Reloading .280 Rem for 1984 Ruger bolt

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I am trying to set up my full length resizing die for proper head spacing by measuring fired cases from my Ruger. Using a RCBS head space gauge for the .280 Rem I get measurements between + or - .001. The average is .000. When I run these cases through my Hornady FL die they measure anywhere from -.004 to +.003 without making any adjustment. What could be the reasons that this is so inconsistent? What ever is happening, makes any die adjustment very uncertain.

Any ideas?
 
Are you using new brass or fire formed? Is brass all the same headstamp? How are you lubricating your brass before sizing?
 
Are you using new brass or fire formed? Is brass all the same headstamp? How are you lubricating your brass before sizing?[/QUOTE]
 
Thanks for your reply. I am using all fire formed Rem brass. I annealed first then decapped and resized using Hornady FL die. I made no adjustments during the process. My lubing could be suspect. I am using Imperial Sizing Die Wax on the outside of the case and letting a very small amount on the inside of the neck with a neck brush. The case resizing seems to go well but sometimes the neck expander has more friction.

Incedently when I tested different headspaces at the range the .000 worked best with (.62 MOA) the -.002 (.92MOA) and -.003 (1.57 MOA)
 
Are you lubricating the outside of the case necks as well?

Is this a new die set? How rough is the expander ball? In the one Hornady die set I have the expander had visible machining marks. I chucked the stem into a drill and spun it in a cloth that was loaded with polishing compound. Polishing the expander made a world of difference in the consistency and amount of effort required to pull the case back through.

Could it possibly be inconsistent annealing from case to case as well?
 
Yes i am lubing the outside neck, shoulder and about 1/2 way down the case. It is a new die and I just pulled the expander and it looked well polished and lubed.

I may have an issue with my annealing. I hold over a small propane flame until I notice some discoloration and then quench in water. The time to heat is very inconsistent. Can I over anneal? How could I improve my procedure?
 
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