Neck size or full resize

[snox801]

Alright guys I know everyone is different but I bought all new brass to do load work for my 257 Roy. I bought a ammo box that holds the stock resized ammo just fine nut after firing they expand a bunch and no longer fit in the box. Now for accuracy should I resize the whole brass like I have or should I just use a neck sized. Would this help me in anyway tighten my group. Thanks in advance.

 

[Grumulkin]

Alright guys I know everyone is different but I bought all new brass to do load work for my 257 Roy. I bought a ammo box that holds the stock resized ammo just fine nut after firing they expand a bunch and no longer fit in the box. Now for accuracy should I resize the whole brass like I have or should I just use a neck sized. Would this help me in anyway tighten my group. Thanks in advance.

I'd try it both ways.

The gospel, according to bench rest shooters, is to just neck size and that may be true for their guns. My experience has been somewhat different. I can't remember a time when full length sizeing didn't give me just as good accuracy as neck sized cases. In fact, in loading for a 7mm/08 cases neck sized with a Lee Collet Die resulted in decidedly poorer accuracy.

 

[257ackleyhunter]

What dies are you using for loading?

 

[Grumulkin]

I have dies by RCBS, Redding, Lee and Wilson.

 

[ShootnMathews]

I agree with him. On all my guns that I reload, I get just as good if not better results with a FL die. Neck sizing will save you some brass life. But my rounds chamber much easier when FL sized.

 

[AZShooter]

You are considering altering the brass so it will fit the ammo box? If I read this right your ammo storage box is too small not the magazine box in the rifle right? The heck with the storage box, size the brass for the rifle!

I have a 257 Weatherby and I partially FL size the brass with a RCBS die. By partially size I mean In only run the die down enough to reduce body taper and bump the shoulder enough for easy chambering and no more! To size it more than this would shorten brass life and cause the case to grow in length at a faster rate. Over time this could cause a case head separation.

 

[Greyfox]

I think this tends to be rifle and load dependent. Bench rest rifles have precision chambers and can be loaded to lower pressures that will easily chamber with only a neck size, and some setups may not even require a neck sizing. For hunting and other applications, pressures may be higher and chambers less refined which can give a tight chambering after one or a couple of firings. As far as better accuracy, each rifle/ load needs to be tested to determine best accuracy. Given equal accuracy, I will usually FL resize to insure easy chambering.

 

[dkhunt14]

Azshooter is right. Full length size until they fit the gun. Benchresters full length size with a .001 to .002 bump on the shoulder. matt

 

[ShootnMathews]

I think this tends to be rifle and load dependent. Bench rest rifles have precision chambers and can be loaded to lower pressures that will easily chamber with only a neck size, and some setups may not even require a neck sizing. For hunting and other applications, pressures may be higher and chambers less refined which can give a tight chambering after one or a couple of firings. As far as better accuracy, each rifle/ load needs to be tested to determine best accuracy. Given equal accuracy, I will usually FL resize to insure easy chambering.

+1

Also when I said I FL resize a lot of my hunting guns I didn't mean I just screw a die down and throw brass in it. I set the die so that it bumps the shoulder .002". Coincidentally all of my hunting guns except one achieve this bump when the die is cammed over tight on a plain shell holder. The one exception is more of a fun steel gun than a hunting gun but I have killed two deer and a coyote with it. And actually the fun gun gets MUCH better groups with a FL sized brass than NS. I have tried many times thinking that surely NS will be better if I get things right, but the FL brass just keeps out shooting the NS.

The more I think about it, I don't think I've ever had great success with NS. But then I am 35 with kids and a house and I can't afford match quality guns and such. All of my guns are what I would call economy guns or budget guns. Even at that I usually get 1/2 Moa or better accuracy with enough tweaking. Floating, bedding, and load work. Maybe in a match grade barrel NS works great. But in my budget factory barrels I've had no luck.

 

[dkhunt14]

In benchrest they all full length resize. The gun has to cycle smoothly or you upset it in the bags. I full length all my ammo because it has to function. I would hate to out hunting and have a Grizz attack and you can't get a shell in or out of gun. Nobody in benchrest that I know of neck sizes. They full length with minimal bump. Matt

 

[Deleted member 46119]

I load for hunting, tactical, F type, BR, pistol and plinking, well every thing.

My hunting loads has taken game past 1200. I was not the shooter.
My loading for tactical is nothing special yet but the recently finished 338/300RUM cloverleafs at 100 every time out.
My F type loading went 9x for a 2x20 first time out for me and rifle.
My plinkers are loaded for 400 yard 18" target.
and
My BR loading is of course always sub sub 1/2MOA.

Below is shot 36-40 of my just completed short range 6BR Norma.
No load development, finger in the wind powder charge and seating depth.

The plaster is .75 in diameter or less so if figure the group has a maximum dimension of .5 which means center to center is close to .3 maybe less but there is an app for that. LOL.

 

[Deleted member 46119]

That is background for...

I full size when appropriate.
I neck size when appropriate.

For me, I know which i want to use and when. Along with annealing and continual improvement.

So, saying FL always or NS always is just closing the door on improvement possibilities.

 

[g0rd0]

I both fl and ns. I prefere to ns only because it takes no lube, and require very little effort.
Using my pet load I have noticed no differance in accuracy.
So this is what I do, for range shooting and varmant neck size. For hunting and after annealing fl

 

[Deleted member 46119]

I both fl and ns. I prefere to ns only because it takes no lube, and require very little effort.
Using my pet load I have noticed no differance in accuracy.
So this is what I do, for range shooting and varmant neck size. For hunting and after annealing fl

Yup.