"Dumb" 30.06 brass sizing question?

[Vettepilot555]

A while back I bought some older 30.06 Lake City Match fired brass cases. I thoroughly cleaned and inspected them, then full length resized them using a Lee die. A good number of them won't seat in my Wilson 30.06 cartridge gauge. The shoulders definitely got bumped back when I resized them, (twice), because using my Hornady comparator, they measure about .005" shorter than new brass from the base to the shoulder. But some of the brass will only seat in the Wilson gauge with a firm push on the base of the brass, and some won't seat even then. BUT, they all chamber in my Winchester model 70 just fine; with what feels like ordinary bolt pressure.

For reference, my comparator shows that once fired brass, shot in my gun, measure .004" longer than new brass, for whatever that's worth regarding my gun's chamber.

The guys at the local gun shop here that caters to reloaders say to go ahead and load them up and shoot them. Personally, I'm not so sure...

What do you guys think?

Thanks in advance,
Vettepilot

 

[Charlie98]

If they chamber in your gun, you are good to go. You could go silly and small-base size them, but you are overworking the brass if they already fit in your rifle's chamber.

 

[Ironicaintit]

Are the rims burred?

 

[Vettepilot555]

Nope, the rims are in good shape. I also carefully probed the inside, looking for signs of incipient case head separation, and could not find any.

Vettepilot

 

[ms6852]

You should be fine. If they are going to be shot only out of that rifle you could just size the neck only. I full size mine simply because I own two different 30-06, and anneal them. I'm on my 6th reload with some of the brass.

 

[1KPerDay]

My garands bugger up the rims and I often have to press the last bit into the Wilson gauge and then use another case on the neck to press them out again. I fancy this irons out the dings and bends but I don’t really know. But I can’t gauge them otherwise.

 

[FROGO207]

Ultimately all that matters is the brass fits your rifle. It does and after inspecting for other problems you found none. Were they my brass I would use them with confidence.
Some times a case gauge causes more problems than it solves.

 

[Blue68f100]

Have you tried flipping the brass around and see if the base will go easily into to gauge? This will tell you what shape the bases are in. In some cases clear up the problem.

 

[brasscollector]

Case gauge is made to minimum specs. Any ammo that freely plunks into the gauge will (in theory) fit in any gun so chambered. What I suspect is happening is your chamber is likely on the larger end of the spectrum, and the cases you resized are somewhere in between. Your sizing die isn't working the cases down small enough to fit the gauge. As long as the cases easily chamber in your gun I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

 

[mdi]

One of the best answers to a question I had about my 30-06 handloads vs a case gauge was "Do they chamber?". They did and shot very well so I put the gauge in a drawer, somewhere, and have reloaded my LC, HXP and commercial brass happily ever after...

 

[Vettepilot555]

Ok. Thanks for all the input guys. I appreciate it!

Vettepilot

 

[bihj]

The great thing about handloading is the ammo you load only has to work in one firearm, not every one ever made. If they fit in your firearm< use them. You will be fine!

 

[edwardware]

A good number of them won't seat in my Wilson 30.06 cartridge gauge. . . BUT, they all chamber in my Winchester model 70 just fine;

Odd, I've never shot a case gauge, how's the trigger on yours?

Lose the gauge, size for the chamber; for a bolt, set the shoulders back 0.003" or so from fired dimension. Obviously your case gauge is tighter than your rifle, which is perfectly normal.

 

[Vettepilot555]

Thanks again guys. I will use them with confidence, and I'm glad I asked. I only have the one 30.06, and will be annealing them and neck sizing (Lee Collet Die), after this.

For the person that asked, yes, I turned the cases around, and the bases will fit into the gauge. And regarding the trigger on the case gauge... it's a PITA. Trying to hold on to the case gauge, the hammer and nail, and aim, all while needing to avoid the case when it flies backwards out of the gauge --->> it's tough and I can't hit a darn thing with it!!

;~)

Vettepilot

 

[rfwobbly]

The only "dumb" question is the one you didn't ask.

 

[Vettepilot555]

I often use that saying, as well as practice what it "preaches".

Vettepilot

 

[FROGO207]

OP for whatever it's worth when I went through my neck sizing only phase I found I could only get four or five reloads before I had to at least partial resize my brass to be able to shoot them. Otherwise I could not close the bolt on a round. Now I have set the full length sizer to bump the shoulder back about .004 every time I resize my brass and stopped using the neck size only dies.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

OP for whatever it's worth when I went through my neck sizing only phase I found I could only get four or five reloads before I had to at least partial resize my brass to be able to shoot them. Otherwise I could not close the bolt on a round. Now I have set the full length sizer to bump the shoulder back about .004 every time I resize my brass and stopped using the neck size only dies.

And FWIW, I have 80+ pieces of 7.62x54r brass that I've fired 14 times with only neck sizing with a Lee collet die. I just reloaded them again, and will fire most of them this Sunday at the local military Bolt-gun match.

I anneal every 3rd firing. No problems chambering whatsoever.


And the neck size debate goes on, ad infinitum.....