6ppc reloading dies

[P.Ericson]

When shooting stout 6PPC loads, how much squeze is desired? My reamer is a PTG with .440" dimension at the .200 mark.

I have been using a slightly polished redding SB die in the past. It reduce the base of the case about .001", and the area just below the shoulder about .003". I´ve always thought that that was a bit to much. Sent some cases to Harrels and got a 2.5 die back. After about 7 fireings the cases starts clicking on extraction. The die hits the base about .0003" or so (just barely measurable with a micrometer), and the shoulder about .0015".

Is a #3 die the right way to go, or should I just keep the SB die and be happy? I get around 20 reloadings with the SB die before the primer pockets start getting loose. Have some case growth with the die witch I guess is due to the heavy calibration.

Getting the right dies for a PPC chamber is a pain in the...

 

[SGS]

I keep Harrels #2, 2.5, and 3 to cover most requirements. All my reamers are about .440 at the .200 datum. I use the #2 with new brass for several firings and then switch to the #2.5. I have used the #3 a few times with brass that has hardened but I usually start chucking the cases shortly thereafter. I also have a Redding SB die but it sizes the same as a Harrells #2.5.

I guess a lot of us end up with a bunch of 6ppc dies before we get it just right.

Scott Roeder

 

[abintx]

Mr. Ericson ...

When shooting stout 6PPC loads, how much squeze is desired? My reamer is a PTG with .440" dimension at the .200 mark.

I have been using a slightly polished redding SB die in the past. It reduce the base of the case about .001", and the area just below the shoulder about .003". I´ve always thought that that was a bit to much. Sent some cases to Harrels and got a 2.5 die back. After about 7 fireings the cases starts clicking on extraction. The die hits the base about .0003" or so (just barely measurable with a micrometer), and the shoulder about .0015".

Is a #3 die the right way to go, or should I just keep the SB die and be happy? I get around 20 reloadings with the SB die before the primer pockets start getting loose. Have some case growth with the die witch I guess is due to the heavy calibration.

Getting the right dies for a PPC chamber is a pain in the...

Here is something I saved that might be of help. Art

Full-Length Bushing Dies and Die Conversions

Profile: Jim Carstensen is the owner and lead engineer for JLC Precision, in Bellevue, Iowa. With over a decade of precision machining experience, he specializes in crafting custom dies and die conversions. JLC Precision also performs expert gunsmithing on both benchrest and varmint rifles.

Custom Honing the Conversion Die

When I make a JLC conversion Die, I measure your fired cases, and then start honing and polishing the die core to match. I will periodically stop to resize a piece of brass and check it against a fired case. This can take a long time, depending on the size of the chamber. I feel that *** the front of the case just below the shoulder should be resized about .0005", and the base resized .001". I also think the shoulder, or datum line needs to be pushed back no more than .001". *** This is what I strive for compared to brass that has been fired several times. It is the honing process that I do that makes the JLC conversion different and (I believe) better, than a standard Redding Type S full-length bushing die. The Type S full-length bushing die works the same way as my conversion does, in the sense that it sizes both the case body and the neck (by way of bushings). However, the Type S die, out of the box, will not be honed to fit your fired brass. Mine will.
These resize dimensions stated above (.0005" shoulder reduction, .001" base reduction); will work well with all chamberings I have encountered.
Resizing with a die with the correct shoulder/base dimensions, and using it every time you reload, will result in the longest case life and easiest bolt operation.
*** If the action bolt is clicking or popping at the top of the bolt lift, it indicates that the brass is too big near the base [the web]. Throw the brass in the garbage. ***

 

[P.Ericson]

abintx,

Thanks. .001" is quite a heavy squeze on the base, very similar to my polished SB die. But the die works quite good! The shoulder on the other hand is quite a bit different, and I guess thats why I get some case growth.