I offered to help work up some loads for a friend's 7mm Rem. Mag., but when I got to the stage where I needed to resize the cases all the cases were deformed around the shoulder (I did about five trying to figure out whether it would repeat).

I have been reloading my .338 Win. Mag., and my reloading supplies are pretty much all RCBS. Therefore, the shell holder is a No. 4 for both; all I changed were the dies.

According to RCBS, you put the plunger with the installed shell holder at the top of the stroke, screw in the die until it touches, then screw it in another 1/8 to 1/4 turn. I did that.

Then I cleaned out the vent hole, with still no luck.

Finally, I followed the directions, but instead of screwing the die in another 1/8 turn, I backed it off 1/8 turn. This solved the crushing problem, but it does not conform either to the directions or to my experience with my cartridges.

Since I consider non-conformance to be a bad thing in dealing with explosives and projectiles, I figgered I'd ask.

So... What am I doing wrong?

kk

What kind of lube are you using and how much?

I am using RCBS Case Lube, and very little. I rubbed in about 1/2 teaspoon on the pad, then lightly touched the case and the case mouth.

That said, I thought the shoulders had a lot of lube after they were crushed. That was my first thought as to the reason, so I kept backing off. That's why I crushed four in a row and then cleaned out the vent hole.

I wonder if I could have got a glob of lube on the neck of the first one and it's carrying on?

kk

KK
try taking the die apart, then using a cue-tip and rubbing alcohol to clean out the insides of the die.then if you can find some imperial sizing die wax.its made by
E-Z Systems
P.O. box 4310
Newark,Ohio 43058
phone # 740-345-6645 after 1.00 P.M. E.S.T.
just run your finger across the top and get enough to fill fill finger prints ridges, then twirl the case neck and shoulder between your fingers.it works very well and easily wipes back of the cases.its the sest thing i have ever used.
but then this is just MHO
muskrat
live free or die!

KK, as far as I know one should loosen the die a bit, not turn in closer and not lube to much.
Hugh.

My money is on Lube Dents, clean the die and make sure you don't get too much lube on the necks. It pushes back to the shoulder and will stay in the die causing these dents. Sizing wax will help out too.

I would say they are grease dents.

Whenever I setup my press to load I always leave a dime's thickness of space between the shellholder and the die. The one exception is when I am loading for an autoloader, such as my Garand, where I will seat the die so it just touches the shellholder.

It is a lube problem;the lube is going up in the neck area.First make sure your die is clean,use yours fingers applying the lube,(1/4" below the shoulder)I dont apply the lube,(the lube has to go up),it must not going in the neck area.

I dont apply lube in the area 1/4" below the shoulder,below that I apply the lube.

KK,
You need to define crushed shoulders..If they are little dents that run diagnaly from the shoulder to the neck then that is lube...If you are getting a slight bulge at the lower part of the shoulder, sometimes a ring looking affair then that is oversizing....brass has to go someplace in a die or a chamber.

Forget the directions when setting the die...blacken the case neck with a match and you can easily see where the neck is being sized, have your gun handy and as you size down the neck a turn or two at a time, try the case in the gun and do that until you can close the bolt with just a very very little bit of crush or with no crush with hunting loads...

Remember that all chambers have variances in size so they may or may not match the reloading die...It is very common to have to back off the die a half to a full turn which is what you did and solved your problem, now see if the case fits the gun.....

to make Ray's way quicker...

without a shell in the die, raise the ram as high as it will go.

turn the die into the press until it touches the shell holder

turn it back 1.5 full turns.

smoke the neck (or watch it scrape) and turn it in .25 turn at a time.

jeffe

You didnt say if you are using max. loads,going just a bit" above" max. can cause problem...

Your "not much lube" is too much.

Everybody has been very helpful. I agree that it's the lube, although I also still think there's a hell of a difference between what constitutes "too much" in the 7mm vs. the .338 WM. I have loaded hundreds of the .338s with no problem.

Importantly, though, both the Speer Manual and the RCBS insert with the dies specify to raise the ram, touch the top of the shell holder and then turn the die in another full turn. This is opposite of what is said here.

Why?

kk

KK
i do not have an answer for that last question but that way it will cover everyones dies and rifles???? this is just a guess.on setting the dies i turn them down a quater of a turn at a time and try them in my rifle,when they just go in without and stiffness on the bolt, i stop and use that setting of the dies.this way they fit the rifle and do not work the brass anymore then you have to.also this only works on that paticular rifle.if you have two rifles of the same caliber, you will have to do this for both of them.
muskrat
only free men own guns/slaves do not!!!!!

Read Ray's instructions one more time and do it that way. Doing it RCBS' way only causes early case failure and enriches the cartridge case making companies.
The only difference in the way I do it and Ray's way, is I use a magic marker on the neck and shoulder. A sharpe pen works well also.
What you want to do is make that case an exclusive fit for the rifle in question, sized just enough to ensure reliable feeding.
FWIW, the instructions that came with a set of Redding dies I have give the RCBS method and Ray's method.
Paul B.

KK,Ray is right,between the shell holder and the ram up,there is supposed to have some gap,may be 1/8,1/16 turn of the die( more or less),dont touch the shoulder of the case.

And I have seen instances wherein it was necessary to file the shell holder down to properly size the case and in extreme cases I have seen it necessary to grind the bottom of the die, in which case it may have been better to rechamber the rifle a bit...

The idea is to set ones die to match ones chamber on a particular gun as chambers vari a good degree....

Now if yo send RCBS or ???? three cases and have custom dies made then you can set the die according to instructions SOMETIMES!!!!