Resizing

[hughie]

New reloader here. This has probably been asked before but here goes.
I shoot bolt action rifles. the brass I am reloading has been shot in my rifle.
so, do I full length resize or neck size. I'm not using bushing dies, seems a little to complicated at this point.

 

[spitballer]

Fellow bolt enthusiast here. Neck sizing will do it, but you'll still need to trim cases once in a while. Semi autos may have the firepower, but it's hard to match a bolt for accuracy when the ammo's right. Good luck to you.

 

[ironworkerwill]

It's up to you, either will work. FL sizing will work the brass 3/4 of the way to the head. Neck sizing only works the neck.

You will need to FL size when you get too much resistance in chambering the round. This is also up to you. Some shooters like a LITTLE resistance chambering.


Load some both ways with identical loads and see. That's part of the fun.

 

[Otto]

The last thing you want is a live round stuck in the chamber. Considering you're a new reloader I suggest you stick with FL sizing for now.

 

[rcmodel]

I don't even own a neck sizing die.

I full length size every caliber I shoot.

But just enough to bump the shoulders back for slight resistance when closing the bolt.

It makes very little if any difference in brass life, or accuracy in typical sporting rifles.

Nothing worse then being miles from home hunting or shooting and finding out you can't close the bolt on some of your reloads due too one to many neck sizings.

rc

 

[judgedelta]

If you're going to be miles away from home hunting or shooting, nothing beats having checked your ammo by either cycling through your action or at least using a gauge (about $30 bucks from Brownells). I do all of my hunting cartridges this way and have had no problems so far.

 

[ironworkerwill]

nothing beats having checked your ammo by either cycling through your action or at least using a gauge

+1 There is nothing like putting the cart before the horse.

I like the K.I.S.S method. It usually descrbes my condition.:banghead:

 

[fguffey]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------New reloader here. This has probably been asked before but here goes.
I shoot bolt action rifles. the brass I am reloading has been shot in my rifle.
so, do I full length resize or neck size. I'm not using bushing dies, seems a little to complicated at this point.

New reloader, that is good, you do not have you mind made up, you do not have bad habits,you are not opinionated. Well, that is not totally true, you have narrowed your choices to full length sizing a case back to minimum length or neck sizing. All of my sizing dies have threads, my presses have threads, I use the same type of die you use for sizing but my dies are versatile.

With my versatile die I can full length size or I can adjust my die to size cases for any length chamber from .012" short than a go-gage length chamber to .002" longer than a field reject length chamber, that is 28 different lengths plus, with the same die I can neck size.

All I am required to be able to do is measure the length of the chamber from the shoulder/datum to the bolt face.

F. Guffey

 

[gamestalker]

Start by FL sizing, learn it and then if you decide it's necessary move to trying neck sizing, you'll have a better handle on things. But with neck sizing, bumping shoulders eventually becomes necessary, so the need for a FL die is eminent anyway.

GS

 

[Sunray]

Hi. It's more about what you can do than what you must do.
You can neck size only, but sooner or later you will have to FL size anyway.
You can set up an FL die to neck size only with a bit of trial and error fiddling. You adjust the sizer die up or down until just the neck gets resized. Or buy a neck sizer die.
An FL dies just gets set up so the shell holder just kisses the bottom of the die with the ram all the way up. You fiddle with that to neck size.
Like rcmodel says, it doesn't make much difference to case life. The necks will crack eventually anyway. When that happens you pitch the cracked one and anneal the rest.