RCBS Competition die and Hornady Lock and Load AP

[genebofunk]

Hello all,
I'm throwing this out there to see if anyone else is having or has had this problem. I have a set of RCBS Competition dies for 308 that I have been using on my Lee single stage press with great success. Earlier this year I bought a hornady lock and load progressive. The problem I am having is with the FL sizing die. When I set up the die in the hornady press I raise the ram full stroke then screw down the FL die until it touches then give it an 8th of a turn or so. When I size the brass I run the ram up until it stops. Then when I check the brass in the case gauge it doesn't fit because the shoulder is not being set back enough. I tried adding another 8th and even another quarter but the die seems to be hitting the shell plate and now lowering enough of the brass. I swapped up the RCBS die for a Lee 308 FL die. I set it up the same way raise the ram, touch the shell holder and give it an 8th of a turn and it works fine. The lee die is setting back the shoulder by .004 or so. Anyone else have this problem or something similar. I'm thinking I need to send the die back to rcbs and have them ground a few hundredths off the die so it will lower completely over the brass.


-- Gene

 

[thump_rrr]

Although I own both a LNL AP Progressive and a Lee single stage I have never tried to load precision rounds on the progressive.

 

[KansasSasquatch]

I don't reload .308, yet, but I can tell you that it's not a good idea to cam over on an LNLAP. You end up flexing the shellplate and putting undue stress on parts of the press. It leads to all kinds of not-so-funny funny results. You should only screw your sizing die down enough to just touch the shellplate. Now obviously in your situation that probably isn't going to size your brass properly. Either size your brass on a single stage and do everything else on the LNL. Or you can machine off some material (or have it done) from the bottom of the die to allow it to bump the shoulder back just enough when it's screwed down to the point it touches the shellplate.

 

[Blue68f100]

I reload 308 and Rem 7mm Mag and the only case lube I will use is Imperial Sizing wax. It provides enough lube to size the brass, and is a lot easier than any other lube I have used. 1/8 Turn may not be enough, most of my dies are at 3/16-1/4 Turn. But it makes a difference if all stations are being used.

 

[genebofunk]

Has anyone ever had rcbs modify their dies for them?

 

[fguffey]

http://www.rcbs.com/downloads/instructions/Competition_Dies_Instructions.pdf

When a die does not have the ability to size a case back to minimum length/full length size I check the die with the shell holder for the critical measurement from the deck of the shell holder to the shoulder/datum of the die. When the press does not have the ability to overcome the cases ability to resist sizing I check the gap between the bottom of the die and top of the shell holder/plate. Some reloaders use light, I do not have ‘back-up light’, that leaves me with using the feeler gage, the companion tool to the press, also know as ‘THE thickness gage’.

I have extended shell holders that are used when working with short cases, I have an extended shell holder for the 308 W competition die set. The extended shell holder # is 38253.

Then there is flex, a shell plate with 5 positions does not allow the case to be centered over the ram, the shell plate is a cantilever, the cantilever increases the cases ability to resist sizing, when there are 5 positions on a shell plate there is a chance the deck height of the holders on the plate are not all .125”.

Sending dies to RCBS? I haven’t, I make all of my adjustments for different chamber lengths with the feeler gage, with a RCBS shell holder and their “versatile” full length sizer dies I size cases that are .012” shorter than minimum length (.017” shorter than a go-gage length chamber) to infinity, or as I like to say a ‘more practice’ .002” longer than a field reject length chamber, and that puts the length of the case from the shoulder/datum .016” longer than a minimum length case from the shoulder/datum to the head of the case.

F. Guffey

 

[Walkalong]

I do not have that particular die, but I have had two sizer dies where I had to remove some material from the bottom of the sizer when used on my LNL. Same problem, it would not move the shoulder enough.

I have a standard Redding .308 sizer, and a Redding Type S FL sizer, and they both work fine on the LNL.

I imagine RCBS would do the work for a reasonable charge. They might baulk at it though, thinking it could cause unsafe sizing, and on another press it certainly could after relieving material from the bottom.

Call them and find out.