Need some quick help

[09cs]

I'm using a lee collet neck sizing die for some twice fired 308 brass I have from my 700. The brass chambers in the rifle, but the bolt seems a little hard to close. Is that normal because the brass is fired formed to that chamber? or should I go to FL die????

[CSACANNONEER]

Sounds like you need to bump the should down a thousandth or two.

Wait, before you do that, just make sure there isn't foreign matter on your bolt face or in your chamber. If they are both clean, I'd use a FL sizer to bump the should just a little.

[09cs]

Thanks CSA!

[09cs]

everything was clean switching to fl

[stilly]

CSA knows what is going on. Good because I was gonna ask that you post a picture...

Oh wow, there is another thread where some guy was using his VICE as a shell holder... I think. Crazy I know...

[J-cat]

Get a Redding body die.

[Pauliedad]

So what's the advantage to not using a full length sizing die?
Brass lasts longer?

[09cs]

So what's the advantage to not using a full length sizing die?
Brass lasts longer?

That's what I read.

[Pauliedad]

Thanks

[Motor Man]

Sounds like you need to bump the should down a thousandth or two.

Wait, before you do that, just make sure there isn't foreign matter on your bolt face or in your chamber. If they are both clean, I'd use a FL sizer to bump the should just a little.

Question regarding this. To bump the shoulder back and be able to know how much it moved you need tools to measure the case such as the hornady headspace Gauge or the RCBS precision Mic, do you not? Is there any way to know how much of a change you've made without these tools? I'm new to this so hopefully my question makes sense.

[CSACANNONEER]

Question regarding this. To bump the shoulder back and be able to know how much it moved you need tools to measure the case such as the hornady headspace Gauge or the RCBS precision Mic, do you not? Is there any way to know how much of a change you've made without these tools? I'm new to this so hopefully my question makes sense.

It can be done with a set of calipers and a case gauge. I have a custom gauge for 50BMG but, it's cartridge specific.

[J-cat]

Question regarding this. To bump the shoulder back and be able to know how much it moved you need tools to measure the case such as the hornady headspace Gauge or the RCBS precision Mic, do you not? Is there any way to know how much of a change you've made without these tools? I'm new to this so hopefully my question makes sense.

Get a set of Redding competition shell holders. The set contains five shell holders: +.002", +.004", +.006", +.008" and +.010". They allow you to bump the shoulder back in .002" increments by bottoming out the shell holder against the die.

[rsrocket1]

Question regarding this. To bump the shoulder back and be able to know how much it moved you need tools to measure the case such as the hornady headspace Gauge or the RCBS precision Mic, do you not? Is there any way to know how much of a change you've made without these tools? I'm new to this so hopefully my question makes sense.

Yes you do not

You can use your rifle's own chamber as your case gauge. First, color a tight chambering case with a magic marker, then close the bolt on it to see where the ink rubs off. Here is a pic of where I just colored the shoulder to show the rubbed off ink:



Then lube the case, screw in the full length die, but back it off a full turn from where it contacts the shell holder. You might want to remove the decapping/expanding rod so you don't overwork the brass in the neck as you raise and lower the shell several times. The neck will be undersized, but you will expand it only once on the last pressing when you re-install the rod.

Now size the brass, check for tightness in the chamber and lower the die by small amounts until you stop feeling any resistance. Lower the die in very small increments like 1/12 or 1/24th of a turn. This is easy to estimate if you have a hex lock nut like on the Lee dies. Make a mark on the die and on the lock nut with a magic marker. Now you know were to set the die to perform a minimal "partial full length resize".

Once you have your proper setting re-install the expanding rod and run the case through the die one last time to expand the neck to the proper diameter.

Optional:
With a 7/8-14 thread, each turn = 0.070" or 71.4 mils. 1/6 of a turn = 11.9 mils and 1/12 of a turn is about 6 mils. With these numbers, you can count edges and flats to determine the difference between a full length resize and a partial length resize for your particular gun.

This is how a Hornady headspace gauge works on a caliper (223 case being measured)


This is the critical part of how headspace is measured on a generic .308 case:


A headspace gauge is nice to have, but nothing beats your own gun to determine what fits best.

Always full length resize if you are loading for:

• Multiple guns - you want to ensure the reloads can fit in any gun
• Semiauto or lever action guns
• Hunting applications - you wan to ensure smooth chambering in a critical situation and not worrying about sticky bolts

I usually necksize only but I do test chamber each case every time and pull out "sticky" ones to do a bump back. The cases last a very long time when reloading this way.

Hope that helps.

[J-cat]

When you bump certain ones but not others you introduce a variable into the mix in that not all the cases are the same. You will see an increase in ES and possibly POI.

[Witch Hunter]

Rocket gets it! Use your chamber. I reload to make accurate ammo. To make accurate ammo, I need it to fit MY chamber. That being said, I shoot Pdogs and I neck size until I need to FL size, I seem to get a lot of loads from my brass.