If I pull the bullets from a case then reseat them will there be a difference in neck tension that will cause accuracy problems? I am going to pull some bullets from some 300 RUM's and 204 Rugers. Just trying to save the primers and sizing time.

Thanks and God Bless, Louis

I always resize the neck.

A friend says that pulled bullets don't shoot as well because they get scrunched. I haven't noticed any problems

quote:

Originally posted by rcamuglia:
I always resize the neck.

A friend says that pulled bullets don't shoot as well because they get scrunched. I haven't noticed any problems.

Yes! Resize. Remove the decapping pin (leave expander ball on) from your RCBS dies and ram it up in there as per usual.

Pull the bullets and you can reseat them. They will all have the same ID which will be .002" less than bullet diameter, no matter what size the necks were before loading the first time.

For illustration, I did this test to see if the original ID before loading the first time would have an effect on the ID of the necks after loading and pulling bullets:

2 ea 375 Ruger cases, one sized without the expander and one size with the expander. The case sized without the expander had an ID of .365" (.010" below 375 caliber)


the expander ball left the neck at .371" (.004" less than 375 caliber bullet)


seated 260 gr Accubond bullets in each


pulled the bullets


both necks were then .373" (.002" below caliber)


and the bullets were essentially unmarked and ready to load again.

Here's another one in 264 caliber

without expander


with expander


seated bullets


pulled bullets


necks both the same at .002" less than caliber



bullets in great shape and ready to reload in necks that now have extremely consistant ID.

So, rc, wrong again buddy, no need to resize , but you can if you want!

When I pull bullets the neck is looser, so I use a bushing die to neck size. I think you will have more consistency.

Hey Woods....I'll bet that I'm the only other guy posting here with a pin set like that....and I'd resize the cases too!

Hey vapo, did you use the pin gauge to see what the ID was and if it was .002" below caliber, why would you resize? Perfect bullet grip, no need for lube, no need to work harden the brass anymore.

I guess since I was in the Army, I now need a good reason for doing something, not "just because"!

Hey can we play 21 pics again!

I'm just finishing this years major project.....a new shop....the one I built last year is much too small!

I'll play 21 pics when I'm done with this project!

Thanks for the replies guys. I went ahead and loaded 5 of the 300RUMs without resizing and thought I would try them and see how they grouped. Will be shooting them at 500 yds so I should be able to see much difference. They were easier to seat the bullet so I know there is less neck tension but not sure what effect this will be with the accuracy. Will try to let you know tomorrow.

Oh yeah, I used an inertia type bullet puller. The RUMs will not fit in the RCBS inertia bullet puller. I think I used a Kenetics bullet puller. Have both and hadn't ever used either one.

God Bless, Louis

IMO if you pull the bullets and think that a bullet reseated in the neck without sizing is "looser"or there is "less neck tension", then you had too much neck tension to begin with. Or the inside surface of the necks had an inconsistant finish the first time you reloaded them and now seating and pulling the bullets have made the finish more consistant.

The generally accepted test is to put the bullet tip against a wood block or your bench and see if you can easily push the bullet further into the case. If you can then you do need to increase bullet grip or crimp.

The Lee Collet Neck Sizer gives very little neck tension and is known to make straight concentric necks and I have never had a problem with bullets moving in the case after loading.

The reason I resize is to ensure the best concentricity.

quote:

Oh yeah, I used an inertia type bullet puller. The RUMs will not fit in the RCBS inertia bullet puller. I think I used a Kenetics bullet puller. Have both and hadn't ever used either one.

If you did this and didn't use a collet puller, I guarantee the concentricity will be worthless and they will shoot accordingly
Hey woods!

Have you checked the concentricity of the loaded rounds after you re-seat the pulled bullets into the unresized cases? I'm sure you have a concentricity "thingy"!

If you have too much neck tension after you use your sizing die, then you need to get a Redding Type S die with the proper bushing.

If the only way you can get the neck tension you want is to load then pull the bullets then reseat........BWADT Method!

quote:

Originally posted by youngoutdoors:
If I pull the bullets from a case then reseat them will there be a difference in neck tension that will cause accuracy problems? I am going to pull some bullets from some 300 RUM's and 204 Rugers. Just trying to save the primers and sizing time.

Thanks and God Bless, Louis

If you pull the bullets, measure the case neck ID's, and if they are .002 smaller than the bullet OD's, I'd re-seat them as is, without doing any neck sizing after pulling the bullets. If the case necks have opened up to something less than .002, I'd do the neck sizing.
Another approach. I went through the same situation last summer. I bought some Nosler Factory made 222 Rem Mag ammo and the bullets were seated deep into the case necks. They shot accurately ( 1/2" for 5 shots at 100 yards), but the groups were not as good as I thought they could be. So, with an inertia bullet puller, I tapped the bullets as far out as they would go, without having the come out all the way out of the case necks. I succeeded knocking 200 bullets all the way out with none coming out of the case, with powder in the inertia puller; some fete I might say too. ( Dumb Luck trumps everything.. )
I then reseated them in a Wilson Seater so they were .010 off the lands of my rifle. Shooting them had the groups look far better in terms of shot placement, with groups still in the 1/2" range for 5 shots, at 100 yards.

Here's a pix of the 100 yard, 5 shot groups with bullets seated deep in the case necks. You can see the bullet placement. I don't have a pix of the 5 shot group after reseating bullets to .010 off the lands. But, the groups had bullets clusted much more uniformly than the group in the pix.

I know some bench shooters that are able to start their bullets with their fingers. 'Course they seat into the lands so I guess the added resistance of the bullet starting makes up for little or no neck tension.

quote:

Originally posted by rcamuglia:

If the only way you can get the neck tension you want is to load then pull the bullets then reseat........BWADT Method!

Absolutely BWADT! Good catch rc. A Baling Wire and Duct Tape way to get consistant .002" bullet grip everytime!! BTW I redid the test 3 times after that with the same cases and the results were always .002" below caliber.

What I need to test is whether it returns to .002" below caliber if the case is not stretched much, like neck size with a Lee Collet which will give the .002" below caliber, seat a bullet, pull the bullet and check the ID. It may be smaller.

BTW I have and use Redding Type S bushing dies in the 338RUM and they have their own concentricity problems. If you remove the expander stem then all the thickness variations will be pushed to the inside of the neck. If you outside neck turn then it is almost impossible to get 100% consistant neckt thickness which then means you will not get 100% consistant ID.

Order of preference for neck sizing dies begins with Lee Collets, then bushing dies and then expander ball types. But they don't make Lee Collets in 338RUM or 375 Ruger.

With my Creedmoor I use the type S and expander ball and have virtually eliminated runout.

Neck tension is lighter at .002". Without the ball it's higher. The cases are neck turned. I checked case neck concentricity after using the expander and it was nonexistant.

I used to size without the ball but now have seen the benifits of using it!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by rcamuglia:


Neck tension is lighter at .002". Without the ball it's higher. The cases are neck turned. I checked case neck concentricity after using the expander and it was nonexistant.

You have non existant concentricity? OK roger

Runout

Well shot the pulled-reseated rounds today and they grouped around 8" at 500 yds. The standard sized, seated loads grouped 2.75".

Are you guys saying that all is needed is .002" neck tension?

Woods, Lee will make collet dies for whatever caliber you would like; or they used too. I'd give 'em a call. I like the collet dies too.

I don't have a bullet "thingy". Do I need one?

Thanks and God Bless, Louis

quote:

Originally posted by youngoutdoors:

Woods, Lee will make collet dies for whatever caliber you would like; or they used too. I'd give 'em a call. I like the collet dies too.

Yeah, I need to get a



.002" is fine for bullet grip.

quote:

Originally posted by youngoutdoors:
I don't have a bullet "thingy". Do I need one?

You need one as bad as we need obummer in the White House.

What you have just discovered is that half doing a Reloading job results in less than stellar results - "at distance" - where everything you do(or do not do) matters.