I have tried resizing the neck only on several calibers of bolt actions and have never got one to chamber without full lenghting it. So I just full length everything. But know there is a way as many do this. Let me know how it is done. I fired some rounds then deprimed and cleaned the cases, resized the neck and trimmed if needed . But they will not chamber. I am shooting in the middle range of the powder loads. I finally set the die where it is just resizing by sizing and trying the case and turning the die down abit until the case chambered. Would like to shoot by resizing the neck only but haven't had any sucsess with it.

Did the fired rounds rechamber before you neck sized them?
The expander ball can still pull the shoulder forward, or if your setting the die to deep you could be bulging the shoulder/body junction.
Set the die to only contact 2/3 of the neck, and try it. if it won't go, remove the expander ball and try another one.
Process of elimination.

I think Tailgunner hit it.
The fired cases should rechamber with out any resizeing if tried in the same rifle. Your expander is a good scrapgoat when this type problem arises. You are useing lube in your case mouths, correct?
This assumes slighty used cases. (up to ~4-5 fireings) The more you fire a case the higher the chances the case needs to be full sized.
To be honest, I`ve fired neck sized cases 10 or so times with no problems and never did FL size them.

The cases were fired and tried in the same rifle. They would not chamber until they were full length sized. I used lube in the mouth also. I tried them right after firing and they would not chamber without a lot of pressure. Will try 2/3 neck sizing next and see what happens.

I had a box of once shot Remington cases from when I shot a box of factory rounds and ran these through my .260. They chambered real well. But my dies for the .260, which I haven't started reloading for yet, are lee full length dies. Looks like another die for the neck only I guess?

B1

Best method I've found is a Lee Collet Neck Sizing Die

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=280495

and when the shell get hard to chamber after several firings you can push the shoulder back with a Redding Body Die

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=483512


Works like a charm, your other dies will gather dust


Without guns we are subjects or victims, with guns we are citizens

quote:

The cases were fired and tried in the same rifle. They would not chamber until they were full length sized.

Try marking the bottom of a case head so you can reorient it the same way in the chamber after fireing and see if it chambers easier.
The case should go back in the same chamber after fireing with little or no force. The fact it doesn`t makes me wonder if the chamber is out of round. Marking the case will let you check for this.

quote:

Originally posted by Blob1:
The cases were fired and tried in the same rifle. They would not chamber until they were full length sized. I used lube in the mouth also. I tried them right after firing and they would not chamber without a lot of pressure.

I suspect Ol' Joe is correct.

IF the cases will not re-enter the chamber right after firing, you most likely have an out-of-round, non-concentric chamber! This rifle needs to be rechambered, if possible, by setting the barrel back and recutting the chamber, or perhaps it will even need a new barrel. The alternative, as you have already learned, it to FL size the cases every time you reload them.

Is this a recently-purchased commercial rifle?? If so, it needs to go back to the manufacturer for correction!!