DrMike 356 question.

FOTIS · Nov 19, 2010

Doc:

I use lee dies for the 356 win. Unfortunately they will not allow seating to 2.555" which is what my gun requires for proper cycling. The max I can get is 2.775".
This problem is only prevalent with the 200 FTX. If I turn the whole die down further then the crimp kicks in and crushes the case.

What dies are you using with the ftx and what is your seating depth?

Thank you in advance.

DrMike · Nov 19, 2010

I'm using RCBS dies and loading to a COL of 2.600 inches. I had no difficulty cycling the rounds through any of my three Model 94s. Just checking back through my notes, I note that when I first began experimenting with FTX bullets, I loaded to a COL of 2.560 inches, and adjusted that per Hornady data to 2.600 inches. Fifty thou is quite a bit from the 2.550 I normally load to, but it cycled smoothly for me. I just checked on some of the loaded ammunition, and it was indeed 2.600 inches.

DrMike · Nov 19, 2010

I pulled this information off the Hornady site:

Loading FTX™ bullets requires some specialized techniques in certain
cases. To achieve a high ballistic coefficient we had to lengthen the
ogive, or nose, of the bullet. Sometimes this requires that the cartridge
case to be trimmed shorter than the suggested .010" under SAAMI Max
length that we recommend for conventional bullets. Follow prescribed
trim lengths exactly as presented in the FTX™ data for optimum results.

Consequently, I did trim the cases to 2.005 inches before loading, assuming there was no room for stretching in the neck.