25-308 AI Neck Sizer Die
- Thread starter Shu
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NZ_Fclass
Silver $$ Contributor
Better with a 243 AI FL sizer with a different bushing.
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Thanks for the response. Tell me how this works. The various dies I have don't have a bushing, other than the one that holds the decapping rod, and that bushing does not touch the case. I don't want to work the body or the shoulder of the brass. In my experience, the full length sizing die squeezes the body of the case inward, which in turn pushes the shoulder slightly forward, requiring the shoulder to be bumbed back. I just want to resize the neck.Better with a 243 AI FL sizer with a different bushing.
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NZ_Fclass
Silver $$ Contributor
While the Ackley cases don't need a lot of sizing, I prefer to full length size and bump the shoulder, maybe 1 thou. The bushing replaces the part of the die that sizes the neck and as the 243 has the same body dimensions, you just need a bushing of the appropriate size. measure the fired size of the neck and decide how much tension you want. You will also need to change the expander ball which sizes on the upstroke to an appropriate size. The die does not squeeze the case but swages it, the shoulder is not moved forward, and you should just bump the shoulder slightly, to aid chambering, If the case body does not need to be moved, it will simply fit the die. I have owned a 243 AI, well before Redding had AI dies available and 3 dies were needed back then to load up, a 243 Lee collet die was used for sizing the neck I currently own a 257 Roberts AI and a 6.5/06 AI. If your chamber is slightly oversize, a neck die is fine, I guess, and the shortened 257 may be all that is necessary. Hope this helps- but do try to find a local reloader or knowledgeable gun shop to help you out. the 25/08 AI is a great cartridge, and I was considering one, before I went the 257 Roberts route.
NZ Fclass, thanks for the help and good info. I would, however, disagree about the full length die not moving brass forward into the shoulder. I have found my fired cases, which can still be easily chambered, become unchamberable when trying to use the full-length die to neck size by not running the case all the way into the die. The only solution was to increase the depth of insertion into the die until the shoulder was set back sufficiently. I suppose if my FL die was sufficiently close to my rifle's chamber dimension, it would be less of an issue, and I wouldn't be as concerned about the amount I'm working the brass when I FL resize.
Bill K, I found John Whidden's website. There's a whole new world of bushing-style resizing dies I need to read up on. Once I think I understand the concept better, I'll give him a call. Thanks!
Bill K, I found John Whidden's website. There's a whole new world of bushing-style resizing dies I need to read up on. Once I think I understand the concept better, I'll give him a call. Thanks!
rockhound78
Silver $$ Contributor
Would a 257 Roberts AI die work? Lee makes a set for a decent price
The 257 Roberts AI shoulder is nearly 0.10" longer than the 25-08 AI. But if Lee's neck sizer die is short (I don't think it has to be full-length), then maybe? I'll try to find out.
rockhound78
Silver $$ Contributor
Can you find someone with a lathe cut off part of the 257 AI die? Might work then.
Cutting off the bottom of a 257 Roberts AI neck die is a possibility that I will consider.
Right now I can use my 250 Savage AI neck die and remove the decaping pin and rod. Then do the decapping in a separate operation with the 25-308 AI full length die and the decapping pin and rod extended as far as possible. It's a fiddley process, which I used to create a few dummy rounds to help determine the chamber reamer dimensions (see parallel thread titled "Looking for 25-308 AI Dimensional Drawing").
Looking into John Widden's website, I might go a different route and have a full-length die made, based on fired cases from the actual (future) chamber. That would allow minimum working of the brass, and never having to FL resize with a too-small, standard die after every 2 or 3 neck sizings.
On a happy side note, when creating the above mentioned dummy rounds yesterday, I confirmed I can use a longer cartridge over all length in my Savage M11 action and magazine. Using the longest bullets I have, I can seat the bullets to the point where the boat-tail, if any, is the only thing intruding into the shoulder/body area of the case. This gives the bullets maximum contact with the short case neck, maximum usable powder capacity, and an overall length of 2.85 to 2.92 inches, which fits in my rifle. These bullets (100 gr copper, 110-120 gr lead-core) are probably the longest that will stabilize in my 1:10 twist barrel, since they work fine in my son's 25-308 AI with a 1:10 twist. I used one of them, 117 gr Sierra, when fireforming in my rifle's current chamber -- 250 Savage AI, and they produced sub MOA groups.
The ~130 gr Bergers etc. won't fit so well, but it is unlikely they will stabilize in my barrel anyway.
Right now I can use my 250 Savage AI neck die and remove the decaping pin and rod. Then do the decapping in a separate operation with the 25-308 AI full length die and the decapping pin and rod extended as far as possible. It's a fiddley process, which I used to create a few dummy rounds to help determine the chamber reamer dimensions (see parallel thread titled "Looking for 25-308 AI Dimensional Drawing").
Looking into John Widden's website, I might go a different route and have a full-length die made, based on fired cases from the actual (future) chamber. That would allow minimum working of the brass, and never having to FL resize with a too-small, standard die after every 2 or 3 neck sizings.
On a happy side note, when creating the above mentioned dummy rounds yesterday, I confirmed I can use a longer cartridge over all length in my Savage M11 action and magazine. Using the longest bullets I have, I can seat the bullets to the point where the boat-tail, if any, is the only thing intruding into the shoulder/body area of the case. This gives the bullets maximum contact with the short case neck, maximum usable powder capacity, and an overall length of 2.85 to 2.92 inches, which fits in my rifle. These bullets (100 gr copper, 110-120 gr lead-core) are probably the longest that will stabilize in my 1:10 twist barrel, since they work fine in my son's 25-308 AI with a 1:10 twist. I used one of them, 117 gr Sierra, when fireforming in my rifle's current chamber -- 250 Savage AI, and they produced sub MOA groups.
The ~130 gr Bergers etc. won't fit so well, but it is unlikely they will stabilize in my barrel anyway.
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