I just got some new virgin norma brass, boy its really pricey these days. anyways should I run all this through my FL die or will neck sizing only get the job done for it??

c c

It depends upon what kind of neck sizing die you have. If you have a Lee Collet or Redding Bushing neck sizer then I would neck size, lightly chamfer and load. If you have an expander ball type of neck sizer then I would just lightly chamfer and load.

JMHO

If the as received brass chambers easily than your resizeing technique isn't going to matter. roger

True up the mouth/neck of those cases, then check to see if you need to trim them.

For as much as their brass cost, Norma brass should be very close to perfect.

I run all new brass thru a FL die just for grins and giggles.....it probably don't have to be done as new brass only needs the necks rounded up!

I have an RCBS neck die, is this the expander ball type sizer??

quote:

Originally posted by cummins cowboy:
I have an RCBS neck die, is this the expander ball type sizer??

Yes. Carefully pick it up with a pair of pliers and drop it in the trash.

I just barely bought it from cabelas, so I will just take it back, I think I am gonna get the Redding type S neck sizer

I prefer the Lee Collet Neck Sizers myself but don't have anything bad to say about the Redding Bushing Dies. You could buy the Lee Collet and the Redding Body Die for less money than the Redding Bushing Die, especially after you add in the cost of the bushings (make sure and get the right one!)

Check and make sure the brass is within length limits (I've yet to find any that wasn't), then bump the resizing ball thru the neck to make sure it's round and then load it and shoot it if you're using a BT bullet. Or chamfer the inside of the neck if you're using a flat based bullet.
Once it's 1x in your rifle, you can trim to length, weight sort, and any other stuff you do.

Interesting thread. I have a unique problem which prevents me from resizing ANY brass. My BAR refuses to eat any resized brass. It will only chamber brand new factory brass. Once fired and out they go. What a waste! Fortunately the gun is a 300WSM which I don't shoot often. Sent dies to Hornady with fired brass and factory cartdidge...no help same old problem.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

quote:

Originally posted by Dusky:
Interesting thread. I have a unique problem which prevents me from resizing ANY brass. My BAR refuses to eat any resized brass. It will only chamber brand new factory brass. Once fired and out they go. What a waste! Fortunately the gun is a 300WSM which I don't shoot often. Sent dies to Hornady with fired brass and factory cartdidge...no help same old problem.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

As you probably already know, the smallest "in-spec" factory chamber is still .003" or so larger than the largest "in-spec" factory cartridge (at least so far as SAAMI spec'd cartridges). That is so every factory cartridge should work in every factory chamber.

In your rifle that gap in specs is apparently a good thing, as you seem to have a truly minimum spec chamber.

What that does tell you, though, is that regardless what Hornady says they did for you, they did not make the die small enough to return the fired cases to factory specs. I have seen other problems with Hornady dies in the last 7 or 8 years and no longer buy them. It is MY opinion (YMMV) that the company is no longer interested in the "small" shooter the way ol' Joyce Hornady was. Maybe if you were a "big" gun-writer....


As for the RCBS dies mentioned above, for almost all hunting applications they will likely work just fine. For competition, something better might be in order.

I still have about 80-90 sets of RCBS dies that I have bought over the last 50 years in calibers from .17 K-Hornet to .470 Nitro and still use, and they all do their jobs correctly.

Apparently they have also dropped some of their QA stress over the past few years,, but I have had just as many problems with Redding and Lee dies as I have with RCBS, which is to say, danged few problems with either.

The only firms I have ever bought dies from which NEVER yet presented a problem to me are Lachmiller, L.E. Wilson, and Neal Jones...I just got a Wilson .22 PPC chamber-type seater in yesterday's mail......

quote:

Originally posted by Dusky:
Interesting thread. I have a unique problem which prevents me from resizing ANY brass. My BAR refuses to eat any resized brass. It will only chamber brand new factory brass. Once fired and out they go. What a waste! Fortunately the gun is a 300WSM which I don't shoot often. Sent dies to Hornady with fired brass and factory cartdidge...no help same old problem.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Dusky

Do you have a Stoney Point....err ah Hornady Head & Shoulders Gauge? You may not be moving the shoulder back far enough when you resize the case.

There is no reason why a reloader can not resize the case smaller than new brass if he wants to. It's all a matter of adjusting the die properly for Full Length Resizing to fit your chamber.

Dusky,

I had same problem with both a kimber 8400 and winchester super grade chambered in 300WSM. I was not screwing the fl resizing die down far enough when full lenghth resizing. consequently the bolt would not close due to excessive headspace. Try lowering your press handle to where the ram is at zenith. Screw your full lenght resizing die down to where it makes contact with the shell holder. Lift the press handle and lower the ram. Now screw down about a quarter turn. You will feel tension when you raise the ram and the shell holder contacts the bottom of the Die. Try this on some fired brass and see if it will chamber. Also with autos I believe rcbs recommends using small base dies.
Good luck
GWB

Dusky,

RCBS does not offer small base sizer dies, or the complete die set in 300WSM. I would certainly trust RCBS or Redding to answer your question, then send one of them your fired brass. I had Lee custom make me some dies that were unavailable.

I also agree with Alberta Canuck, Hornady isn't anywhere like the company it used to be years ago. I guess they still make good bullets, but their reloading equipment has fallen on hard times and poor design applications.

Since a small based die isn't a option:
When you resize your brass, is your die set up to where you need a fairly stout effort to cam over the handle?? If not, set up your die like that and then try it.
If that doesn't work, it sounds like your chamber is on the small side of the specs or your die is on the large side. You can go the custom die route or you can have a smith run another reamer in your rifle and open up the chamber a bit. With a fired cartridge, a smith might even be able to "polish" out enough room for you.
Before you do either, you ought to take a cast of your chamber so you can know which direction to take.

Dusky...can you describe that problem with the resized brass in a little more detail. I can't believe the combo doesn't work. Heck...I've even run neck sized only brass through a bar by mistake!!
I think there is a good chance you have to screw down your die just a tad tighter...if the dies aren't giving you enough headspace you might have to shave down a shellholder just a tad.

I have a friend with one of the new BAR's in 7 wsm. I was surprised at what a tight chamber it has. You can take once fired brass and slide a bullet into the case mouth and it actually has some light tension on the bullet without resizing......surprising on an auto.