Neck sizing with bushing help

[savageshooter86]

I set up my Whidden Die to bump the shoulders 2 thous under fired brass measurement. Bushing in place and sizes neck down about 75-80% it appears. Now when chambering the brass, it feels "tougher" when closing the bolt. Is that due to the partial neck sizing?

I assume this is normal because when I chamber fired case it is smooth and also when I chamber a piece of brass collet sized +redding body die, it too closes smooth.

Thanks

 

[stubbicatt]

Good question. Tag,,,

 

[BoydAllen]

A couple of things:
Measure and compare, the diameters of sized and fired cases, at their shoulders and above their extractor grooves at the bottom of the dies reach down the case. You can see this if you look carefully. Also, I bump from the maximum shoulder to head that can come from a chamber, which requires a few warm load firings with a neck sized case to get to. (Unrelated to your question, but I thought it worth mentioning.) The unsized part of the neck should not be your problem. I use bushing dies and have not found this to be the case.

 

[savageshooter86]

I will measure. But strange how Collet sized and sized using Redding body die doesn't do this?

 

[BoydAllen]

Measure and then we may get a better idea of what is taking place. Take your time, and measure more than once.

 

[22BRGUY]

A couple of things:
Measure and compare, the diameters of sized and fired cases, at their shoulders and above their extractor grooves at the bottom of the dies reach down the case. You can see this if you look carefully. Also, I bump from the maximum shoulder to head that can come from a chamber, which requires a few warm load firings with a neck sized case to get to. (Unrelated to your question, but I thought it worth mentioning.) The unsized part of the neck should not be your problem. I use bushing dies and have not found this to be the case.

+ 1 on this idea. Personally I like leaving a small amount of the neck un-resized at the neck shoulder junction area to help center the case in the chamber......maybe just my imagination but it works in my head anyway...LOL

 

[BoydAllen]

Just for an experiment, run a fired case through the body die, and then through the bushing die, backed off a little from its normal setting. That should tell you if the unsized part of the neck is the issue. Next, take a case that was sized in the bushing die, including proper setup for bump, and carefully run it into the body, with no lube, to see what you can feel in the way of resistence. If there is some (be careful and stop before you stick a case.) then the body of the FL die is larger than the body die. Slight contact can be attributed to spring back.

 

[savageshooter86]

fired brass reads 456 at shoulder, 471 at pressure ring, and 1.612 headspace(hornady comparator)
sized brass reads 450 at shoulder, 469 at pressure ring, and 1.610 headspace


So the unsized portion of neck is 345. Sized portion is 338(will be 334 when finished). Is this the issue?

 

[BoydAllen]

Short answer, I don't know. Color up the entire case with a marker and chamber it several times. That should show you every where that it is rubbing. I have used a number of bushing FL dies, and never run into the problem.

 

[savageshooter86]

Boyd or any other who partial neck size? Does it feel differently chambering than FL sizing the necks? I believe what I am feeling is the unsized part of neck going into the chamber?

 

[Tim Singleton]

What are you shooting?
Are you positive of the reamer size used?
Could the chamber possibly have a tighter neck than you are allowing for?

Maybe cast the chamber to put this question to bed. Mark it off the list

Coloring the neck as Boyd said may show it as well

Casting the chamber will let you know if the brass Is to long and that is what you are feeling

 

[Tim Singleton]

.006 at the shoulder and .003 at the pressure ring is sizing to much IMO

I've had recent experience with this in my 6ppc. My Harrell bump neck die was setting the shoulder back .001. But it was sizing the body to much I had to trim way to often
By the time I figured this out with a lot of help
I was loosing brass due to case head separation

 

[savageshooter86]

308 win and is a Shilen preifit. Dave Kiff makes the reamer for their barrel. It has a 345 neck IIRC according to Dave. My fired brass is coming out 344

After FL sizing with the bushing die they are coming out 2.016
*FL sized case appears to be sized 4 thous at bottom of shoulder and 1 thous at pressure ring.* Used a mic to measure this time

I even tried bumping the shoulder further back but still had the same feel so knew that was not doing anything but working the brass more. I am bumping shoulders roughly 2 thous

 

[243winxb]

Does it feel differently chambering than FL sizing the necks? I believe what I am feeling is the unsized part of neck going into the chamber?

The unsized part of the neck will require more effort to close the bolt. Not a lot, but different than sizing all of the neck. I use Redding FL type s bushing on 243win. After 18 loadings, rounds chamber harder when only sizing 1/2 of the neck. http://www.saami.org/PubResources/CC_Drawings/Rifle/308%20Winchester.pdf

 

[Tim Singleton]

This sounds like the same problem I had.
Mine was OAL of brass was to long. Due to excessive sizing.
I could feel it when closing the bolt

 

[savageshooter86]

I am trimming brass to 2.004 after sizing.

Update: I took bushing out and expander out and sized brass and it felt smoother chambering. Not a lot but better

This is 1x fired brass by the way

Has me confused

 

[lawrence97]

Could it be an issue with the dimensions of the sizing die?

I just purchased some whidden dies for my 284. I will try them out and let you know if I run into the same issues!

 

[savageshooter86]

That could be? I guess last resort would be to ride over and let him see what "issue" I an having.

Either that or my Redding body die is sizing them more and that is why it feels so much smoother chamfering, it feels like butter. Very smooth and no resistance

 

[CatShooter]

Boyd or any other who partial neck size? Does it feel differently chambering than FL sizing the necks? I believe what I am feeling is the unsized part of neck going into the chamber?

I partially neck size for a lot of calibers. SOme are tight neck, some are no turn necks, and a few are standard factory (large) necks.

It does NOT feel any different when you chamber apartially sized neck, or a completely sized neck.

When you draw the fired case out, the neck expanded a bit (the amount depending on the chamber neck diameter), but the neck does NOT expand to be larger than the chamber neck.

So when you partially size the neck, the remaining part is still a thou or two smaller than the chamber neck - you cannot feel any difference as you chamber the case...

 

[Tim Singleton]

That could be? I guess last resort would be to ride over and let him see what "issue" I an having.

Either that or my Redding body die is sizing them more and that is why it feels so much smoother chamfering, it feels like butter. Very smooth and no resistance

That's probably it. Sounds like the Redding body die is sizing it more than the Whidden die.