Hello

An elementary question from a non-reloader who wants to start:

Almost completed a 270, likely to be a 270 AI; Midway has neck sizing dies (for 270 Improved) at ~ 1/2 the price of full length dies for same. I will only be reloading for this one rifle. I plan to buy regular 270 dies as well, so I don't have to pay big bucks for factory ammo to fireform.

Will neck sizing dies be sufficient?

Thanks,
Todd

[This message has been edited by Todd Getzen (edited 07-27-2001).]

Todd,

You will probaly get some variation on your answers for this one.

If it was me I would just buy 270 AI dies, both bullet seater and full length dies.

These dies will let you load new 270 (standard) cases OK.

They will also neck ready for bullet seating any fired 270 (standard) cases you may have.

As to accuracy with neck sizing Vs full lenght sizing, I have had several bench rest rifles in 270 (standard) but with standard chambers cut with JGS reamer.

Accuracy with full length sized cases is often superior to neck sized.

One reason why you get a variation on opinion with neck sized Vs full sizing, is that quite often accuracy comes with a diffeent seating depth between neck and full sizing. What happens is that some shooters have accuratce loads for say neck sizing, the ntry full sizing, but do not alter teh seating depth.

As a general rule, neck sizing shoots best with the bullet seated so it is very close to the rifling. Full lenght sizing (provided there was sufficient sizing to produce a few thou head space) usually shoots better with the bullet back off the rifling.

Mike

Todd,

Just to clarify, did you mean to say you will be buying 270 brass so as not to have to fireform?

Here is my take on neck dies. I consider myself a hunter who likes to shoot, though I shoot alot more then I hunt. Anyhow, when I hunt, I want my ammo to be utterly reliable. To me, this requires full length sized brass, as I won't have to worry about brass that doesn't want to fit in the chamber.

I acknowledge that this slightly reduces the life of my brass, and perhaps minutely reduces my accuracy. I do have cases that are dedicated for hunting loads, and the other ones get the workout at the range.

What you should really consider is both FL dies and neck dies. After a few firings, your neck sized brass will need to be bumped back anyhow. Lee offers their RGB dies for ~$10, so get a set of them in addition to a neck size set. I had a set of 8X57 RGB's, and just got some in 6.5X55, nothing wrong with them, work fine.

I have a set of Full Length, RCBS sizing dies purchased in 1966. I have used them once in 35 years. That was when I bought some once fired brass many years ago. I have used the Neck Sizer almost exclusively with no problems what-so-ever. I normally load a case 5 times before discarding. I probably fire my 270 150-200 times per year.

I guess I'm the lone dissenter.

You can't get by with only neck sizing dies. If you want extreme accuracy, you need both the neck sizer and the FL die.

If you form and use only the neck sizer, along about the fifth load you will start getting uncomfortable resistance in chambering a round. You certainly wouldn't want that to occur in a hunting situation for a quick second or third shot. At the point where the chambering of a round is uncomfortably resistant after you've done nothing but neck size, you will want to set back the shoulders back .001"-002" and you can only do that with an FL die.

If you partially full size by only setting the shoulder back .001" or so each time, you aren't realizing the full accuracy potential of your rifle. In a hunting situation that really doesn't matter, but for extreme accuracy you want the case to conform to the chamber as closely as possible, and neck sizing is the optimum.

For my hunting ammo use only neck sized brass that has been fireformed and fired no more than once or twice. After you've fired cases much more than that there is a variance in the elasticity of the brass in the neck which affects the "grip" on the projectile which in turn affects accurcy. As a matter of course, and to maintain uniformity of grip, cases should be annealed at around the fifth reload. That renews them quite substantially.

In summary, you absolutely need a full size die. Neck size is great for extreme accuracy. You therefore need three dies, to include the seater.

I tend to think the same as Paul on this one. For my big game rifles, I full length size all the time. For my target rifles I'll neck size, and full length size every 3rd reload.

Fast, smooth feeding is more important to me than overlapping holes in a big game rifle (to a point). I can usually get MOA or better out of my hunting rifles even full length resizing.

Target shooting, it's all about accuracy. If the rounds feed with a little resistance, no big deal (all things being resonable, of course).

Thanks for all your responses.

Perhaps I should have asked this question in the first place (one of the responses lead me to it):

Can I reload fireformed 270 AI brass using 270 neck sizing only dies?

Thanks,
Todd

On fireforming, All Ackley Improved cartridges were originally designed to be fire formed. They are the same neck length as the original case. They should be fine. Your velocity in fireforming will be lower, because of the smaller charge ratio. So if you handload for fireforming, use a reduced load.