Fl Vs Neck

[Tod Soeby]

I did a quick search on this topic and didn't find much.

Question to you 1k competitors with custom match rifles. FL or neck size???


This is my second bbl from this smith.....300 wby .330 neck. The first bbl went on a custom hunting gun 8 years ago. The new bbl is on a REAL 1K bench gun that I plan on completing with.

My "go to " guy, who's brain I pick on a regular basis, says he only FL sizes (DASHER'S). When I had the bench gun built I sent along a couple of dummy rounds & I asked my smith (Clay Spencer) about custom dies. He had looked over my dummy rounds fairly well and didn't think I needed them. The dummy rounds were neck sized. I guess I didn't indicate to him that they were neck sized, but I assumed he could tell. He also stated that custom dies would be costly.

I never, ever FL size. To much work. But......those were custom hunting guns, not dedicated bench guns.


I am not afraid of the extra work if it is necessary. And with what I have in the gun, scope, and all the "stuff", not to mention what it is going to cost me to travel 800 + miles every time I attend a match, a few hundred $ is no big deal.


WHAT SAY YOU?

THANKS, TOD

 

[Dave Tooley]

I FL size every time. I wouldn't do it any other way. Custom dies, if done properly, are the way to go. That means chamber reamer matched to the brass size then the resize reamer matched to the chamber reamer.

Dave

 

[Crunch]

I would FL resize IIRC without moving the shoulder back (IIRC). And anneal cases occasionally. I thought about buying a special neck-sizing-only die (or setting mine to do it) but never got around to it.

I was using Lake City Match 30-06 brass necked down to 270. I was using 100gr HPs at ~ 3000f/s, never noticed any signs of overpressure and they shot GREAT (100 gr .277 Speer HP over 48.5 gr of IMR4895 over a magnum primer I think) although I think those cases are getting worn out and close to incipient head separation (no thanks).

I don't think FL resizing is an issue if you stay on top of it and anneal / trim when needed.

Jeff