Messin' around with press and dies

[RAY]

I paid premium money for Rem. Scirocco for 3006 to find flash holes off center , I thought something was wrong with my new equipment.
I guess this is why
decapping pins break !
Is there a way to remove the pin and still use the expander button ?

 

[nvbroncrider]

Depending on what die set. Most are just threaded on your decaping stem unthread the decaping stem from the die unthread the button and remove and replace the pin. Or just partially unthread the decaping stem so that it will size but not decap.

 

[RAY]

Depending on what die set. Most are just threaded on your decaping stem unthread the decaping stem from the die unthread the button and remove and replace the pin. Or just partially unthread the decaping stem so that it will size but not decap.

Thanks , I suppose how I wrote my post would lead one think I broke it , oops.
I meant , I know one of the reasons why sometimes they break.

I'm new to this stuff and I was just seeing how all this works using some cases I won't be reloading.

I have some RCBS dies , seater, neck, FL and a Lee decapper.
I did notice that the FL and neck sizers keep it centered while in the body , but the Lee decapper wiggles all over the place.

I wonder if the Rem. cases having off center flash holes caused some fliers that were off by 6" or maybe it was from bumping my scope off last season ? Who knows ?

Yeah ! just trying to get the hang of it so I'll know how to set everything up for the real deal.

Thanks for the advice on backing off on the decapping rod so it will just resize.
I guess I learned my first lesson about off centered flash holes.
You never know with factory stuff , unless you take it apart.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I try and use Nosler or Norma brass. It is better quality and lasts longer and besides I get better results with my loads. To me it is worth the money.

 

[nvbroncrider]

I personally have only had that problem on a military case dual flash holes I had no clue. I don't shoot factory and only buy premium brass unless I have no choice.

Although the last factory ammo I've seen by Remington was atrocious. Built a 35 Whelen for a friends wedding gift he picked up two boxes of ammo. We went to fire it click. Waited opened the bolt pin went off touch the primer indented it but no bang tried it again same. Chambered a second round same thing.

Long story short he sent the gun back to the smith and they test fired it again no problems but a round out of that box it click no bang. They got to measuring it and the Rem factory ammo was .005" short at the shoulder so when the firing pin went off it drove the case into the chamber but wasn't headspacing so it left a light mark of the primer no bang.

Talk about a disappointment hence why I still haven't fired a 35 Whelen.

 

[RAY]

I try and use Nosler or Norma brass. It is better quality and lasts longer and besides I get better results with my loads. To me it is worth the money.

I have a box of fifty , ( Nosler ) I'll be starting out on those !
I have some case mouths to straighten up though!

 

[RAY]

I personally have only had that problem on a military case dual flash holes I had no clue. I don't shoot factory and only buy premium brass unless I have no choice.

Although the last factory ammo I've seen by Remington was atrocious. Built a 35 Whelen for a friends wedding gift he picked up two boxes of ammo. We went to fire it click. Waited opened the bolt pin went off touch the primer indented it but no bang tried it again same. Chambered a second round same thing.

Long story short he sent the gun back to the smith and they test fired it again no problems but a round out of that box it click no bang. They got to measuring it and the Rem factory ammo was .005" short at the shoulder so when the firing pin went off it drove the case into the chamber but wasn't headspacing so it left a light mark of the primer no bang.

Talk about a disappointment hence why I still haven't fired a 35 Whelen.

Thanks for sharing this.
I haven't thoroughly understood heads pace yet .
When the chamber shoulder and the case shoulder touch in a bolt rifle and the bolt closes on it , is that good or bad ?
I have read so many things it gets confusing .

 

[nvbroncrider]

The Hornady manual explains it very well.

 

[RAY]

The Hornady manual explains it very well.

Thanks

 

[ElmerThud]

http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.co.uk/ ... space.html

This is a really interesting article for reloaders and when understood properly, a significant aid to producing good consistent, accurate ammunition.
Have fun. ATB Cheers ET

 

[nvbroncrider]

Good article Elmer! I might have to try the o-ring trick.

 

[truck driver]

Good read Elmer. Just wondering when it was published?

 

[DrMike]

Good read Elmer. Just wondering when it was published?

The update is dated October 28, 2009.

 

[RAY]

http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/reloading-headspace.html

This is a really interesting article for reloaders and when understood properly, a significant aid to producing good consistent, accurate ammunition.
Have fun. ATB Cheers ET

Thanks for the link .

Can you resize the same piece of brass over and over again until the correct shoulder bump is achieved and then actually reload that same piece of brass ?

 

[nvbroncrider]

As long as you don't bump the shoulder back too far the first time yes if you go to far the only way to expand it is by firing it.

 

[RAY]

As long as you don't bump the shoulder back too far the first time yes if you go to far the only way to expand it is by firing it.

Thank you for the tip !

 

[ElmerThud]

As long as you don't bump the shoulder back too far the first time yes if you go to far the only way to expand it is by firing it.

Absolutely correct - and of course, to extend brass life further you can anneal it.
By full length resizing to exact fired headspace dimension you're not overworking the brass shoulder/neck area too hard. The trick is to set the die very slightly 'high' & pinch down on the O ring to the right size.

Pinching the die up or down utilising the O ring flexibility to get to within .002" is a great help as also it is in aiding the full length neck/case body resized concentricity.

 

[RAY]

As long as you don't bump the shoulder back too far the first time yes if you go to far the only way to expand it is by firing it.

Absolutely correct - and of course, to extend brass life further you can anneal it.
By full length resizing to exact fired headspace dimension you're not overworking the brass shoulder/neck area too hard. The trick is to set the die very slightly 'high' & pinch down on the O ring to the right size.

Pinching the die up or down utilising the O ring flexibility to get to within .002" is a great help as also it is in aiding the full length neck/case body resized concentricity.

When you say FL sizing to exact fired headspace, are saying set the die to what a fired case measures ?( Datum to rim) .

With the o ring , are you saying to lightly snug lock ring down in place and hold it , while you bring the die up or down ?

 

[ElmerThud]

As long as you don't bump the shoulder back too far the first time yes if you go to far the only way to expand it is by firing it.

Absolutely correct - and of course, to extend brass life further you can anneal it.
By full length resizing to exact fired headspace dimension you're not overworking the brass shoulder/neck area too hard. The trick is to set the die very slightly 'high' & pinch down on the O ring to the right size.

Pinching the die up or down utilising the O ring flexibility to get to within .002" is a great help as also it is in aiding the full length neck/case body resized concentricity.

When you say FL sizing to exact fired headspace, are saying set the die to what a fired case measures ?( Datum to rim) .

With the o ring , are you saying to lightly snug lock ring down in place and hold it , while you bring the die up or down ?

Yes - datum to case head base with fired primer removed...that's the fired case headspace measurment. The actual headspace dimension is a bit harder to determine, but the fired case dimension is good to work to. Personally I always decap with a decapping die and back off the expander/decapp rod in the F/L resizing die.

The F/L resizing die is closely set up on the press to F/L resize to the selected headspace dimension then locked down without the lock nut being too tight & with the 'O' ring in place...The die can then be moved up/down with grips if necessary to F/L resize cases to the exact fired case dimension or certainly within .0005"-.002" range.

Centralising the expander/decapping rod is important..more so on longer cases i.e. 30-06 than shorter cases, but nevertheless should be done anyway. There is a good technique for doing this.

Loosen the de-cap rod then drive a lubed case into the F/L die. As you retract the case, as soon as you feel the expander ball tension in the case neck, tighten the decapping rod locknut before retracting the case from the die further. Your case neck/case body concentricity should then be as good as it gets.
Good luck. ET

 

[RAY]

As long as you don't bump the shoulder back too far the first time yes if you go to far the only way to expand it is by firing it.

Absolutely correct - and of course, to extend brass life further you can anneal it.
By full length resizing to exact fired headspace dimension you're not overworking the brass shoulder/neck area too hard. The trick is to set the die very slightly 'high' & pinch down on the O ring to the right size.

Pinching the die up or down utilising the O ring flexibility to get to within .002" is a great help as also it is in aiding the full length neck/case body resized concentricity.

When you say FL sizing to exact fired headspace, are saying set the die to what a fired case measures ?( Datum to rim) .

With the o ring , are you saying to lightly snug lock ring down in place and hold it , while you bring the die up or down ?

Yes - datum to case head base with fired primer removed...that's the fired case headspace measurment. The actual headspace dimension is a bit harder to determine, but the fired case dimension is good to work to. Personally I always decap with a decapping die and back off the expander/decapp rod in the F/L resizing die.

The F/L resizing die is closely set up on the press to F/L resize to the selected headspace dimension then locked down without the lock nut being too tight & with the 'O' ring in place...The die can then be moved up/down with grips if necessary to F/L resize cases to the exact fired case dimension or certainly within .0005"-.002" range.

Centralising the expander/decapping rod is important..more so on longer cases i.e. 30-06 than shorter cases, but nevertheless should be done anyway. There is a good technique for doing this.

Loosen the de-cap rod then drive a lubed case into the F/L die. As you retract the case, as soon as you feel the expander ball tension in the case neck, tighten the decapping rod locknut before retracting the case from the die further. Your case neck/case body concentricity should then be as good as it gets.
Good luck. ET

Can you tell me why to resize to a fired case measurement .

This might answer a question I have .
If not I will ask.

Thank you for the help !