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I am relatively new to reloading and am having an issue with my FL Sizing. I have about 1000 pieces of once fired brass that is all Hornady factory loads, either black, or older amax or sst. It comes from several different rifles.
I am using a redding type s FL die with the expander and neck bushing removed. I finally got the die set to bump the shoulder to the length I wanted. I then sized 5 random pieces. I then measured all five. I had 2 different lengths, that were about. 003 different. My question is why? Is it different spring back from different lots of brass? I don't really want to have to measure every piece after sizing, and then measure neck thickness too! Is there anything I'm doing wrong or can change? Thanks!
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Don't know if it will make a difference or not but did you anneal your brass before resizing?
I refuse to be victimized by notions of virtuous behavior.
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keystone183 Wrote:I am relatively new to reloading and am having an issue with my FL Sizing. I have about 1000 pieces of once fired brass that is all Hornady factory loads, either black, or older amax or sst. It comes from several different rifles.
I am using a redding type s FL die with the expander and neck bushing removed. I finally got the die set to bump the shoulder to the length I wanted. I then sized 5 random pieces. I then measured all five. I had 2 different lengths, that were about. 003 different. My question is why? Is it different spring back from different lots of brass? I don't really want to have to measure every piece after sizing, and then measure neck thickness too! Is there anything I'm doing wrong or can change? Thanks!
Your seeing the variances of your press,die and loading bench.
Also if this is for a ar grendel I highly suggest shelving the bushing die and getting a normal full length sizeing die made by foster or some other company.
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Do you know what they measured before resizing. Maybe the shoulders were already shorter that your resizing die setup.
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Key,
As long as you set the die up using brass from the tightest chamber then they will all come out the same. If you haven't used the tightest chamber then this will happen.
If you measure the brass and find the shortest headspace cases and use that as the standard for setting the bump you will be fine.
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myrifle Wrote:Your seeing the variances of your press,die and loading bench.
Also if this is for a ar grendel I highly suggest shelving the bushing die and getting a normal full length sizeing die made by foster or some other company.
MR:
He is using a FL sizing die. Redding makes FL dies that also use neck bushings.
LR55
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Klem Wrote:Key,
As long as you set the die up using brass from the tightest chamber then they will all come out the same. If you haven't used the tightest chamber then this will happen.
If you measure the brass and find the shortest headspace cases and use that as the standard for setting the bump you will be fine.
Klem,
I'm not using from the same chamber though. Or same lots of brass. Which i suppose is my problem?
I guess my question is, can anyone confirm that the problem is different brass is having different spring back when sized and thus giving me different measurements? Would it be as much as .003 different?
ETA: I am setting up to size for the tightest chamber (howa mini). I am bumping it back .001 from that measurement. BUT....some pieces end up being bumped .004 from that.....
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keystone183 Wrote:I am relatively new to reloading and am having an issue with my FL Sizing. I have about 1000 pieces of once fired brass that is all Hornady factory loads, either black, or older amax or sst. It comes from several different rifles.
I am using a redding type s FL die with the expander and neck bushing removed. I finally got the die set to bump the shoulder to the length I wanted. I then sized 5 random pieces. I then measured all five. I had 2 different lengths, that were about. 003 different. My question is why? Is it different spring back from different lots of brass? I don't really want to have to measure every piece after sizing, and then measure neck thickness too! Is there anything I'm doing wrong or can change? Thanks!
KS:
What Klem said. Find the ones shot from the tightest chamber and set your die to bump them. That ought to take care of the longer ones enough for them to chamber and extract easily.
And yes, if the brass is from different lots, using different alloys and drawn a bit different, no doubt some will be harder than others and the final measurements will be a bit different. Just understand that just because some may be a tiny bit longer than others doesn't mean they won't shoot equally well.
If what you are sizing can be inserted into the chamber, bolt released from about half way, and they easily extract and eject -- then nothing is wrong with your sizing of the brass.
Brass is an expendable item. Good brass like Lapua ought to go twenty to thirty shots from a Grendel. Hornady stuff maybe ten. PPU maybe five. When the brass is used up, its used up.
Do yourself a favor and shoot them from the same rifle from here on out.
LR-55
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LR1955 Wrote:KS:
What Klem said. Find the ones shot from the tightest chamber and set your die to bump them. That ought to take care of the longer ones enough for them to chamber and extract easily.
And yes, if the brass is from different lots, using different alloys and drawn a bit different, no doubt some will be harder than others and the final measurements will be a bit different. Just understand that just because some may be a tiny bit longer than others doesn't mean they won't shoot equally well.
If what you are sizing can be inserted into the chamber, bolt released from about half way, and they easily extract and eject -- then nothing is wrong with your sizing of the brass.
Brass is an expendable item. Good brass like Lapua ought to go twenty to thirty shots from a Grendel. Hornady stuff maybe ten. PPU maybe five. When the brass is used up, its used up.
Do yourself a favor and shoot them from the same rifle from here on out.
LR-55
Thanks LR. I think this answers it. The idea behind what i'm doing with this bras though, is i'm going to attempt to create a load that will be a hunting/plinking load for all my chambers. I realize this is not ideal for accuracy, but i have that covered for the specific rifles i want that from. I'm hoping i can get this close enough to be something i don't have to worry about what gun i'm putting it through. Maybe a fools errand but we'll see i guess!
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LR1955 Wrote:MR:
He is using a FL sizing die. Redding makes FL dies that also use neck bushings.
LR55
Yes I know. That's why I said to shelve the bushing die and get a normal full length die.
Bushing dies are not needed for the ar action. And he said he didnt have the bushing in it when sizing, so he is waisting effort with the die he is useing and would benefit from useing a normal full length die.
My opinion bushing dies are for bolt actions not ar15 actions.
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myrifle Wrote:Yes I know. That's why I said to shelve the bushing die and get a normal full length die.
Bushing dies are not needed for the ar action. And he said he didnt have the bushing in it when sizing, so he is waisting effort with the die he is useing and would benefit from useing a normal full length die.
My opinion bushing dies are for bolt actions not ar15 actions.
What does a 'regular' die do differently than a bushing die?
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keystone183 Wrote:What does a 'regular' die do differently than a bushing die?
regular has a set neck size, bushing uses bushing to let you pick the neck diameter you want
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mdram Wrote:regular has a set neck size, bushing uses bushing to let you pick the neck diameter you want
I got that, but mr seems to be suggesting i would gain some benefit from one that i'm not understanding.
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keystone183 Wrote:I got that, but mr seems to be suggesting i would gain some benefit from one that i'm not understanding.
Keystone:
Bump the brass back until it functions in the tightest chamber and it will be fine for the other chambers.
Keep the bushings. You will need them if you start messing with 7.62 X 39 brass which is quite a bit thicker than normal Grendel brass.
Fit the bushing for the brass you are sizing for the tightest chamber and use it for all of your Grendel blasters. It will probably be the same size as one cut into a die anyway so buying a completely new die makes no sense to me.
LR-55
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LR1955 Wrote:Keystone:
Bump the brass back until it functions in the tightest chamber and it will be fine for the other chambers.
Keep the bushings. You will need them if you start messing with 7.62 X 39 brass which is quite a bit thicker than normal Grendel brass.
Fit the bushing for the brass you are sizing for the tightest chamber and use it for all of your Grendel blasters. It will probably be the same size as one cut into a die anyway so buying a completely new die makes no sense to me.
LR-55
Yeah, no intentions of changing dies unless there is a good reason....
Thanks LR, that is what i'm going to do!
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