3gB_Q

They look very similar, they both punch primers, they serve different purposes in the scheme of reloading things.

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As stated before. If you are punching primers and sizing indexed on interior. That is a collet die in use.

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If you are then running the same cases, through a FL sizer. You are undoing what the collet sizer already did, by indexing off the outside of the case.

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If you bought the Lee Deluxe Die set, it has both a Collet Neck Die, and a FL sizing die. They serve different functions by different means. And should not be used in conjunction with each other.

I think you should start your own thread, because your issue is not relevant to OPs headspace issue.

JM2c

[tonyjr]

Thanks - pacrat

[fguffey]

Hi everyone.


I want to bump these cases back to 1.615~1.620, so I uses the Lee full size dies and carefully turn 1/8~1/4; however, the number won't change and these cases won't chamber. I wonder if my method is wrong or is there something wrong with lee full length dies.

First trim the case to 2.015~2.01.

I have no ideal why that would be your plan unless your chamber is short. I have short chambers I size cases for short chambers. Problem for reloaders when sizing cases for short chambers. The die is not designed to size cases for short chambers; the die is designed to size the case to minimum length/full length size. Meaning my dies are designed to size a case .004" shorter than a go-gage length chamber if we are talking about a 308 W chamber. If we are talking about the 30/06 chamber my die is designed to size the case .005" shorter than a go-gage length chamber.

Problem: Reloaders have difficult determining the length of the chamber from the datum/shoulder to the bolt face. reloading is much easier and simpler to understand because my cases do not have head space and Hornady does not make a head space gage that measures head space. Life got complicated when manufacturers decided to call their comparators head space gages.

F. Guffey

[rsrocket1]

2 people asking questions in the same message thread

You've got two people trying to get answers to this thread.

Tonyjr, you should start your own thread because the OP hasn't solved his problem yet and you have people answering your questions thinking they are solving the OP's problem.

Golog13,
You did make a mistake by backing off the full length sizing die.

1. You should raise the ram without a case in the shellholder.
2. At the top of the stroke, screw down the die until it touches the shell holder.
3. Lower the ram and screw the die at least another 1/4-1/2 turn. It's not critical, if the die has enough threads you can screw it down another 2 turns.
4. Lock the die into the press with the nut.
5. Test it by putting a lubed case in the shellholder and raising the ram all the way until the press stops.
6. You should not be able to slide a sheet of paper between the die and the shellholder

You can also find out where your problem is by taking one of the cartridges that won't fit in your gun and color it completely with a magic marker. Then try to chamber it and look for where the marker is rubbed off.

Here's a picture of a case where I knew the shoulder needed to be bumped back. You can see the magic marker rub marks.

[fguffey]

You can also find out where your problem is by taking one of the cartridges that won't fit in your gun and color it completely with a magic marker. Then try to chamber it and look for where the marker is rubbed off.

Here's a picture of a case where I knew the shoulder needed to be bumped back. You can see the magic marker rub marks.

When the die is adjusted to sized the case the shell holder is adjusted to touch the bottom of the die when the ram is raised. When I raised the ram there should not be a gap between the top of the shell holder and bottom of the die. If there is a gap I know the case did not get sized to minimum length, if I want to know by how much I use a feeler gage to measure the gap.

If the case does not get full length sized I need to determine why. There are times the case has more resistance to sizing than the press can overcome; I have options, I can move to a 'tuffer' press or increases the presses ability to overcome the cases' ability to resist sizing. One of the first tools I get out when I start sizing is the companion tool to the press; the feeler gage.

And then when it comes to measuring cases I suggest reloaders learn how to measure cases. I have always found it easier to make tools that purchase them, amd making them is faster. Problem, it helps to be able to understand the tool.

F. Guffey