I had a sako .300 wsm which I had shot some brass with. This gun was to heavy for my needs. So now I have purchased another .300 wsm. I tried putting the fired casing from the Sako in the new rifle but they won't fit as they expanded to large.

So my question is, can I reszie these fired casings so that these casings just fit into the chamber of the new rifle with the bolt closing slightly snug. Or do I need to start from scratch and full resize these casing?

Thanks,
admas

There is no definitive answer for you, you should try full length resizing and then see if they fit.
They may or may not depending on the differences in your 2 chambers.

Just partially resize a bit at a time until they do fit your new chamber. Need to use a different case each time when doing this as if you use the same case and keep sizing it in increments to fit the chamber, you will often find that just when you think the die is all set and the case fits the chamber with a slight drag on closing the bolt, the case you now size in one increment will be too snug. This is because the brass 'sets' differently from being sized in multiple small increments to being sized in one go as well as your press also flexes more when sizing in one hit as opposed to incremental sizing.

Doesn't always happen this way but can be a real pain if you go ahead and load up some rounds after locking your die after your last resizing increment only to find the loaded cartridges are just too snug or even won't go.

How do I know, been there and done that.

I am not really sure there is any advantage to partial sizing in a hunting gun.

We always full length size out brass.

I agree with Saaed, FL. Size them for a hunting gun.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I am not really sure there is any advantage to partial sizing in a hunting gun.

We always full length size out brass.

I would generally agree but some factory ammo is fairly generous in fit particularly the belted magnums often seem to be and Norma ammo certainly in earlier years was a bit sloppy in some cartridges. It doesn't take long before case head separations start to appear if FL sizing. Course it all depends on the chamber and dies as to how much of a problem this can be.

For decades I used and reloaded the 7x61 S&H cartridge and partially resized to headspace on the shoulder rather than the belt. Ammo and cases were hard to get and reasonably expensive so I wanted to get more than just a couple of reloads from cases.
When you are shooting game all year round, case preservation can become a bit more important.
Annual trips to Africa on animals that can bite back, most definitely I would be using good fully sized brass.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I am not really sure there is any advantage to partial sizing in a hunting gun.

We always full length size out brass.

You are probably right but I shoot my rifles off of a bench much more than I get to shoot them in the field. While a 1.5-2.0" groups would kill anything at the ranges I shoot, they don't look too hot in a target.

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I am not really sure there is any advantage to partial sizing in a hunting gun.

We always full length size out brass.

I would generally agree but some factory ammo is fairly generous in fit particularly the belted magnums often seem to be and Norma ammo certainly in earlier years was a bit sloppy in some cartridges. It doesn't take long before case head separations start to appear if FL sizing. Course it all depends on the chamber and dies as to how much of a problem this can be.

For decades I used and reloaded the 7x61 S&H cartridge and partially resized to headspace on the shoulder rather than the belt. Ammo and cases were hard to get and reasonably expensive so I wanted to get more than just a couple of reloads from cases.
When you are shooting game all year round, case preservation can become a bit more important.
Annual trips to Africa on animals that can bite back, most definitely I would be using good fully sized brass.

You are right with belted cases.

But I think the problem is not with the ammo, it is with some very generous chambers.

We never chamber our belted magnum rifles so that a GO gage with fit.

We use a new case to check for the heaspace. Once the bolt closes on this we stop cutting the chamber.

In fact, the GO gage we have will not fir in any of the rifles we make!!

We were told we were going to have problems with ammo.

Never happened.

Size it until it fits

It seems to me the best bet would be a full length size and then fire the brass which should expand it to what ever chamber they are being fired in. Once this is done you can neck size the brass with future reloadings if you prefer.

quote:

Originally posted by ted thorn:
Size it until it fits

Of course. That's a no-brainer. Sizing it any smaller (setting the shoulder back any further than is required for chambering without undue resistance) is of no benefit in any way whatsoever, and is detrimental to the life of the brass.

Simply jamming a case into a "full length" sizing die until the shell holder bears hard against the die bottom may result in much more than "full length sizing", depending on the interior dimensions of the die (which vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and even from lot to lot) and the thickness of the shell holder lips. That's why ALL cases should be sized with the die set so that the case only enters the die far enough to re-enter the rifle's chamber without resistance (or minimal resistance). Setting the shoulder back further simply results in greater headspace, which, if too excessive, causes all kinds of problems.

I recommend reading this about case sizing:

Extending Cartridge Case Life

http://www.realguns.com/Commentary/comar46.htm


I am going to say that you need to consider full length case sizing, and using a cartridge case gage to determine how much you are sizing the case.

Sometimes, the case is so ballooned that even small base dies will not adequately reduce the fired case dimensions. That is why some shooters will spend $850 for a roll sizer.

Casepro 100

http://www.casepro100.com/

Always: chamber check hunting loads before leaving on the hunt trip. Make sure you've put it in the rig too!!

IF others are going to use the same shells, check those guns the same way.

Damned few chambers are cut the same. I've run into that many times. Just in case, I take a crate full of loaded stuff, 100-200 rnds per caliber I load for along in my hunting camp trailer. Usually the first visitors to camp are the game wardens. I let them know if anyone has forgotten their ammo, or needs more etc. to send 'em to me as I have a big stock of it for most anything. AND be sure to bring their rifle along so we can make sure they'll chamber in their gun/s. We usually have a target set up near camp and I have them fire a 3 shot group to make sure they're happy.

75 miles down the mtn to the nearest store that may or may not carry that size. I've sold around 1500 rounds up there in a week season over 8 years time. Amazing how often things happen.

George

Partial resizeing IMO is a mistake for hunting rifles, maybe fine for benchrester where a silly millimeter is so important..

99 time out of a 100 you can full length resize any case or same caliber and it will fit your new rifle. Sometimes on rare occasions you have to romp on the handle to get them down, but that's rare..Use Imperial gun wax on your cases then resize them..you can run a hoe handle up a Nats but with that stuff..