Iam finding myself loading a lot of rounds
for my 300 win mag,useing 75gn of RL22 and
165gn horandy BTSP iam printing 0.367 groups
at 100 yards. Would neck sizeing improve my groups any? Although iam not complaining
about what ive got.I know it would save the
life of my brass.Anyone know the propper
way to neck size with full length dies.
this is one cal i dont have a neck size die for.Thanks for any comments!

That load is not max and with a neck sizing die you would save the trouble of lubing the case bodies.

But if that is a hunting rifle it's not worth the potential chance that a case will stick or not chamber just right with a neck sized only round.

The case can be run into the die about half way down the neck with the FL die but these may not chamber all that well as it may bulge the case forward.

The best thing to do with a belted magnum case is to FL size it but just enough so that the FL sized case headspaces on the shoulder and not the belt. This is the best hope for some case life.

Just make a budget for new cases.

I have never had a case stick (knock on wood) by neck sizing. I thought you see alot of stuck cases by FL sizing and give the case time to build momentum after detination but with neck only, the chamber will help absorb the pressure.

Am I totally off base? I can't really say for sure. But if I get consistent .397" groups, I would change much. Any change in your process could cause your load to change also, I would think.

I recently "discovered" the Lee Collet sizing dies, and am slowly but surely replacing all my full-length dies with them for all the calibers I shoot in bolt guns. I agree with previous posting regarding the use of full-length sizing for any serious field shooting where one doesn't want to take the chance that a round might not chamber at a critical moment. However... In several hundred rounds in .22-250, .308, .30-06, 7mm Mag, and .338 Mag, I have yet to have one fail to chamber. Of course, I'm careful to keep cases with the rifle they've been shot from.

The Lee die is unique in that there is no "sliding" of brass over or through a die, thus elminating the need to lube either the outside of the case or the inside of the neck before sizing. Do a lot of reloading and you'll soon realize this is a definite plus. Add the lengthened case life and you'll quickly see the benefits of neck sizing. Lee "guarantees" their collet dies will load the most accurate loads you've ever reloaded... Not certain I agree with that claim yet, but I can say I haven't come up with any loads that were more accurate using "conventional" dies.

Bud

I neck size all my practice and target ammo. My dies are set up to resize the neck almost to the shoulder (maybe 1/8th inch away). And I use full length dies set up as follows: I set up my dies to full length resize with a very firm "cam over" feel to the press handle when I top out the ram. Then I get a flat washer about the thickness of a nickle that has a hole in it that the body of my die will pass thru but not the lock ring. (actually I use the same washer for all the dies) I then put the washer on top the press and screw the die thru it. Now I'm ready to neck size.
This set-up allows you to quickly switch over to full length resize (hunting ammo or if your neck sized ammo has gotten too big to chamber easily)
All of that said, if you have a hunting rifle in 300wm that shoots .3 groups you need to start entering bench rest matches as you would win a lot of them.
And if I had the ability to shoot groups in the 3's with anything, I would probably have my trigger finger bronzed and put it on a plaque over the mantel.

[This message has been edited by beemanbeme (edited 03-26-2002).]

If you are interested I have a set of brand new lee collet dies for 300 win mag. I made a mistake a year ago and put the wrong order number down (I intended to get 30-06 dies).
If you want 'em I'll ship them to you for $22.00. If you look around I think you'll find that a real good price. They've never been out of the box as I don't have a 300 win mag!! I am a big fan of collet dies too.
There is no lube to mess with at all and the concentricity is fantastic. PLUS their seater die does a great job and is very easy to adjust with your finger tips vrs a screwdriver for most other brands.

Ken:

The Lee collet die is an excellent die for neck sizing, but contrary to other advice you CAN successfully neck-size or, more importantly, partially-size with your FL die. Partial-sizing will ensure that your case easily reenters the chamber and also that excessive headspace is not created.

As Ross Perot would say, "IT'S SIMPLE!"

Start with your die backed out about 1/8 inch. Size. Try the case in your rifle chamber. Successively turn the die down in the press until your partially-sized brass chambers with only the slightest resistance. It is now headspacing properly on the shoulder. You won't increase the initial pressure ring near the head, and your brass won't be subject to premature failure.

After loading a few samples, work them through the gun to make sure they chamber without hesitation. For hunting ammunition, every single round should be chambered checked, whether full-length, partial, or neck-sized. Once it's chamber-checked, it's irrelevant how it was originally sized to its functioning, but very important to your brass life. Remember, a hunt can be ruined by a case head separation as quickly as by sticky-chambering reloads.