Weatherby belts become a problem?

[fatelvis]

If you full length resize a Weatherby belted cartridge, (i.e. 270 Weath mag), and just push the shoulder back a couple thousands, over time, will it need to be sized near the belt also? Or for that matter, is there any additional steps that need to be taken to properly hand load these cartridges? Thank you!

 

[Preacher]

They will get to a point where they will not chamber anymore unless you use a die that sizes to the belt.
Larry Willis made a die like that a while ago. I have no contact info.

 

[46and2]

If you full length resize a Weatherby belted cartridge, (i.e. 270 Weath mag), and just push the shoulder back a couple thousands, over time, will it need to be sized near the belt also? Or for that matter, is there any additional steps that need to be taken to properly hand load these cartridges? Thank you!

Only one of my factory belted magnum barrels needed a Larry Wilson body die. All the other ones never needed it, especially the ones I headspaced myself.
It isn't the belt that needed sized but the area immediately above the belt.

 

[chop house]

This is issue I was not aware of. Thanks for the post @fatelvis.

 

[DaveTooley]

It's only an issue if primer pockets stay tight. The solution is to add more powder.

 

[bozo699]

If you full length resize a Weatherby belted cartridge, (i.e. 270 Weath mag), and just push the shoulder back a couple thousands, over time, will it need to be sized near the belt also? Or for that matter, is there any additional steps that need to be taken to properly hand load these cartridges? Thank you!

As mentioned I doesn’t always happen but when it does the Larry Willis die works great.
Wayne

 

[bozo699]

Innovative Technologies - Reloading Equipment

Our patented resizing die can reload Winchester, Remington and Weatherby belted magnums up to 20 times, instead of just 2 or 3 times and the top of the die is a chamber width gauge.

www.larrywillis.com

 

[Gary in MD]

Been loading Weatherbys and other belted rounds for about 30 years and haven't had any problems.
Resize to headspace off the shoulder, forget about the belt and as already stated - keep loading until the primer pockets give out. (don't forget to keep trimmed to the correct length)

 

[46and2]

If you full length resize a Weatherby belted cartridge, (i.e. 270 Weath mag), and just push the shoulder back a couple thousands, over time, will it need to be sized near the belt also? Or for that matter, is there any additional steps that need to be taken to properly hand load these cartridges? Thank you!

Do you want to borrow my LW body die? PM me.
I'm working in Elwood/ south of Joliet. We could meet after work.

 

[nmkid]

I use a Redding body die for my 257 WBY. Works great.

 

[Murray Brook]

Hard chambering/extraction on a belted mag comes about when you have a die that doesn't match well with the chamber of your rifle. Most times the rifle chamber is longer than the die chamber. What happens is you adjust your sizing die to headspace off the shoulder with appx .003 shoulder bump to get good case life. Because the chamber in your rifle is longer when you get the desired .003 bump the portion of your case just north of the belt doesn't get sized. After several firings this portion of the case expands with each firing to the point of hard chambering/extraction. The same happens in a standard case that is only neck sized. After several firings you need to full length resize. The trick with the belted mags is to maintain your .003 bump and get this portion just north of the belt sized. There are several ways. The Larry Willis die is one but is expensive and a messy (IMO) step in the reloading ( I have one). Another way would be to purchase a small base die for a belted mag that has a longer base to shoulder length that the case you are using. Example would be if you are using a 7mm Rem mag then a small base die for a 300 Win/300 Weatherby/7mm STW would work. Just push your case as far as you can in one of these dies and you will get that tight portion of your caser sized with no danger of pushing your shoulder back too far. You then size your case in your standard 7mm Mag die to size your neck and to get your .003 bump. Another way that some guys do is take a die of your cartridge and have it cut just below the shoulder thus making a sort of ring die, then once again use your 7mm mag die to size the rest. I have 5 belted mags and ran into this problem with my 270 Weatherby mag. Another caution would be IMO to keep away from nickel plated cases in mag chamberings. What I found ( using Federal NP brass) is after several full length sizings the nickel seems to build up just in front of the belt from the sizing process. making for hard chambering. JME