Reloading .223 Hornady bullets with RCBS die and RCBS Rock Chucker

[Gray Ghost]

I am new to reloading and just started reloading .223 Hornady bullets. I am using the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme press with RCBS full length dies.

I am having trouble with the bullet not seating into the brass after the resizing. To me it appears that the "brass mouth expander" in the decapping and resizing die, is not expanding the mouth enough. I have to actually hold the bullet into the onto the brass as I raise it in the press to seat the bullet.

Even if I use "boat tail" bullets, the same thing happens. I even took the die apart to see if it the "expander" part of the die was wrong, but it isn't.

Any help, guidance or suggestions???

 

[powderbrake]

There is no mouth expander in rifle dies, like those in pistol dies.
Yes, you have to hold the bullet in place on top of the case as you raise the press. It sounds like you are doing it correctly..... it's different from pistol reloading.

 

[Gray Ghost]

There is no mouth expander in rifle dies, like those in pistol dies.
Yes, you have to hold the bullet in place on top of the case as you raise the press. It sounds like you are doing it correctly..... it's different from pistol reloading.

Powder Brake:

I thought I was doing something wrong. So you are saying that you do have to hjold the bullet on the brass as you raise the ram of the of the press? The Hornady bullets I am using are "flat bottom", but I have also used "boat tail" and it is the same thing. I have watched some videos on Youtube about reloading 223; and in the videos it doesn't appear to me that the people are "holding/guiding" the bullet all the way up in the press.

So, it is not like reloading pistol brass. Is it the same for all calibers of rifle brass then> Like .270, 30-06 and .243? Meaning I will have to hold the bullet in place while raising the ram?

 

[pirate ammo]

Powder Brake:

I thought I was doing something wrong. So you are saying that you do have to hjold the bullet on the brass as you raise the ram of the of the press? The Hornady bullets I am using are "flat bottom", but I have also used "boat tail" and it is the same thing. I have watched some videos on Youtube about reloading 223; and in the videos it doesn't appear to me that the people are "holding/guiding" the bullet all the way up in the press.

So, it is not like reloading pistol brass. Is it the same for all calibers of rifle brass then> Like .270, 30-06 and .243? Meaning I will have to hold the bullet in place while raising the ram?

yep,yep,and yep

 

[Gray Ghost]

yep,yep,and yep

Okie Dokie! Like I said, I thought I was doing something wrong.....being a NOOB!! Thank you!!

 

[pirate ammo]

Okie Dokie! Like I said, I thought I was doing something wrong.....being a NOOB!! Thank you!!

I do the same with my handgun also,,so it no big deal,,enjoy,,

 

[Bc'z]

Give it a couple years.
You'll be cranking out 3-400 rounds an hour on a progressive press...
Holding every bullet !

 

[Bottom Gun]

The neck of a rifle case is never expanded or flared. It will always be a tight fit on the bullet because the neck tension is what holds the bullet in place. You are developing a press fit between the bullet and the case neck. Depending upon bullet style, I do occasionally have to put a light chamfer on the case mouth to help the bullet start into the case easier.

I avoid crimping whenever possible. I’ve found it normally adversely affects my accuracy. Being a casual shooter, I don’t often sort brass by headstamp or lot. I’ve found that not crimping mixed headstamps gives me better accuracy since it removes the variable of the crimp from the equation and simply relies on neck tension.
A uniform crimp requires minimal variation in brass thickness, trim length, etc. I’ve found I shoot better if I don’t bother with it.

My two cents . . . . . . . .

 

[ireload2]

Buy a lyman M die for your .223 and you can plug the bullets in and turn loose as you seat them.
But short fat bullets like 300 grain 45-70 bullets are some of the worst to seat straight. Spinning the case as it disappears up into the seater helps keep the bullets straight.

 

[Gray Ghost]

Buy a lyman M die for your .223 and you can plug the bullets in and turn loose as you seat them.
But short fat bullets like 300 grain 45-70 bullets are some of the worst to seat straight. Spinning the case as it disappears up into the seater helps keep the bullets straight.

I just ordered the LEE PRECISION Universal Flaring Die. Hopefully this will work.

 

[#40Fan]

I don't know about the RCBS dies, but I have found with Lee dies, if you have the bullet depth adjuster turned too far down, it won't align the bullet very well. You have to screw the entire die in more so you have the bullet depth adjuster further out.

 

[BoydAllen]

I just ordered the LEE PRECISION Universal Flaring Die. Hopefully this will work.

The profile of the Lyman M die expander mandrels are different than the others, that is why the fellow that posted was specific about what kind of expander.

 

[Gray Ghost]

The profile of the Lyman M die expander mandrels are different than the others, that is why the fellow that posted was specific about what kind of expander.

So I should get the Lyman M then??

 

[BoydAllen]

So I should get the Lyman M then??

If you are doing normal loading with jacketed bullets, you don't need either. I don't use them and no one that I know does, for jacked bullets.

 

[retired]

if you use factory sizing/button pulling dies AND lots of flat based bullets the the m die is a good investment.
or
you could adjust the neck sizing so it ain't so tight(busing die, no button pulling), add a chamfer on the inside and discover seating ain't so bad.

So I should get the Lyman M then??

 

[M-61]

If you trim your cases you should inside chamfer and lightly on the outside also. This is a one time operation until you trim the case again (if needed)
As many posted above you have to hold the bullet but I wondered if you trimmed and chamfered. After trimming that case mouth is a sharp 90° angle.

 

[Homerange]

I just ordered the LEE PRECISION Universal Flaring Die. Hopefully this will work.

You don't need one !
As others have mentioned, all that's needed is a chamfer tool.
https://leeprecision.com/chamfer-tool.html

 

[Texas10]

I shoot a bolt action 223, but rarely have to anneal my brass. Nor do I FL size, no need to. The 223 was my first foray into reloading, and I started with the Lee Ultimate die set. Now I use only the neck size die as the brass is perfectly fire formed to my chamber, so there's no need to FL size, and I rarely have to trim.

The beauty of the Lee neck size die is that it is a collet type die. The case neck is slipped over a mandrel and the collet squeezes the brass tight against the mandrel, so there no double working of the brass during the resizing step. This saves the brass from being over worked and lessens the tendency for cracked necks due to work hardening. It also has the advantage of lessening runout. I don't know if I got lucky and got a really well made die from Lee, but my neck sizer consistently produces less than .001 neck run out. Hard to beat that!

I've sized and loaded various brands of brass for my 223 dozens of times and have yet to suffer a cracked neck. I can and do SS tumble, and I do use an annealing step in my other calibers such as 6mmBR and 6.5 CM. But the little 223 is perfectly happy with simply de-capping, neck size and load.

I should mention that neck sizing only is not always the best way to prep brass. Many other calibers really need to be FL sized, or at least have the shoulder set back one or two thousandths. Only you the hand loader can decide what's best for your type of shooting.

I'd recommend you get an RCBS Gold Medal seater die, though. Besides being able to consistently seat a bullet to a desired length, it tends to lessen runout in the seating process.

With any seater die, you may need to modify the seater stem to avoid pushing against the tip of the bullet. Some dies come with two seater stems, some will have additional stems you can order. Many times, a call the the MFG will get one in the mail to you free of charge.

Have fun, and keep asking questions. We're here to help.

 

[Ggmac]

So I should get the Lyman M then??

The Internet is great but a mentor is still needed and recommended. You don't learn to be a carpenter by watching you tube, you work at it as an apprentice . In this case you already have the tools now you need the practice. No tool is going to help in that case , you could buy all the dies you want but holding the bullet and rotating the case helps with accurate loads .
Any more working of the brass ( mouth expanders ) will create stress and cracks in short order . Take your time , find a mentor and realize that almost everyone has a different idea on accurate reloading . Tools don't make up for practice. Make sure to chamfer your cases with a cutting tool

 

[cw308]

I have the same press an dies RCBS . Setting up your die the decapping pin is tight in place an extending about 3/16 from the base of the die . Ram is raised to the top of the press the die is screwed down to touch the shellholder . To make sure there's nothing screwed up measure your expander ball an your bullets . After sizing check your case length an trim if needed remember to chamfer inside an out everytime. Some brass may be thicker . After sizing an trimming measure the outer diameter with your dial caliper , the thickness of the brass at two positions on the case mouth 12 & 6 o'clock position. Example your bullet is .223 your case thickness is .008 x 2 = .016 the OD of the case is .237 you would have .002 neck tension on the bullet . I think your problem is in your setup not equipment , just double check everything . Using the RCBS Case lube on the inside of the case neck with a Q Tip helps with the expander , and when sizing the case if the case seems tight when sizing lower the ram an add alittle more lube to the case an neck not the shoulder . You don't want a stuck case . Hope I Helped in some way.

Chris