308 load seating question.

[stand125]

So a friend of mine wants me to load him up some long range 308 ammo. I got some 4064 powder, some speer 110 grain soft point bullets and a bunch of R-P brass with a used press that I aquired awhile back. I know that the 110 grain bullet is not a long range round but figured I would try reloading some with free components before my buddy spends the money on other powder or Match king bullets for the important reloads. I went thru the process and made up three rounds with spent primers and no powder. The issue I am having is that the RCBS dies seem to resize the neck to much. I have to trim before I even resize since the LEE trimmer will not fit all the way into the case after resizing, which means popping out the primers before trimming which is very annoying since I like to resize/ deprime in the same step. I also noticed that after I chamfer the inside and outside of the case the 110 grin speer bullets still will not set in the case at all and therefore are seating slighly crooked since I can only start the bullet up the die. You can tell a definate distinction where the bullet is crooked in the case and where the bulet stops inside of the case. I guess I am just looking for input on the above issues.

[Thatguy80]

What are you trimming to and seating at?? Give us some specs!!!

[stand125]

I am Using a LEE case lenth gauge so it looks like 2.010 according to my calipers and seated to 2.50 which is what the sierra manual suggest. The bullet sits about 1/2 way down the neck and there is a definate noticable point where the bullet seats in the case . I pulled a bullet after I seated it and the case lenth guage will not go past the bullet seating point.

[FLIGHT762]

I would check your seating die. Be sure the die doesn't touch the shell holder and you have a space about the size of the thickness of 2 pennies. You might be putting a crimp on the case mouth when you're trying to seat the bullet. That may be why it's too tight to seat the bullet.

[stand125]

I would check your seating die. Be sure the die doesn't touch the shell holder and you have a space about the size of the thickness of 2 pennies. You might be putting a crimp on the case mouth when you're trying to seat the bullet. That may be why it's too tight to seat the bullet.

It's the FL sizing die that is undersizing the case neck, which casuses the bullet to be unable to start a smooth entry into the case even after I chamfer the inside and outside of the case.

[FLIGHT762]

The next thing I'd do is mic the size of the expander ball in the F/L die. Sounds like the expander ball is a bit small, not opening up the inside of the case neck. It should mic out to .306"

[Thatguy80]

Hmmm, I have the RCBS FL size dies as well and noticed that the holder that holds the decapping pin also expanded the case mouth when you extract the shell from the die.

I would double check your projectile diameter and weight just in case maybe the packaging got switched around.

[stand125]

These dies are probably 30+ years old so I don't know if they have an expander ball in them. I did some reseach and it seems like the short 110gr round nose bullet has a tendency to seat crooked unless you get a special die that keeps it lined up better. When I seat the bullet I can feel the case mouth give as it eccepts the bullet and then it seats very effortlessly. The bullets are not sideways or anything, but you can notice a slight bulge on one side from the bullet base on the slightly crooked ones ( which is 4 out of 6 ).

[Thatguy80]

I would start looking at your dies... Like Flight said there should be an expander ball the reopens the neck.

[DocSkinner]

I would start looking at your dies... Like Flight said there should be an expander ball the reopens the neck.

This. If not there, email RCBS and say that it has become misplaced and they might send you a new one for free. (This happened on a primer cup for my Rockchucker, I asked about price, and they said give us your address and we will just send you one)

Also make sure your seater die isn't set up too low and you are starting to crimp the case.

But these loads won't really give him a good idea of what some long range loads will do. Pick up some decent hornady bullets (usually less expensive) for hunting/plinking loads and then you have some hunting bullets after using some for testing setups for him and they will come closer to duping match loads.

[stand125]

Also make sure your seater die isn't set up too low and you are starting to crimp the case.

It is the sizing die that is the issue, not the seating die. I have decided just to deprime, trim and then resize since the LEE trimmer won't fit down the case neck even if I manually flare it after resizing. No crimp is being applied. I have resolved the crooked bullet issue by seating a little deeper ( 2.40 ) and rotating the case a few times during seating which seems to have fixed that issue with the shorter 110gr bullets.

[DocSkinner]

It is the sizing die that is the issue, not the seating die. I have decided just to deprime, trim and then resize since the LEE trimmer won't fit down the case neck even if I manually flare it after resizing. No crimp is being applied. I have resolved the crooked bullet issue by seating a little deeper ( 2.40 ) and rotating the case a few times during seating which seems to have fixed that issue with the shorter 110gr bullets.

Would definitely mic your expander ball then. I think you said these were used dies - someone might have taken it off on a busy bench and put too small of one back on, or they "adjusted" its diameter for some reason. Check its size and then call RCBS if its wrong, just don't tell them its a used set you bought. Lifetime warranty is for original purchaser. Although they honored the warranty on my inherited one just fine.

[bruceflinch]

I went thru the process and made up three rounds with spent primers and no powder.

The issue I am having is that the RCBS dies seem to resize the neck to much.

I have to trim before I even resize since the LEE resizer will not fit all the way into the case after resizing, which means popping out the primers before trimming which is very annoying since I like to resize/ deprime in the same step.

I also noticed that after I chamfer the inside and outside of the case the 110 grin speer bullets still will not set in the case at all and therefore are seating slighly crooked since I can only start the bullet up the die. You can tell a definate distinction where the bullet is crooked in the case and where the bulet stops inside of the case. I guess I am just looking for input on the above issues.

The Lee resizer does not decap? And the case doesn't fit w/o trimming? There seems to be something wrong w/ that picture to begin with.

The used brass seems to be suspect as well.

[DocSkinner]

The Lee resizer does not decap? And the case doesn't fit w/o trimming? There seems to be something wrong w/ that picture to begin with.

The used brass seems to be suspect as well.

Make sure it isn't .308 brass that someone reformed to 7mm-08 or 243, or any of the other various .308 based cartridges!

[Fjold]

The sizing die closes the neck then as the case is pulled out of the die, the expander plug opens it back up to just under the bullet diameter.

Mic the inside of the neck after you resize a case, it should be somewhere around .305" +/- .001. I've seen necks as small as .302" regularly though.