Backing off FL Dies for Neck Resizing . . .

M

Montana Pete

Guest
I read an article today on reloading. The author stated that neck-resizing dies were probably an unneeded expense.

In the article, he stated that you can take a full-length resizing die and back it off by repositioning the lock ring. Then it will neck resize and not touch the case body.

He said he never had difficulty doing this, and wondered why shooters spent good money on expensive neck-resizing dies.

Is this correct? What are the pros and cons?

Exactly how do you go about doing this-- I mean, backing off your die? How do you know how much to back it off? How do you go about it?

Thanks in advance--
 
I do it for several calibers.

Loosen the locking nut on the die and screw the die out or upward a full turn or so. Size one of your casings. You can tell how much you move the die by looking at the casing neck and see how much of the neck is being sized. When you get it where you want it, lock the nut back in place.
 
It works

I do this with good results with hunting and varmint rifles. Just back the die off till it no longer hits anything but the neck. If you get a big chamber and a small die it will not work.
 
The diameter at the shoulder is still reduced. You can not neck size with any full length sizing die. The taper of the case prevents that. You can partially size the neck and case with a full length die..

One problem that can occur when you try and neck size with a full length die by backing it off a bit, is sometimes when the neck and shoulder diameter are being sized, the shoulder itself will bulge forward ever so slightly. When this happens the case will feel a bit hard to close the bolt on... This almost microscopic bulging of the shoulder does not occur when using a neck sizing die which sizes only the neck diameter.

There is nothing wrong with full length sizing providing you do not push the shoulder back excessively from it's fire formed form.
 
I've always neck sized only and I've limited my tools to first the Lyman 310 Nutcracker then the Lee Loaders. I load few rounds at any one time so these are sufficient.
I do have a Lee Hand Press but have not yet bought dies for it.

I figured there might be shoulder issuses if a full length die were backed off but I figured this would be a matter of the shoulder no longer being a perfect match for the chamber shoulder. This being more likely when rimmed bottle neck cartridges are reloaded due to significant variation in chambering reamers from one manufacturer to another or even different runs from the same manufacturer. The should not being critical to headspace some rifles chambered for rimmed cartridges have more clearance at the shoulder than others, especially the .303 British.

PS
Though I use the Lee Loader I don't use its primitive impact method of seating primers. I use an aluminum tube chucked into my drill press and bracing the table I use the handle of the press to force the casehead down around the primer in the Lee Loaders primer cup.
It gives a better feel than standard methods.
 
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I have found that I have more runnout on resized brass with a regular 7/8-14 neck die than I do with full length dies or even bushing dies. I don't use them anymore at all.

I have had several dies modified by honing the necks out to get the size I want for about the price of one bushing in a bushing type die.

I do most of my resizing with the full length die backed off a few thousands.
 
I can usually get away with backing off the full length sizer but you should use a trued shim ( I use a wilson cartridge gauge ) between ram and die body before tightening the lock ring on die. This has given me great results in regards to bullet runout after seating.
Mike
 
After that piece of brass is fired in that chamber,it is then a custom fit to that chamber,or so I've heard.I only resize as much of the neck {down} as the caliber is. Just eyeball it,the reason for resizing the brass to be fired in the same chamber is to hold the bullet,until it goes BOOM.
My .280 AI likes this,as well as my .243, but my 7-30 WATERS loves it.
Doing this the shoulder will not be touched.
 
Since I only size .2 of the neck anyway its sort of academic.
After the first firing I rotate the case 180 degree on the second firing. The case and neck are then equally expanded to the chamber insuring that the firing pin hits dead center of the primer for one thing. The neck being equally expanded and with the base of the neck left unsized it centers the bullet to the origin of rifling.
The less neck tension the less effect variation in neck tension can have. Up to a point of course.
I don't crimp either, and use a home made neck expander to expand slightly less than normal so the neck alone supplies what pull strength there is.
I haven't had any problem with bullets being forced into the case on feeding from a magazine, but ammunition for lever actions and autoloaders probably should be crimped. Sizing of the case body is probably also more prudent for the lever action and autoloaders to avoid jamms.

My loading techniques are geared toward rimmed bottle neck .303 and should work as well for similar cases like the .30-30 or 7X30 Waters.

I worked out this procedure when I had a very loose bolt and too generous headspace. I later replaced bolt and bolthead and head clearance is pretty good now.
When the old bolt was used firing pin indentations on first firing were far off center due to loose fit to the tapered chamber, so rotating the cases was a necessity to get optimum ignition on second and subsequent firings.
 
With the advent

of the 30 BR came the use of the Full Length die and I know there are lots of people who full length the 6 PPC. As Jackie Schmidt has said here, the die does all the work. If one is having issues with cases being straight they had better look to their die. The presses are just a conveyance to get the cases in and out of what makes them straight.

The way ( it's no secret ) to get long case life is to anneal the necks after every 5 or 6 firings. Brass will live a very long time is it is kept soft.
 
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