338 lapua neck loose

[marioq]

I have a question that I can not seem to answer. SOme of my brass is loose on the bullet. When I say this, I can push the bullet down and pull it up in my brass. This happens after sizing it. I have an RCBS die that I resize the case. I have tried only neck sizing by backing it off a little and not sure if this is the reason. Has anyone seen this? Better question, how do I solve it? I have read threads about different sized plungers in side. Will this do it? Do I have to do this? Just trying to figure it out.

Thanks

Mario

 

[SidecarFlip]

I'm presuming this isn't a multiple reload case with no annealing???

Toss the neck sizer forst off. Secondly, your expander ball is too big. You need to reduce it's diameter a bit.

I'll get flak for this but I crimp all my 338's with a Lee Collet crimper. What works for me, may not work for you.

 

[marioq]

No these are shot a couple times. I re annealed 1 reload ago.
I was thinking maybe a new die not rcbs.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Before investing in a new die, I'd whittle down the expander ball a bit (easily accomplished with some fine crocus cloth, water as a lubricant and the expander ball/rod chucked in a cordless drill). Would be trial and error so a bit off and try it and repeat as necessary.

I use an Redding FL myself for the 338 caliber but it should not matter. Everything else I have came from Orroville, California.

Be sure the expandedr ball/rod is concentric with the bore of the die as well. That can take a bit of fiddling or in my case, a hardened and ground steel washer between the clinch nut (on the expander ball rod) and the top knurled piece.

RCBS seems to machine their mating parts with a class 4 fit when it should be a class 1 or 2. In other words, they are sloppy.

Nit a big deal but it involves the 'fiddle factor' when checking for concentricity.

All those component parts are cold headed on CNC machines in a production setting so it's hard to get a class 1 fit.

Cheaper to fix than buy another die.

A new die might alleviate the issue but you already have that one...and, it's fixable.

 

[marioq]

cool.... OK I will try that


Thanks a bunch!!!

 

[SidecarFlip]

In my circumstance, I don't run the expander ball high in the die either.

I remove all my decap pins from all my dies and never replace them.

I run my expander balls down because they size the best for me that way and you aren't working the brass between the ball and the smaller neck bore at all and that really cuts down on case growth for me.

I use a Lyman universal decapper die for everything. The decap rod is very robust so no issue with breaking pins, One unit fits everything from 22 cal to 416

Just how I do things. Others may have other ideas.

 

[Black Tail Hunter]

I have never heard of reducing the size of the expander ball but if necessary that would probably work fine. Before you do that you may try just polishing the expander ball with some flitz and a dremel. I have done this with some of mine if i want more neck tension without crimping and it works pretty well. all it does is reduce friction as the expander ball is pulled back through the case neck and doesnt expand as much on the way out.

 

[jakelly]

Do you turn your necks? You may be turning off too much material for that die, and you will need a bushing set-up.

If this is the same die you have been using successfully, I would first suspect a work hardening of the brass. What do you use to anneal?

I wouldn't modify my die until I figured out what was going on, then change what needs changed. Have you taken a micrometer and measured the expander ball? How about your bullets?

Just some thoughts.

 

[marioq]

I do not trim. And the anneal was done by a guy that ha d a machine. I do not have one. But I did measure the plunger inside my die. Got .337 on it. Think it may be a little big.

I'm not sure when this started cuz I did have a load that shot 3 bullets in ine home. Reloaded that same load and inch spread so maybe this is why. I'll have to do some
Checking when I get a few free
Minutes.

Thanks for the input.