Neck sizing for time saving vs accuracy...

[Geofois]

Hey guys,
I neck size my 303 British for my enfield and realized how enjoyable it is to tumble, neck size(decap), then load. Anyone else do it for laziness =). I've read and watch videos about accuracy and it doesn't seem to matter that much either way and I'm only hitting paper at 100 yards and pinging metal beyond. I guess I'll need a Lee collet neck sizing die.

[buffybuster]

Neck sizing is great.....until you stick a case. Properly adjusted full-length sizing die is the way to go.

[pacrat]

Hey guys,
I neck size my 303 British for my enfield and realized how enjoyable it is to tumble, neck size(decap), then load. Anyone else do it for laziness =). I've read and watch videos about accuracy and it doesn't seem to matter that much either way and I'm only hitting paper at 100 yards and pinging metal beyond. I guess I'll need a Lee collet neck sizing die.

Enfield "smelly" is a notorious case base bulger. Due to their cavernous chamber dimensions. Neck sizing is preferred method. May or may not increase accuracy, but it sure won't hurt it, and may help. And will extend case life by a bunch.

I recommend the Lee Neck Sizing dies. Due to the MANDREL/COLLET method they employ. And increased concentricity of finished ammo.

For "buffybuster". If you stick a case in a neck sizer or a FL die. It is 100% operator error. Due to improper lube process. And chances are a thousand times more likely to happen in a FL die.

It is virtually impossible to stick a case in a Lee Collet Neck Sizer die. And no lube is needed.

[Geofois]

That's exactly what I was thinking pacrat. Maybe he means stick a case in the chamber? But I've had that happen with full length sized cases and was testing loads that got too hot and my trusty rubber mallet took care of it. I'm going to start keeping loads low anyways. Maybe I'll ask my neighbor if she has a neck sizing die I can borrow since she borrowed some sugar last week =/

[pacrat]

That's exactly what I was thinking pacrat. Maybe he means stick a case in the chamber? But I've had that happen with full length sized cases and was testing loads that got too hot and my trusty rubber mallet took care of it. I'm going to start keeping loads low anyways. Maybe I'll ask my neighbor if she has a neck sizing die I can borrow since she borrowed some sugar last week =/

OOPS, possibly I misread the "stick a case" meaning.

Either way, Die or Chamber. Still operator error. Either the operator goofed. Or they neglected or overlooked something.

As to the bolded. Yep, always best to refrain from beating up old war horses unnecessarily. Especially one that gives 30-30 ballistics on a good day.

[Geofois]

Yup. I checked all my brass in the chamber just to pick out the easy to chamber ones so unless you had a really bad case and didn't check it, then that's operator error.

[castgold]

I don't think neck sizing saves time, but I think it saves the brass from work-hardening where the alloy loses it's malleability more readily in a full length die. You'd have to anneal more often when full length sizing to release the alloy and get a more uniform neck tension. If you're only firing this brass in an Enfield and not a Vickers, you don't need to resize the whole case length.

[Geofois]

Thank you. I'm already just neck sizing the 303 brass but since that made it so quick to get it reloaded again figured maybe i'd do the same thing with the 308 brass. It really does save me a ton of time. I lube then full length size then toss it back in the tumbler ot clean the lube off. The lubing and the unlubing takes me some time. I'm just being lazy =). I'm not worried about brass wearing out since I find more than what wears out.

[rsrocket1]

Works well until the shoulder gets pushed so far forward that you can't chamber the rounds or you cam a long case into battery and need a 2x4 or mallot to slam open the bolt. If you know how long the headspace is for a case that barely fits your chamber, you can get away with multiple neck sized shots on the brass. Once you get close to the max length, bump the shoulder back a few mils by doing a "partial full length resize".

I did neck sizing for a few years with my 788 in .308 this way along with test chambering the empty brass in the gun. I didn't have much brass and wanted to make it last as long as possible. Eventually, it became too much of a hassle with occasional stuck cases in the chamber or rounds that wouldn't chamber and had to be disassembled.

Over the years I also accumulated so much .308 brass that I now simply full length resize every time. The time spent carefully checking each piece of brass for size and fit wasn't worth it and fully reliable cartridges with so much brass available became the more desirable path.

If your brass is uncommon and expensive, neck sizing and test chambering of the resized empty brass can be worth the extra time. In terms of accuracy, I haven't found any additional accuracy when neck sizing only vs full length resizing.

[divingin]

For "buffybuster". If you stick a case in a neck sizer or a FL die. It is 100% operator error. Due to improper lube process. And chances are a thousand times more likely to happen in a FL die.

Pretty sure he's talking about the chamber.

I generally neck size my 6BR brass; I've never had a case grow to where it wouldn't chamber, nor to where it wouldn't extract. I do get some that drag a bit closing the bolt, which I use as a sign they need a run through a body die (with a .001" to .002" shoulder bump.)

To save even more time, I forgo formal cleaning of brass, other than a swipe with 0000 steel wool around the neck on extraction, and a quick clean of the primer pocket after decapping.

[JagerDog]

Enfield "smelly" is a notorious case base bulger. Due to their cavernous chamber dimensions. Neck sizing is preferred method. May or may not increase accuracy, but it sure won't hurt it, and may help. And will extend case life by a bunch.

I recommend the Lee Neck Sizing dies. Due to the MANDREL/COLLET method they employ. And increased concentricity of finished ammo.

For "buffybuster". If you stick a case in a neck sizer or a FL die. It is 100% operator error. Due to improper lube process. And chances are a thousand times more likely to happen in a FL die.

It is virtually impossible to stick a case in a Lee Collet Neck Sizer die. And no lube is needed.

What he said.

And no lubing means no un-lubing.

[JagerDog]

Oh...and do you measure the tensions (?) and you can't bump a shoulder.

But elbow bumps are allowed.

[RandyD]

Resizing your brass to .002 under the size of the chamber is just as quick as neck sizing, and you avoid a lot of potential problems.