Being in a small town with the only place at the time I could find ammo for it was only winchester ammo. Purchased it myself at the age of 12. Oh, those were the days!
New Reloader with Question on Resizing
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WYO300RUM
Well-Known Member
I still have a lot I bought at 18 yrs old 47 years ago. Some still new cases. Yes. The good old days ....
bonie
Well-Known Member
full length, Erik Cortina does and he won the Midsouth national and the world Championship in south Africa recently this year 900 meters (1,000) yards. Also most top shooters due too for a reason.
I load for several different rifles. My main one's were belted mag. I would lose a case with base separation in 3 to 4 firing. There is ways to check for it. I went to neck sizing with my belted mag cases. That stopped case separation at the base. I would generally lose my case to primer pocket getting to large in 10 to 14 firing after that. It can be done with FL dies. Neck spliting will be reduce by annealing your cases. Learn to bump your cases with full length dies, back .002" or close to that. I would go to bushing die at the start that way you are not getting two sets of dies in the long run. That way you can increase the tension on the necks as wanted. Most of the bushing dies don't come with bushing. Those are order out separately. You will need measure inside and outside dia and case lengths.
Unknown just what equipment you have presently either, or I missed that. I am not going to say what equipment by name. That's your choice, and pocket.
YOU NOW STARTED DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE!
I definitely don't mind saying, especially since I don't know what I don't know!
I got a rockchucker and all my stuff is RCBS
Really good stuff. Thanks
!00% agree. His videos have simplified my reloading. Well sort of... I need to revisit some of my tried and true rounds that seem to fall apart at 300. He addresses that in one of his videos.
MagnumManiac
Well-Known Member
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- Feb 25, 2008
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The correct way to size brass is to Partial Full Length Size your brass. This means that you are sizing the brass just enough that it fits the chamber with the tiniest amount of clearance, .002" is the rule of thumb, I use this amount on my hunting rifles, on my precision rifles it is closer to .001", but they all have tighter (shorter) chambers than factory chambers. I want my brass to stretch at the very minimum or none at all, this is what kills brass.
Polish your expander ball, it will make enlarging the neck back to .002" under bullet diameter easier, I always measure new expanders with a micrometer that reads to .0001", then polish to a mirror finish using 1000 grit paper and lots of WD40 spun in a cordless drill or on the lathe.
When sizing brass, hover at the top of the stroke for 3-5 seconds so that the brass doesn't immediately spring back, which it will if you don't hover. I no longer use bushings, I get best results with dies that have honed necks, graphite lubed necks and sized/polished expanders, the aim here is to move the brass as least as possible and allowing the .0005" spring back into the equation. My comp rifles run excellently with only .0015" neck interference, often, more opens groups, while a hunting rifle often works just fine with .002", but this is not written in stone. To change tension, use a mandrel, but remember to move brass at the minimum, if this needs a separate die, then so be it.
Cheers.
Polish your expander ball, it will make enlarging the neck back to .002" under bullet diameter easier, I always measure new expanders with a micrometer that reads to .0001", then polish to a mirror finish using 1000 grit paper and lots of WD40 spun in a cordless drill or on the lathe.
When sizing brass, hover at the top of the stroke for 3-5 seconds so that the brass doesn't immediately spring back, which it will if you don't hover. I no longer use bushings, I get best results with dies that have honed necks, graphite lubed necks and sized/polished expanders, the aim here is to move the brass as least as possible and allowing the .0005" spring back into the equation. My comp rifles run excellently with only .0015" neck interference, often, more opens groups, while a hunting rifle often works just fine with .002", but this is not written in stone. To change tension, use a mandrel, but remember to move brass at the minimum, if this needs a separate die, then so be it.
Cheers.
I definitely have a lot to learn. The Erik Cortina videos have been helpful already. As well as the comments and advice here.
DSR1112
New Member
You have to full length size or after a few firings the brass will have stretched enough to either nit chamber or chamber very hard. Also has most have pointed out .002 not .020. Get the hornady datum/headspace comparator.
As your just getting started, you will find a million ways to do things. Dont be in a big hurry to get going. Take your time and really decide what you want and why. You will end up falling down the "rabbit hole" if you don't. Think--wasted time and money...Take it from most of us here, we've done it!
Reloading for hunting purposes and for target purposes can be done the same way. But they don't have to be. Reloading for target shooting requires a dedication to accuracy that can, at times, border on insanity. Don't let this make your experience any less pleasurable. Then it just becomes another chore. Reloading for hunting purposes should always have accuracy in mind, but the main point here is to ensure your loads provide a clean ethical kill, every time.
Keeping your goals in mind will provide a decision making paradigm as you purchase your reloading equipment. "Extreme" accuracy usually requires very expensive gear. The reloading experiences you gain along the way will allow you to make informed decisions. You are already doing the right things such as asking questions here on the LRH forum and watching videos. Compare the information you aquire and sift out the errata. And ask if you find yourself at an impasse.
Always keep in mind the "rabbit hole". Every reloader I've known or spoken to will caution you about these things.
These "pearls" herein are from my 52 years trying to achieve reloading nirvana. Best of luck. Stay safe and have fun.
Buzzsaw
Well-Known Member
Decide are you a long-range match shooter? Long Range hunter? What do you consider long range?
C-130dude makes a ton of sense. Most want to overthink everything. Keep it simple. Size/bump brass till the bolt closes easily, it will tell you when you are "there".
C-130dude makes a ton of sense. Most want to overthink everything. Keep it simple. Size/bump brass till the bolt closes easily, it will tell you when you are "there".
Do you mean .002 thousandths, not .020 thousandths correct??? I'm pretty sure this is a typo, the OP is new at this and don't want to mess him up.
Yes .002
Buzzsaw
Well-Known Member
its like the thickness of a piece of paper
