F/L sizing

[speedgun]

I'm a fairly new reloader and still developing my technique. I've been wavering back and forth between F/L sizing and neck sizing. I load for several different calibers and have multiple guns in each caliber so I always separate my brass to a specific gun and caliber.
What I am confused about is the fire forming the case to a particular chamber. I understand that neck sizing lets you maintain that custom chamber fit, which I was led to believe would give you better accuracy, and longer case life. For some reason, neck sizing didn't give me consistent results so I have gone back to F/L sizing. If I am F/L sizing, do I need to separate my brass as to a specific gun in the same caliber? Can I just dump all my brass from my 3 different .243 rifles in the same group and after it is re-sized, reload it in any of those 3 rifles? Is there any advantage to try and keep the casings rifle specific?

 

[Wado]

If you dump them all back together in my opinion they should then be treated as "Range Brass" and full length sized and trimmed back to length and start over. Always inspect for splits, bulges and other problems even if they came out of your personal firearms. It doesn't sound like neck sizing was up to your expectations and I don't know why keeping the brass mated to each firearm would be of any consequence except to watch for any abnormal stretching or bulging that would indicate a chamber abnormality. There is a real good video on You Tube about bumping the shoulder back on brass that was shot in a different firearm than the one you are reloading for. It gives you an idea how chambers are cut differently and the degree of sizing it takes to get the brass back to the correct dimensions so they will chamber. That's a lot of organizing to keep all the brass separate if you are going to full length resize anyway. Someone else may have a different approach to this than me.

 

[tbrice23]

I'm a fairly new reloader and still developing my technique. I've been wavering back and forth between F/L sizing and neck sizing. I load for several different calibers and have multiple guns in each caliber so I always separate my brass to a specific gun and caliber.
What I am confused about is the fire forming the case to a particular chamber. I understand that neck sizing lets you maintain that custom chamber fit, which I was led to believe would give you better accuracy, and longer case life. For some reason, neck sizing didn't give me consistent results so I have gone back to F/L sizing. If I am F/L sizing, do I need to separate my brass as to a specific gun in the same caliber? Can I just dump all my brass from my 3 different .243 rifles in the same group and after it is re-sized, reload it in any of those 3 rifles? Is there any advantage to try and keep the casings rifle specific?

Good job on deciding to FL size.
DEFINITELY always separate brass per rifle. Each rifles chamber are probably going to be headspaced different.

You need a Hornady heads space comparator to measure how much you bump the shoulder on each rifles chamber.
All of my bolt rifles get .002" bump.


If you use the custom search bar at the top of the page you'll find massive amounts of info on FL sizing.

 

[rcoody]

Good job on deciding to FL size.
DEFINITELY always separate brass per rifle. Each rifles chamber are probably going to be headspaced different.

You need a Hornady heads space comparator to measure how much you bump the shoulder on each rifles chamber.
All of my bolt rifles get .002" bump.


If you use the custom search bar at the top of the page you'll find massive amounts of info on FL sizing.

yep adjusting your f/l sizing die for a 1.5 to 2 thousands shoulder bump is the trick.

neck sizing is kind of out of favor. for the full effect of f/l sizing you really need custom dies made from your fired brass.

another path is to buy a forster full length die and have them hone the neck for you. It is really quite inexpensive especially when a custom set of dies can easily cost 300 or 400 hundred dollars and a 6 month wait.

 

[Wachsmann]

For the most part I full length size also but it's that shoulder bump thing that would make me keep the brass separated. I bump the same about 2tho as well. It allows the brass to chamber easy but it seem to create minimum groth. This has given me the best accurate loads. I also used to do the bushing neck sizing but went back to my full length die

 

[speedgun]

I have a head space comparator, which I used when I was neck sizing. Now, I adjust my die about 3/8ths of a turn past full contact with the ram, which is exactly as Hornady recommends. Doesn't that prevent me from being able to adjust head spacing?

Thank You

 

[tbrice23]

I have a head space comparator, which I used when I was neck sizing. Now, I adjust my die about 3/8ths of a turn past full contact with the ram, which is exactly as Hornady recommends. Doesn't that prevent me from being able to adjust head spacing?

Thank You

A heads pace comp is kind of useless for neck sizing.

Ignore Hornadys vague lazy instructions.
The comp. is used for partial FL sizing.
You need to use it to adjust your die. Measure a fired de-primed case, adjust your die till the case measures .002 less.

 

[bigedp51]

I have a head space comparator, which I used when I was neck sizing. Now, I adjust my die about 3/8ths of a turn past full contact with the ram, which is exactly as Hornady recommends. Doesn't that prevent me from being able to adjust head spacing?

Thank You

Full length resizing according to the dies directions and making hard contact with the shell holder makes sure the resized case will fit any chamber.

Bumping the shoulder back .001 to .002 makes the case a custom fit for your chamber.

Below if the die is not adjusted far enough down (blue line) the full length sized case will be longer than the chamber.

At the green line is where the dies directions have you sizing the case and pushing the shoulder back too far for "YOUR" chamber.

And .001 to .002 below the red line is a custom fit to your chamber.

Below a fired un-resized case from my AR15 carbine.

Below the same case after full length resizing and .003 shoulder bump.

Below when the case above was full length resized I used the Redding competition shell holder on the left. The competition shell holder on the left is a + .004 shell holder, meaning it pushed the case into the die .004 less than the standardshell holder on the right. The press is still adjusted to cam over but the deck hight of the shell holder is .004 lower than a standard shell holder.

If I had used the standard shell holder on the right above and the die setup as per the instructions the shoulder of the case would have been set back .007.

If I would have set the shoulder back .007 every time I resized the case it would have had a case head separation much, much sooner than minimum shoulder bump.

We live in a plus and minus manufacturing world and no two dies and chambers are the same. And your dies are threaded and can be adjusted up and down for a custom fit for any chamber.

 

[speedgun]

Thank you for that explanation, now I get to buy some more reloading equipment!

 

[cowboy]

Here's what you need.

Competition Shellholder Sets - Redding Reloading Equipment: reloading equipment for rifles, handguns, pistols, revolvers and SAECO bullet casting equipment

 

[Wado]

Or use a feeler gauge.

 

[918v]

Feeler gauge method inferior to the Redding competition shell holder method.

 

[rcoody]

I have a co-ax so no shellholder

I simply back my die off until I have the proper should bump and then lock down the lock ring and never mess with it again.

 

[BountyHunter]

Two things.

1. Honing necks does nothing for sizing the case body which is for the major issue of FL sizing and that is the body. That can be corrected several ways.
- Match the factory dies to the chamber reamer. I always use PTG reamers and I know that Redding and Whidden dies match real close as they use PTG reamers for their standard dies.
- If you have a standard case, buy a Redding body die ($28) send 10 cases fired 3x to Jim Carstenson at JLC Precision and for $80 he will custom hone the body die to fit your chamber exactly and convert it to a FL bushing die. That is a custom FL bushing die for $108.

2. On reloading multiple guns with the same dies, but a set of Skip Otto die shims $15 and simply set up the die for the shortest headspaced gun and insert the appropriate shim for the others. Either PMA or 21st Century sells a lock ring adapter for dies that adjusts in .001 increments also that can be used. It has an indexed marked scale on the ring and easily adjusted and can return to that setting. Cannot remember which one sells it

3. If you are going to spend thousands on a custom rifle you are crazy NOT to buy your own reamer so your next barrel chamber will match your dies. Cost is minimal and you can always sell it.