Neck size or full length?

[Reloader762]

Took awhile for me to remember where I read it, but from Ed Harris Cast Bullet loads for Military Rifles.

Repeated loading of rimless cases with very mild loads results in the primer blast shoving the shoulder back, unless flash holes are enlarged with a No. 39 drill bit to 0.099" diameter. Cases which are so modified must never be used with full powered loads! Always identify cases which are so modified by filing a deep groove across the rim and labeling them clearly to prevent their inadvertent use. For this reason on I prefer to do my plain based practice shooting in rimmed cases like the 30-30, 30-40 Krag, 303 British and 7.62x54R which maintain positive headspace on the rim and are not subject to this limitation.

I full length resize everything I have multiple gun is same caliber made in different decades by different countries and all the chamber, although close are slightly different but they all shoot the same cast loads well so to eliminate the problem of keeping separate loads for different rifles I just full length resize everything. That also eliminates the need to drill out flash holes so I can use my brass for whatever load I choose each time I load it. Most are rimmed cartridges anyway, but some aren't.

 

[johnnyjr]

I remember reading that article as well. When I was shooting BPR in 45/70 we would in large the primer flash hole as. And mark the cases with a file on the rims.

 

[waco]

For my long rang stuff where I’m going for top accuracy at distance I neck size with a bushing die, bump the shoulder, AFTER annealing. I do this between every reloading. My theory is this keeps the brass movement to a minimum. It also keeps the brass the same for each reload. Seems to work well enough for me. YMMV.

 

[L Ross]

I thought the warning against using enlarged primer flash holes with full power loads had been debunked using pressure testing equipment.

 

[dale2242]

L Ross, Larry Gibson did some extensive pressure testing with enlarged flash holes.
He found very little if no difference with enlarged flash holes.

 

[fiver]

pretty much everyne that owns a 45,40,or 9mm has done that test with brass that originally contained the green primers win and fed were using not too long back whether they knew it or not.
they'll probably be doing it again when Fiocchi gets their [all green] primer plant up and running in the next year or so, only in reverse.

 

[burbank.jung]

I neck size with Lee Collet neck sizing dies. So far, I've gotten the least runout using it compared to running the dies through a partially inserted FL Die.

 

[popper]

With that small amount of powder in a large case, have to watch for erratic powder burn. 35 rem data with 125 gr, green dot (close) is min 5 gr. W231 is 7gr, but unique is 5. Lightly fill with some doggy toy fluff a few and see if it makes a difference.

 

[porthos]

wasn't aware of this. a few months ago i came across a article about sizing (1000 yd) shooting. neck sizing vs full length sizing. responses were unamious. "full length size; if you want to win" very interesting. and i am sure that those shooters do have custom dies. i have a friend that shoots a lot at 600 yds. with good equiptment. he says that he NOW full length sizes. when the brass wears out "i'll buy more" he says.

 

[Mainiac]

wasn't aware of this. a few months ago i came across a article about sizing (1000 yd) shooting. neck sizing vs full length sizing. responses were unamious. "full length size; if you want to win" very interesting. and i am sure that those shooters do have custom dies. i have a friend that shoots a lot at 600 yds. with good equiptment. he says that he NOW full length sizes. when the brass wears out "i'll buy more" he says.

I shot ibs benchrest for many years.i would wear a barrell out with one set of cases,never fl sized them,ya bolt lifted stiff,but as long as the bolt lugs are kept greased,no problems.them 10 or 12 cases,were loaded probaly 130-150 times.neck sized only.

 

[Mainiac]

I shot ibs benchrest for many years.i would wear a barrell out with one set of cases,never fl sized them,ya bolt lifted stiff,but as long as the bolt lugs are kept greased,no problems.them 10 or 12 cases,were loaded probaly 130-150 times.neck sized only.

Forgot to add,,won many matches as well!!

 

[RBHarter]

As I've told the "All the high level match guys are FL sizing" guys it's because they bought they bought 3 reamers as a matched set . A roughing chamber and die reamer and a finish die for the chamber and dies . Their dies have no expander brass is turned and the sizer doesn't bump anything but the shoulder and neck over .002 , probably not over .001 past the square of the neck .

 

[Walks]

Like others I neck size every bottleneck case. Exceptions are semi-autos such as AR, M1A & Garand. I've used std dies to FL for a Mini-14 since 1976. All those cases do grow a bit.
For bolt guns every case is either NS or partial sized.

 

[Charles Graff]

I will make this simple. Try your fired cases in your firearm. FL resize if they won't go in easy, NS if they do go in easy. The only exception to this is auto-loading rifles and handguns, and then always FL resize.

 

[Brad]

I FL sized for my AR when shooting high power completion. I needed complete reliability in feeding. This doesn’t mean shoving the shoulder back .005 or more.
I set my die for .001 shoulder pushback. Not that hard really.

Neck sizing also differed based on how it is done. A bushing type die is great for this but works best if the bushing can float a little so the neck isn’t pushed off center.

 

[todd]

i run the case through a partially inserted FL Die after the first shot.

 

[porthos]

i don't have a dog in this fight. i'm just repeating what long range shooters do with sizing. if you want more case life; go for neck sizing only. i'm sure that the precision shooters use custom dies. they are not looking for case life they just want to win; and they know what it takes to do so.

 

[RicinYakima]

i don't have a dog in this fight. i'm just repeating what long range shooters do with sizing. if you want more case life; go for neck sizing only. i'm sure that the precision shooters use custom dies. they are not looking for case life they just want to win; and they know what it takes to do so.

Yep, that sounds like me!