My 22-250 has a tight chamber. After firing 3 times the brass has grown to where I need to push the shoulder back. I am using a Redding Body Die to size the case body and push the shoulder back.

The problem is that when I adjust the die far enough to touch the shoulder the shell holder and die bottom are in a severe bind. It does not push the shoulder back far enough.

My question is do I shave a little off the shell holder or the bottom of the die? What would be the best method? If I take off enough off the bottom of the die to where the die and shell holder don't touch then I should be able to push the shoulder back without worrying about whether it is square or not.

Am I missing something?

I have used both methods. You'll probably need to grind the material off because they are usually too hard to file.

If it were me, I'd grind just a bit off the die.

I second popenmann. It is easier to grind on something you can hold onto, and that's the die!

It is likely that .005" will be plenty to remove. I used a dial caliper to measure length on the (stripped) die body when I did that. It need not be absolutely square either, but it looks better if it is.

Better than grinding is to lathe turn it if you have one available. Using a carbide bit on that hardened steel.

Take it off the die. The shell holder is probably used for other cartridges also. roger

Redding body dies aren't designed to bump the shoulder back, but rather to size the body. I would suggest getting yourself a Type S FL sizing die.

quote:

Originally posted by woods:
My 22-250 has a tight chamber. After firing 3 times the brass has grown to where I need to push the shoulder back. I am using a Redding Body Die to size the case body and push the shoulder back.

The problem is that when I adjust the die far enough to touch the shoulder the shell holder and die bottom are in a severe bind. It does not push the shoulder back far enough.

My question is do I shave a little off the shell holder or the bottom of the die? What would be the best method? If I take off enough off the bottom of the die to where the die and shell holder don't touch then I should be able to push the shoulder back without worrying about whether it is square or not.

Am I missing something?

Do the die. It's a 2 minute job with a lathe and carbide cutter. Do you know anyone who has such a critter?

Pointblank wins the cigar on this one. You need a different die. Redding body dies are just that, body dies.

quote:

Originally posted by eddieharren:
Pointblank wins the cigar on this one. You need a different die. Redding body dies are just that, body dies.

Ehhhh (buzzer sound) .......wrong!

Quoting from Redding website

quote:

Body Dies are designed to full length resize the case body and bump the shoulder position for proper chambering without disturbing the case neck. They are made without internal parts and intended for use only to resize cases which have become increasingly difficult to chamber after repeated firing and neck sizing...

Midway's description says the same thing.

Plus I've been doing it for years. Much easier to adjust these body dies and put the shoulder exactly where you want it and not have to worry about pulling it out of place with an expander ball.

Do I get a cigar? I want an Arturo Fuente Sun Grown Double Chateau please.

Hey Woods, If you take a regular old Bastard File and give a few strokes to the Shell Holder "while it is in the Press", you will find it easy to cut, very quick and won't hose-up the "Hardened Steel Die". The Shell Holder is a bit easier to shorten than the Die.

If you decide to go with all the other folks suggestion, remove the Expander and screw the Die in the Press upside down. Then you can file on it till you wear out a few Files and then reach down and give a few strokes to the Shell Holder - which will fix it.
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Roger(as usual) has a good point. Keep the modified Shell Holder with that Die and spring for another $5 Shell Holder for use with other Cartridges. Or..., you could do like me and have a dedicated Shell Holder for each set of Dies.

Best of luck "Filing" on the Die.

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Core:
Hey Woods, If you take a regular old Bastard File and give a few strokes to the Shell Holder "while it is in the Press", you will find it easy to cut, very quick and won't hose-up the "Hardened Steel Die". The Shell Holder is a bit easier to shorten than the Die.

OK HC, the shell holder measured .501" before I started and after working on it for 10 minutes and ruining a good file it measures.......501".

Hope you had a good laugh......

I knew the die wouldn't screw in the press upside down so you didn't catch me on that one.

Find an old RCBS or Texan shell holder (1960 era). They are not hardened.
If not just cut your shell holder down on 280 grit solicon carbide (wet or dry paper) on a smooth flat surface. Use that shell holder on that die only.
Or take the shell holder to someone with a lathe that has a set of 5C collets and have him face the shell holder off.

quote:

Originally posted by woods:
...Hope you had a good laugh...

Hey Woods, I'd say "disappointed" in the other folks responses would be more appropriate.

quote:

I knew the die wouldn't screw in the press upside down so you didn't catch me on that one.

They will on a RockChucker. Maybe you have the Stoney Point thingy in the way.
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If you are determined to shorten the Die, "ireload2" reminded me of a way that Bubbetta Sue(BS) would do it. Just drive down any "concrete" interstate, open the door and hold the Die against the concrete at 65-70mph. It will eventually wear it down a bit and you won't need a big high dollar lathe. Of course the hospital bills might off-set the savings somewhat.

Listen to Malm or invest in a good die. roger

It's a good thing Denton isn't here....he'd jump all over hot core for that statement!

Everyone knows that you don't use a Bastard file. you use a mill file!

Send the die back to Redding with explanation of your problem and the shell holder. I bet they will fix it for you. And wont charge you a thing.

muck

Took the die to a friend today who has a machine shop for a big screw company. Had him take off .025".

Will try it later and let you know.

one thing I noticed when I have been using a lee collet neck sizer is that the LEE shell holders are thinner because an RCBS shell holder will not work with the lee collet neck sizer die, perhaps switching to a Lee shell holder would push the shell that small amount extra into the die and give you what you need.

quote:

Originally posted by ireload2:
Find an old RCBS or Texan shell holder (1960 era). They are not hardened.
If not just cut your shell holder down on 280 grit solicon carbide (wet or dry paper) on a smooth flat surface. Use that shell holder on that die only.
Or take the shell holder to someone with a lathe that has a set of 5C collets and have him face the shell holder off.

Hey Woods, The above by ireload2 is correct and (gulp) I was bad WRONG!!!

After I read where you "thought" I'd pulled a joke on you, I was sure I had not done that. So off to the Reloading Room I go to (as Ollie North's old CIC used to say) - "Trust but Verify!"

Got out a relatively new RCBS Shell Holder and a new File - - the joke was ON ME! Only managed to "burnish" the edge of the Shell Holder.

Huuummm

Get the oldest RCBS Shell Holder I have and it did work, but not nearly as well as I remembered. I can specifically remember having to do it for some old "Hale Wildcats" from my youth(aka long l o n g ago).

So, that portion of my "old dated info" is Full-of-Beans.
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That said, I'm glad you got your Die fixed, but I still would have gone after the relatively inexpensive Shell Holder. Probably would have held it up to the side of an Emery Wheel(modified Bubbaetta Sue Method) to get a few thousandths polished off.

So, The joke was on ME!!! I did not intentionally mean to mislead you.

Pitiful when you get old.

By the way, CC may be real close to the actual answer, if you happene dto use a Shell Holder made by someone that is different from the folks that made the Die you had aproblem with.

quote:

Originally posted by CC:
one thing I noticed when I have been using a lee collet neck sizer is that the LEE shell holders are thinner because an RCBS shell holder will not work with the lee collet neck sizer die, perhaps switching to a Lee shell holder would push the shell that small amount extra into the die and give you what you need.

Did cutting it off fix the problem? I'll guess yes.