Neck sizing

[rick smith]

Lets return to what I have previously said, can't neck size with FL dies, only PFL or FL. If I finger insert a fired unsized 30/06 case into my 30/06 FL die 0.527" of the case is outside of the die. To get the neck sized I have to push the case into the die with the press. Removing the die with case into the die, done with a Forster Co-Ax in case one wonders how, and measure the case protrusion I get 0.214". A 30/06 neck is 0.385" long, Max Saami and I had to move the case 0.313" to size the neck but I also had to size the entire case.. So without changing the body the most I could have sized the neck should be neck length 0.385 minus the anount I had to move the case 0.214" yields 0.072". Not quite enough to hold the bullet when being functioned through the action. The above measurements were taken with a once fired case. Fired several times after just neck sizing with a neck die would cause more case swelling and I would have had more case protrusion on insertion with fingers. Once you start case sizing, you are not neck sizing. How many loaders report not being able to close their bolt after sizing a once fired case that they neck sized with a FL die? Don't know simply because the most frequent answer to the problem is screw the die farther into the press until it will chamber. Which leads the new loader to PFL or FL without him realizing what he has accomplished.Rick.

 

[woods]

Here is a sequence of measurements taken on my 30-06. It is a Steyr factory chamber and WW brass measured with the headspace gauge after firing and sizing the neck with a Lee Collet neck sizer. The actual measurement is not important, only it's relationship to the other measurments

new case - 2.040"
once fired - 2.0485" (neck sized Lee Collet)
twice fired - 2.050" (neck sized Lee Collet)
3 times fired - 2.051" (slight crush fit, neck sized Lee Collet)
4 times fired - 2.0515" (crush fit, neck sized Lee Collet, body sized Redding Body Die)

this is pretty typical but the measurements will vary with your chamber dimensions. BTW, this indicates a headspace of .0105" in my chamber with this particular brass. That is a little more than usual on an unbelted case but it may be because of the brass as much as the chamber. This causes NO problem and the rifle is a real tack driver even though it is slightly out of spec.

IME when you size the case body it will only balloon the shoulder forward a max of .002" or less so even if I had used a FL die I would not have been able to create a crush fit with once fired cases (2.0485"+.002"=2.0505").

 

[boomer68]

For calibers that Lee does not make the collet dies for, do you get them custom made? I am thinking of doing this for my 270Wby or just splurge and buy Redding bushing dies.