For .223 brass, how often should I full length size and neck size?

I read a magazine article that said always full length size and never neck size.
I asked a local guy and he said once the brass has been fired from your chamber there is no need to full length size.

I'm confused.
~Dan

I have researched this alot myself and came across these answers...

Typically anything in a semi-auto, lever action, or pump you will need to full length resize it to allow the round to feed correctly. ALSO if you havea bolt action hunting rifle, you will need to full length size them.

Now if you have bolt action rifles that are paper killers. and you only loaded 1 at a time, and there is never a need for a very fast follow up shot. Neck sizing can be done.

Personally I dont see my needs ever having me do any neck sizing. All my rifles are hunting rifles with the exception of my 7mm Mag. and I will be Partial full length reszing it. Basically what happens here is you set up the dies shallow on the press so it doesnt slide all the way down the brass. Makes the brass last longer and your rounds more accurate. But this is my target or long range hunting rifle. So 1 round is all it will ever need.

Some people will agree with my reasoning and some will not for there own reasons.

Thanks for the input. I'd like to avoid full length sizing so I can get more loads out of the brass (I am a natural born cheap skate and anal retentive when it comes to perfection)

Anyway, so follow up on your comment:

quote:

Originally posted by Brando:
Personally I dont see my needs ever having me do any neck sizing.

Why is this? Are you saying that for hunting you don't need the extra accuracy that comes along with neck sizing? Or is there another reason? I primary hunt paper, so I am trying to get any extra accuracy that I can.
~Dan

My opinion is to fully resize every time with an RCBS small-base die, and turn that die down 1/4-turn past contact with the shell holder to make sure them cases get the shoulder bumped down far enough to totally eliminate chambering problems. Then trim to length and chamfer.

I had to bump 5,000 of them that were maybe .005 inches too high-- the bolt on my ARs would not close. What a nightmare. Hundreds were already primed. Took weeks to do them all...

homebrewer, is there a reason why you FL resize everytime?

I use a Lee press and dies. Without something to compare to I don't know if they are small base or not. Does RCBS make the only small base dies for .223?

I wish I had 5000 brass!

quote:

homebrewer, is there a reason why you FL resize every time?

Yes; to make damned sure the round chambers. I frequently do armed security around an asphalt batchplant that is draped with miles of fat copper cabling. If I have to put a cap in somebody's ass, I want that round and any subsequent to chamber. I figger if anybody is brazen enough to try to steal copper under darkness of night, they are brazen enough to do me grievous bodily harm. I have to be equipped to protect myself.

Lee may make small-base dies but the RCBS is the best, in my opinion. You can remove the decapping pin and keep the expander in place if you need to resize a case that's primed. You can't do that with Lee. That's one of the reasons I switched from Lee to RCBS. Other makers may offer small-base dies, but RCBS is so easy to find. They also make them in .30-06 Springsteen and .308 Winchester.

The RCBS small-base dies have SB pressed into the body of the die. A small-base die reduces the diameter of the case just ahead of the head by about .001 to .0015 inches under SAAMI, which ensures the case will chamber in any weapon chambered for that cartridge.

quote:

Originally posted by Not_Infringed:
Why is this? Are you saying that for hunting you don't need the extra accuracy that comes along with neck sizing? Or is there another reason? I primary hunt paper, so I am trying to get any extra accuracy that I can.
~Dan

I will never neck size cause all my rifles are hunting rifles. Except for my 7mm Mag, which I will partial full length resize. And neck Sizing does not always make for better accuracy. Every rifle is different and they all respond differently to different ways of reloading the shell.

Even with Full length sizing you can still get 8-10 loads out of a single piece of brass before tossing it. Neck sizing will not increase your brass use by that much.

I agree totally with Homebrewer, thats some good info he just posted. Those small base dies are a good way to go.

With standard dies, both flrs & neck dies use an expander ball. No added case life with this method as the neck area is worked the same. Neck sizing with a collet or bushing die does not use an expander, better case life, accuracy may or may not improve. Testing is the only way to know. You can neck size for any gun for 1 or 2 loading. But then you must FLRS. It is good advice to always flrs for autos, pumps, levers & break open single shots.

I always load for accuracy and that being said FL is the only way to go. Load my competition ammo and sporter ammo that way.

If your 223 is an AR then Full Length Resize with small base dies.

If your 223 is a bolt action then Neck Size until you have a crush fit and then Partial Full Length resize, best combination of dies is Lee Collet Neck Sizer and Redding Body Die.

I just full length resize everything and have never had a problem.

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Sullivan:
I just full length resize everything and have never had a problem.

Same here.
The only time I ever neck sized cases only was when shooting Benchrest competetively.

I just full length resize everything and have never had a problem.

The only time I ever neck sized cases only was when shooting Benchrest competetively.

I'm with the about commonsense really. Only EVER neck size when you have the leisure to select another round to chamber if that first selected refuses to chamber!

In competition with a tight time limit or when after live game I always full-length re-size without fail.

Like HOMEBREWER in fact every five or six reloadings I will even use a small base re-size die...RCBS...even though these are for 270 Winchester and 280 Remington bolt action rifles and normal four legged game.

Also, I think it depends on how many different guns you have in the same chambering.
For instance, if you have an AR .223, a bolt action .223, and a single shot in .223, I can see the desire to full length resize to insure they will chamber in every rifle.
If you have only one rifle in a particular chambering, you most likely will be OK simply neck resizing. This is particularly true with non standard chamberings. In fact, for my 500/450 No.1, I use a 30'06 die to squeeze the neck down so the bullet will stay in. I am just too much of a tightwad to have dies made. Of course, this is a BP fairly low pressure round and has worked just fine so far.

A really useful thread, I thought that you should only neck size once the case has been fire formed for hunting rifles in the belief that it would increase case life, but it looks as though this is only for target rifles. I have recently began neck resizing my .375 but as a DG rifle I will start to resize full length from now on.

Neck sizing with collet dies or bushing dies is a valuable reloading technique properly employed.
Partial full length resizing is another valuable technique again properly employed.
True full length resizing has very limited utility IMHO.

muck