Sizing brass advice

[AMoorlen]

Hi all

Started loading about 2 years ago, initially just for 243 with a 2nd hand Hornady Lock'n'Load set, although the 243 dies that came with it were Lee.

I then bought a Hornady neck sizing die, but couldn't seem to get the shoulder bump right which meant the rounds were hard to chamber. I then reverted back to the Lee full length dies but for some reason the rounds I've been loading since are still difficult to shut the bolt on. Not as bad as before but not right, any advice on where I'm going wrong?

I also load for my 30-06, same press but using RCBS dies and have no issues with chambering the loaded rounds.

TIA
Alex

 

[Mike1979]

You have probably already done this but...check your base to ojive measurements to make sure your rounds arent too long.

I was reloading some new ammo last night and the COL on the Reload Swiss data is to long for my rifle. Work out where the lands on your rifle are and make sure you are not jamming to lands.

 

[Andyquadra]

Hi all

Started loading about 2 years ago, initially just for 243 with a 2nd hand Hornady Lock'n'Load set, although the 243 dies that came with it were Lee.

I then bought a Hornady neck sizing die, but couldn't seem to get the shoulder bump right which meant the rounds were hard to chamber. I then reverted back to the Lee full length dies but for some reason the rounds I've been loading since are still difficult to shut the bolt on. Not as bad as before but not right, any advice on where I'm going wrong?

I also load for my 30-06, same press but using RCBS dies and have no issues with chambering the loaded rounds.

TIA
Alex

Neck dies won't touch the shoulder

 

[Trigger260]

Are you trimming your necks? Are you annealing? If the lee die is set correctly then what shell holder are you using? If you are using a hornady then maybe swap to a lee.

 

[palo]

Your neck die won't bump the shoulder.
I'd say your lee die is not set up right to bump the shoulder.
The problem probably never showed the first few times you used it as the cases didn't stretch enough on the first few firings.
Its best to have a way of measuring the case at the shoulder but you can get a few cases that are tight to chamber and adjust your die down a little at a time until it chambers easily.

 

[jellmers]

As someone has said, neck sizing wont bump the shoulder.... You need to check that its not the COL thats restricting the chambering of a round. Have you tried to chamber an empty case after sizing, without the firing pin and extractor in bolt? Fired brass will be hard to chamber if not impossible. Once sized you should be able to just push the bolt forward and let it 'drop'. 2 thou should be the aim. Really recommend getting your hands on a comparator set if you dont have one, and you need a reliable set of calipers. Compare shoulder before and after full length sizing to get the '2 thou', then start with the COL iat SAAMI spec. Many should need trimming, as brass grows, during firing and also being pulled by the expander ball in the die. Ideally you want to measure bullet seating depth using ogive, not the tip (especially of plastic tipped bullets). This will involve a bit of maths using the bullet base to ogive measurement in relation to the COL.

 

[jellmers]

Oh another thing.... Make sure that the expander ball/primer pin, isnt too far down into the Die.... This can cause the case not to go up far enough into the die to be sized correctly (ask me how I know).

 

[farrieral]

I find my .243 loads quite hard on the brass.

I reload for primarily foxes and a bit of stalking with the set up... both loads are reasonably "hot".

I find I have to trim for the .243 more than my other 2 centerfires. I F/L size every reload, and once they've done 4/5 firings they go in the bin... luckily many of my pals shoot .243 factory Sako so I have an almost endless supply of decent brass.

I would check your trim length post F/L sizing and play with the shoulder bump if required. Erik Cortina has quite a good video on dialing in shoulder bump on the old YouTubes

 

[AMoorlen]

You have probably already done this but...check your base to ojive measurements to make sure your rounds arent too long.

I was reloading some new ammo last night and the COL on the Reload Swiss data is to long for my rifle. Work out where the lands on your rifle are and make sure you are not jamming to lands.

Hi, yes I have measured using the hornady OAL gauge

You have probably already done this but...check your base to ojive measurements to make sure your rounds arent too long.

I was reloading some new ammo last night and the COL on the Reload Swiss data is to long for my rifle. Work out where the lands on your rifle are and make sure you are not jamming to lands.

Hi yes I've done so using the Hornady OAL gauge, seems to have done the trick with the 30-06 but I'll have another check to be sure.

 

[AMoorlen]

Oh another thing.... Make sure that the expander ball/primer pin, isnt too far down into the Die.... This can cause the case not to go up far enough into the die to be sized correctly (ask me how I know).

I'll check, not something I'd thought of to be fair

 

[AMoorlen]

Are you trimming your necks? Are you annealing? If the lee die is set correctly then what shell holder are you using? If you are using a hornady then maybe swap to a lee.

Hi,

Yes I am trimming, but not annealing. I am using a Hornady holder, might be worth a try. Thanks

 

[Sniper308]

What’s the oal? You may actually even be in the lands with the bullet.

 

[Jamsie]

Check your chamber headspace, then subtract 2 thou from that measurement. Set your full length sizing die to produce that measurement. Then ... check your ogive measurement with the projectile you intend to use. Subtract 10 thou from that measurement and set your seating die to produce that measurement (or its CoL equivalent). Note that the chamber headspace will not change, but the ogive measurement will change as the throat erodes.

You will require a Hornady comparator set to record these measurements, but there are other ways of doing it. Use whatever method is best for you. As always, consistency is the key. I handload my ammo purely for punching paper from 600 - 1000 yards. My SD's for ammo normally run at around 6 fps but always in single figures. If you are taking shots within 300 yards, a single-figure SD won't matter, but beyond that distance ... and the further you stretch the shot, it will.

Jamsie

 

[25 Sharps]

Hi all

Started loading about 2 years ago, initially just for 243 with a 2nd hand Hornady Lock'n'Load set, although the 243 dies that came with it were Lee.

I then bought a Hornady neck sizing die, but couldn't seem to get the shoulder bump right which meant the rounds were hard to chamber. I then reverted back to the Lee full length dies but for some reason the rounds I've been loading since are still difficult to shut the bolt on. Not as bad as before but not right, any advice on where I'm going wrong?

I also load for my 30-06, same press but using RCBS dies and have no issues with chambering the loaded rounds.

TIA
Alex

Some Lee FL dies are all or nothing i.e. they will only size back to factory not just take a few thou off. You need to wind until they meet the shell holder then 1.25 turns. Will chamber fine after that.

Also, you can’t bump a shoulder at all with a neck die which is why it wouldn’t jump the shoulder.

 

[25 Sharps]

Check your chamber headspace, then subtract 2 thou from that measurement. Set your full length sizing die to produce that measurement. Then ... check your ogive measurement with the projectile you intend to use. Subtract 10 thou from that measurement and set your seating die to produce that measurement (or its CoL equivalent). Note that the chamber headspace will not change, but the ogive measurement will change as the throat erodes.

You will require a Hornady comparator set to record these measurements, but there are other ways of doing it. Use whatever method is best for you. As always, consistency is the key. I handload my ammo purely for punching paper from 600 - 1000 yards. My SD's for ammo normally run at around 6 fps but always in single figures. If you are taking shots within 300 yards, a single-figure SD won't matter, but beyond that distance ... and the further you stretch the shot, it will.

Jamsie

That won’t work with a the Lee FL die.

 

[maximus otter]

…the Lee full length dies but for some reason the rounds I've been loading since are still difficult to shut the bolt on.

When you initially set the sizing die, did you raise the ram to maximum height and screw the die down to contact it, then leave it set like that?

Many people recommend that you lower the ram after doing this, then screw the die down another half- to full turn.

maximus otter

 

[Ginc]

That won’t work with a the Lee FL die.

Worked for me. 3 rifles, 2 different caliber.

 

[25 Sharps]

Worked for me. 3 rifles, 2 different caliber.

Some it does, some it doesn’t, this has been covered on here before. The lee instructions state that the FL die doesn’t size until the top of the stroke as you get spring back. That is exactly what I see if I only screw until the die touches the shell holder, once a case is in place and you push the ram the shell holder doesn’t contact the shell holder at all. Once adjusted as the extension it goes home and you can feel the shoulder size.

Just checked the instructions and it says shell contact plus .25 to .33.

 

[Ginc]

Just checked the instructions and it says shell contact plus .25 to .33.

I measure case resizing amount with Hornady Headspace comparator, not just blindly turn +0.25 or 0.33.

 

[Jamsie]

That won’t work with a the Lee FL die.

Then purchase a die that allows it. There are plenty out there.