Sizing .308 for precision rifle

[Don the savage]

There was a thread similar to this over in the bolt forum that became a complete cluster**** when a member just TJed the crap out of it.
Anyway;
Scenario. I bought a Remington 5r that i want to load for. I sighted in with some fed gmm and now want to work up a load.

The day i sighted in i also tried to shoot some of my 168s i loaded for my R-25. Roughly 25% would chamber in my 5-r, but no issues in the autoloader

So the bolt action has a much tighter chamber. I get that.

So i go to load some of the .308 brass i have that i have that has gome through the autoloader and i cant get it to size for the 5-r. The fed i fireformed is no problem after sizing.
I bought some new dies for this rifle-hornady match dies with a .334 neck bushing (which i didnt know i needed when i ordered them but another story)

I screwed in the sizing die more to no avail (following randalls instructions from the other thread), i cant get the rounds to chamber. Cant get the shoulder to bump. (Did the sharpie chamber test)

So what do i do here? I did buy a case of fed gmm so it really isnt a problem right now because i am going to keep my autoloader and bolt brass separate i guess but I have a .50 cal can full of .308/7.62 LC brass.

Help calguns. You are my only hope.

[baih777]

is that die you bought a neck sizing die. your neck die does not resize the case. only the neck. that's the reason your Fed GMM brass that is fire formed to your 5R works.
you should use a regular full length die on your autoloader brass and shoot it to fire form and then that hornaday neck die will work.
I use only the same headstamp brass for my 5R. I don't use mix brass for that rifle.

are you using a go-no go guage for your brass ?

if your shooting under 300 yds. try some 155gr HPBT or polymer tipped bullets.

[LynnJr]

When you fire your brass in your bolt gun it should fit back into that same gun even if it is now harder to chamber.
As you start sizing that brass by screwing the die down it will move the shoulder forward and will actually make the same piece of brass that just fit your gun no longer fit it.
As you keep adjusting the die the shoulder will now make contact with it and it will now start getting shorter. As the shoulder length now gets shorter the neck length increases in length.
In your situation if the die is making firm contact with the shellholders you only have two options.
Option one is to sand down the shellholder.
Option two is to shorten the die by sanding.
80 grit wet/dry sandpaper on a flat surface with some water sprinkled on it and use a figure eight pattern until your brass fits the gun.

[bubbala]

I did follow that thread, the best I could.
just forget about the brass that was fired in your auto loader, at least for the bolt action.
you say you got a case of fed gmm whatever that is, just fire that in the bolt gun and keep the brass separated. Get a neck sizing die in the appropriate size, and neck size that brass.
You should get many loadings before you have to full size that brass.
And if you're lucky, the primer pockets will wear out before then.

[hambam105]

A Wiseman does in the beginning what a fools does in the end.

Without good equipment, and closely following the advise of those that know better, reloading match grade ammunition is a fantasy.

Show me the person who assembles rifle match ammunition who doesn't have $1,000 bucks tied-up in equipment.

I know of no other hobby where the experienced participants are so willing to help the novices. It is a great hobby. Reloading compliments shooting. But you need a plan. And the plan has to include time for a learning curve and some capital outlay. Good Luck.

[Don the savage]

When you fire your brass in your bolt gun it should fit back into that same gun even if it is now harder to chamber.
As you start sizing that brass by screwing the die down it will move the shoulder forward and will actually make the same piece of brass that just fit your gun no longer fit it.
As you keep adjusting the die the shoulder will now make contact with it and it will now start getting shorter. As the shoulder length now gets shorter the neck length increases in length.
In your situation if the die is making firm contact with the shellholders you only have two options.
Option one is to sand down the shellholder.
Option two is to shorten the die by sanding.
80 grit wet/dry sandpaper on a flat surface with some water sprinkled on it and use a figure eight pattern until your brass fits the gun.

Thanks lynn, i will look at this

A Wiseman does in the beginning what a fools does in the end.

Without good equipment, and closely following the advise of those that know better, reloading match grade ammunition is a fantasy.

Show me the person who assembles rifle match ammunition who doesn't have $1,000 bucks tied-up in equipment.

I know of no other hobby where the experienced participants are so willing to help the novices. It is a great hobby. Reloading compliments shooting. But you need a plan. And the plan has to include time for a learning curve and some capital outlay. Good Luck.

Uh, thanks for the input, reloading sage.
FYI i am not a new reloader, got my first press in 1988 and have loaded 10s of thousands of rounds and own 10 reloading manuals that i have actually read, but this is a new platform and im looking for input from those that actually do it. But thanks again.

[Don the savage]

Problem solved. Got a redding small base die and now all the brass is chambering. Thank you for the input and help

[fguffey]

Problem solved. Got a redding small base die and now all the brass is chambering. Thank you for the input and help

The problem is always solved after the reloader purchases a small base die. NO one knows the difference between a small base die and a full length sizing die that returns the case to minimum size.

I have ask many times what is wrong with the case when it will not allow the bolt to close; the answer can not be simple because all the responses after asking seems to come from reeloaders that do not know.

And then there are times I ask what are the difference between a case that will chamber and a case that will not chamber; the answers lead me to believe reloaders have no clue what a comparators is used for 'or' they believe their comparators are head space gages.

F. Guffey

[fguffey]

So? What won, the case or the press? There are times the case wins because it has more resistance to sizing than my press can overcome. Another question; how would a reloader determine the winner as in by 'how much?'. Manufacturers of my presses and dies included threads.

F. Guffey

[Whiterabbit]

Show me the person who assembles rifle match ammunition who doesn't have $1,000 bucks tied-up in equipment.

me

[Don the savage]

The problem is always solved after the reloader purchases a small base die. NO one knows the difference between a small base die and a full length sizing die that returns the case to minimum size.

I have ask many times what is wrong with the case when it will not allow the bolt to close; the answer can not be simple because all the responses after asking seems to come from reeloaders that do not know.

And then there are times I ask what are the difference between a case that will chamber and a case that will not chamber; the answers lead me to believe reloaders have no clue what a comparators is used for 'or' they believe their comparators are head space gages.

F. Guffey

So? What won, the case or the press? There are times the case wins because it has more resistance to sizing than my press can overcome. Another question; how would a reloader determine the winner as in by 'how much?'. Manufacturers of my presses and dies included threads.

F. Guffey

Dude? WTF did you just write? I have no idea what any of that even means. If you are a second language learner I apologize but that is some nonsensical prose you submitted there.
I read the previous thread you polluted with nonsense which is why I vacated and made this thread.
All i know is brass work now. Rifle shoot good. Thog happy. And that was the result we all were going for.

[FLIGHT762]

Congratulations, you just got "Guffied"

[Whiterabbit]

unsubscribe.

[smoothy8500]

I have ask many times what is wrong with the case when it will not allow the bolt to close; the answer can not be simple...

And then there are times I ask what are the difference between a case that will chamber and a case that will not chamber

Is there any wonder why Socrates was so exasperating they forced him to drink poison Hemlock....

[fguffey]

Is there any wonder why Socrates was so exasperating they forced him to drink poison Hemlock....

Are you that stupid? He was given a choice, and there is something else you would not understand; he did not want his friends boo whooing over his old dead body because he made it clear his old dead body was in the grave and Socrates was on his way, as in 'do not look for me in the grave because I am not there'.

F. Guffey