Brass resizing

[Spyder1958]

When resizing my 6.5 creedmoor brass, bumping shoulders back.002
I’m getting some that don’t want to bump back.
This brass is once fired factory S&B and Winchester that my friend who shoots a lot but doesn’t reload.
Both Winchester and S&B will sometimes not go to my setting of 1.557 but stay at 1.559. What could cause this inconsistency?
Brass was cleaned and annealed, necks are dry lubed before resizing. Die is Redding National Match. Always clean.
I hand apply wax as I’m resizing on case sides only. I don’t apply anything to shoulder.
Any advice?

 

[bpd459]

Are you leaving the case in the die for 4-5 seconds or just in/out? Why dry lube neck instead of same lube you are using on case body?

 

[Codyway]

I have 2 guesses
Inconsistent annealing leads to more spring back in some
Or, expander button pulling harder on some than others
I use imperial on the case body, shoulder, and neck, and on foam q tip inside the neck for best consistency. Then tumble in rice for a few hours

 

[RabbitSlayer]

Im with codyway...

 

[6.5 forever]

SB brass is some of the stiffest I ever seen

 

[Spyder1958]

SB brass is some of the stiffest I ever seen

I’m getting same issue with some of the Winchester as well

 

[Spyder1958]

Are you leaving the case in the die for 4-5 seconds or just in/out? Why dry lube neck instead of same lube you are using on case body?

I don’t hold that long, but I spin the case a 1/4 turn and resize a second time.
I use dry lube because I’ll run them through a mandrel and also before I seat the bullet

 

[JFrank]

When resizing my 6.5 creedmoor brass, bumping shoulders back.002
I’m getting some that don’t want to bump back.
This brass is once fired factory S&B and Winchester that my friend who shoots a lot but doesn’t reload.
Both Winchester and S&B will sometimes not go to my setting of 1.557 but stay at 1.559. What could cause this inconsistency?
Brass was cleaned and annealed, necks are dry lubed before resizing. Die is Redding National Match. Always clean.
I hand apply wax as I’m resizing on case sides only. I don’t apply anything to shoulder.
Any advice?

IMO
The longest length is probably where the die is set, you could let the short ones grow or adjust the die down a smidge. Myself I would let the short ones grow until a fired case resists bolt opening or closing.
I may also be wrong.

 

[Spyder1958]

I have 2 guesses
Inconsistent annealing leads to more spring back in some
Or, expander button pulling harder on some than others
I use imperial on the case body, shoulder, and neck, and on foam q tip inside the neck for best consistency. Then tumble in rice for a few hours

Don’t believe it’s the annealing, pretty confident it’s consistent. Dry lub in neck, no tension or pull from expander.

 

[Martin52]

I’m getting some that don’t want to bump back.
This brass is once fired factory S&B and Winchester that my friend who shoots a lot but doesn’t reload.

Brass was first fired in your friend's rifle, not yours ? His chamber may be larger, a small base die might assist get them to fit your chamber, thereafter you should be able to use your standard FLS.

 

[Spyder1958]

IMO
The longest length is probably where the die is set, you could let the short ones grow or adjust the die down a smidge. Myself I would let the short ones grow until a fired case resists bolt opening or closing.
I may also be wrong.

Hey Jim, I believe you miss read my problem.
Die is set properly to bump to 1.557, some are staying at 1.559

 

[TTE]

What do they measure before sizing ?
What are you using to measure them ?

Is your annealing time different on the cases, e.g. Win longer/shorter time than the S&B

 

[bpd459]

I don’t hold that long, but I spin the case a 1/4 turn and resize a second time.
I use dry lube because I’ll run them through a mandrel and also before I seat the bullet

Keep the case in the die longer, aka “dwell time”. Your results will be much more uniform. Simple in/out, the case is springing back. Left in the sizing die, it will take a set. I would use same sizing lube for entire case. Put your dry lube inside case neck with a q-tip.

 

[JFrank]

Hey Jim, I believe you miss read my problem.
Die is set properly to bump to 1.557, some are staying at 1.559

perhaps , but keep in mind that steel is stronger than brass so your getting a heck of a lot of spring back like John mentions your the die just isn’t set where you think it is.

 

[Spyder1958]

Brass was first fired in your friend's rifle, not yours ? His chamber may be larger, a small base die might assist get them to fit your chamber, thereafter you should be able to use your standard FLS.

Hey Martin, yes his chamber is larger in one of his rifles that the Winchester brass was fired in. It measures 1.562, mine is 1.559.
I not following why my die isn’t bumping it back and you’re saying a small base die will.
I need to understand why it will reduce/bump some and not others. What am I missing?

 

[JFrank]

Hey Jim, I believe you miss read my problem.
Die is set properly to bump to 1.557, some are staying at 1.559

Have you checked every single piece of brass to ensure they are all at 1.559 prior to sizing back to 1.557 ?

 

[Spyder1958]

perhaps , but keep in mind that steel is stronger than brass so your getting a heck of a lot of spring back like John mentions your the die just isn’t set where you think it is.

Maybe right about the brass spring back. But I’m pretty sure the MEC press and die isn’t springing. I load the die with a bushing and the lock ring tight. I have inconsistencies with my other presses but not with this MEC.

 

[Spyder1958]

Have you checked every single piece of brass to ensure they are all at 1.559 prior to sizing back to 1.557 ?

They are not all at 1.559, the Winchester is 1.562

 

[JFrank]

Maybe right about the brass spring back. But I’m pretty sure the MEC press and die isn’t springing. I load the die with a bushing and the lock ring tight. I have inconsistencies with my other presses but not with this MEC.

I’ve never seen .002 of spring back but I have seen brass requiring more than one firing before all the pieces are fully formed and in need of bumping.

They are not all at 1.559, the Winchester is 1.562

one thing at a time.. just deal with the 1.559 brass. Are they all at 1.559 prior to sizing ?

 

[Martin52]

Hey Martin, yes his chamber is larger in one of his rifles that the Winchester brass was fired in. It measures 1.562, mine is 1.559.
I not following why my die isn’t bumping it back and you’re saying a small base die will.
I need to understand why it will reduce/bump some and not others. What am I missing?

Look at this holisitically, you are using 2 different cases (S&B and Winchester) and they have been first fired in a different rifle with a larger chamber. All these cases need to be resized to be collectively as consistent in dimensions as possible and also fit your recently acquired gun.

Annealing might assist consistency in the shoulder bump.

A small base die might assist get the case resized at the .200 line.

Then, if the cases fit, fire them again and use your Redding die to resize - hopefully they will bump back with consistency and fit.