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I'm new to rifle reloading, but have reloaded .44mag quite a bit. I have a bag of brand new Winchester brass. (Also may be getting a bag of 75 once-fired Federal brass--address that too please) 1.)Should I just neck size it before fire-forming it? Then FL resize every so often? 2.)What are your favorite dies? (My son got me some RCBS dies for my birthday, but it does not include a neck size die. Do you mix die brands for intended purposes or just stay with one brand? Ie., RCBS for FL/Seating/Crimping or RCBS for FL, Lee for collet neck size and factory crimp? Just interested... Thanks, Scott | ||
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1. Yes, neck size the new brass. It will be slightly out-of-round at the neck and the neck will only be approximately the right dimension for proper bullet tension before sizing. 2. You can neck size (unless your chamber is unusually large in the shoulder) with the FL sizing die by simply backing it off of the shell holder about a sixteenth of an inch or so. 3. There is no problem sizing with one brand of die and seating with another. The dies just need to be reasonably compatable with your chamber. 4. The once-fired brass may need only neck-sizing, partial resizing, or full-length resizing, depending on how the chamber it was fired in compares to the chamber of your gun. Try inserting a few cases in your chamber before sizing, then size only as much as needed to allow them to chamber freely. 5. Unless and until a fired case becomes difficult to rechamber, it is neither necessary nor desireable to full length size. Have fun, and pay no attention to what any of the subsequent posters may say contradicting my advice.  | |||
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As stonecreek mentions, you can partially neck size with a full length sizing die, but on two different rifles I got much longer case life with the Lee Collet neck sizing die than in partial neck sizing with my RCBS FL die (and yes, I very carefully adjusted the RCBS die) The Lee collet die requires no lubrication, so it is fast and convenient. I also have to strongly recommend the Lee Factory Crimp die. I've tried polishing down my expander button, but the recoil of my full loads still drove bullets into the cases. The Lee Factory Crimp die totally fixed this (and it is cheap!). Apart from failing to mention the longer life with the Lee Collet die, stonecreek is entirely corect!  jpb | |||
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The only case head seperation I have experienced is in my 375 with brass I had fired in another gun. I would buy 50 pieces of new brass for your gun and that should last you quite a while. Good Luck, Shayne | |||
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Quote: Hey jetblueman, Apparently Stonecreek meant to say, ... pay "particularly close" attention ..., but somehow got distracted when whamming in his post. If you are going to be hunting in non-dangerous Game country, then you can follow Stonecreeks advice and only have the "possibility" that your loaded cartridges "might not" chamber. No big deal. You then pull ALL the bullets, dump ALL the powder, remove the Primer Pin from the Expander on your Full Length Resizer, and then Full Length Resize(FLR) ALL those cases like you should have done in the first place. You could also Partial-Full Length Resize(P-FLR) which provides better accuracy than Neck Sizing. But, you would need to make sure you have the Full Length Die set properly, or you would be in the same mess as before. The reason Stonecreek is ... (how can I say this without offending his feelings)... (ah yes) TOTALLY WRONG< !--color-->, is you absolutely positively want to ALWAYS FLR cases when you will be hunting in Dangerous Game country. And depending on your Headspace, only shoot them 3-5 times when hunting in those conditions. Save those cases for target shooting or Deer Hunting where no BIG bears are out looking around for a piece of human jerky. ... Concerning "mixing" cases, it has the "potential" to cause Point-Of-Impact shifts on l-o-n-g range shots "IF" there is much difference in the case weight, case volume and amount of neck tension. You might want to check a few to see how close the weights match and compare groups shot with the different cases to see if you can detect a POI shift. It is generally no big deal to keep "rifle" cases segregated. ... Oh yes, nearly forgot. To get the very best use from the Neck Sizer Die,, use it as a "weight" when catfishing. ... Maybe the above Stonecreek quote was meant for "after" my post!!!  | |||
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I agree with everything jpb said. But on the very first loading of new brass I like to full-length resize it and leave a film of sizing lube on for the first firing. That lets the brass move in the chamber more readily for a nice even fireforming without concentrating stretching strain just in front of the case head. And, contrary to what many gunwriters have stated, firing lubricated brass won't overstress a normal, safely designed rifle. (If you disagree with that last statement, take it to the "Bolt Thrust" thread in the Gunsmithing forum.) | |||
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Quote: Concurr....and to that I add anytime you're big game hunting. | |||
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Quote: Me? Wrong? What a silly notion, and I have the Enron stock to prove it! RE: FL sizing and "dangerous" or otherwise game. It makes no difference how MUCH smaller than the chamber you make your ammunition; it only needs to be resized as much as needed to allow EVERY CARTRIDGE to smoothly chamber. That may require only neck sizing with some guns, and partial or FL sizing with others, while some gun/die combinations don't chamber properly even with FL sizing. If you are a serious hunter, then you should run every load through your rifle prior to taking it hunting. You have accomplished nothing by simply FL sizing and ASSUMING that that will result in foolproof chambering. All that unmodified FL sizing is likely to result in is an unanticipated head separation -- an event that is very conducive to turning you into a meal for something higher on the food chain.  Let me reiterate: Simply sizing by screwing the FL die down against the shellholder head is ONLY called for if that's what it takes to size the case small enough to freely re-enter the chamber. Otherwise, you are much better off to only screw the die deep enough to adequately resize the case, whatever depth that may be. Any more is at best unnecessary and at worst asking for trouble. | |||
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I like to FLR the first time with new brass. I do not own a neck die except for my .22 Hornet. | |||
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Count me in as a firm believer in full length resizing. I do this to ALL new brass that I purchase. Why take a chance? It takes no longer to FL size, than it does to neck size. True, most new cases don't need it, but as stated above new brass most always has out of roundness, and dings in, or around the case mouth area. I know that if any brass passes thru my full length sizer dies, they will also feed into ANY chamber that I run them into. Bill T. | |||
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Good stuff, guys, but why would I need to FL resize my new brass if it already chambers fine? Wouldn't that just weaken the brass prematurely? Also, please answer my second question: What are your favorite dies? I'm ready to upgrade! Thanks | |||
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Some handloaders advocate FL sizing on the theory that it makes the neck more concentric with the case body. Perhaps, but I have my doubts that there's really much difference in the net result when "rounding" out the necks on new brass. Actually, what FL sizing WILL do is make the neck point whatever direction in relation to the body that the die's neck/body relationship is -- which is not always that great. Which brings us to your second question about what brand of dies people like. Well, what make of truck do you like to drive? And do you prefer Levis or Wranglers? Most dies are pretty good. RCBS has the largest market share, Redding and Bonanza are regarded as premium makers, and Lyman, Hornady, and C & H dies are all good (and I've used them all, along with a few others). Lee makes an economical product. I don't like their (non)locking rings or the adjustment on some of the seating dies, but you can make passable ammunition with them. Lee does make the superbly engineered (if not superbly manufactured) Collet neck sizing die which, for most bolt action rifles and calibers, is the best performer you can buy (once you've cleaned it up). The Lee Factory Crimp die is also superior to other crimping dies (but then the need to crimp rifle ammunition is infrequent). | |||
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Quote: Hey jetblueman, Well, you "might" not need to. The only problem is you will have to chamber all of them to find out. Second, it is a violation of the Cardinal Rule of reloading - Process Consistency.< !--color--> No need to get started off on the wrong foot. When you begin taking shortcuts in Reloading, you soon loose control of the accuracy without realizing what you have done. Watch some of the other threads where folks are looking for help in resolving a problem and it "normally"goes back to some simple step they decided to skip since it would "be quicker" to leave it out. Quote: Not necessarily. If one FLRing of new Cases "weakens the brass prematurely", then you have a bigger problem to deal with - an Undersize Full Length Resizing Die - which is very rare today. Quote: I use mostly RCBS and Redding. As Stonecreek mentioned, most of them on the market are pretty good today because of the competition. I'm just used to using RCBS and Redding, so that is what I stick with. | |||
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In dangerous game country I'd chamber every round I had in my rifle before hunting whether they're FL sized, partial sized or factory loads. Matter of fact I do it on all hunting trips. | |||
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