Die help- tight die/loose chamber?

[boomtube]

' I have been using the hornady one shot lube."

Sorta expected that.

Before you spend any more money or jump through lot of hoops, try another lube. If you like Hornady stuff, get some Unique lube and your hard sizing effort will go away.

 

[Trickymissfit]

Thanks for the heads-up. Hopefully we can sort things out. Any suggestions for what brand of a custom die?

actually a couple ways to handle the situation. Hopefully you have several once fired cases laying around (unsized)

* You can send the once fired cases back to Forster's custom shop, and they'll make you a set of die to fit the chamber. I know that Lee offers the same service as well. If you got plenty of time and money, you can have a set built by Neil Jones.

* Or you can buy a set of blanks (Newlon), and have somebody like Shilen ream them for you.

I think I'd send some cases to Forster and have them build a bushing die and a seater to fit you chamber. They take about six weeks, and cut the die to size the case about .002". How Lee does it, I can't say. But probably similar. Last time I checked you could buy a custom die set from Forster or Lee cheaper than a regular bushing die set from Redding. I call that a "win,win" situation!
gary

 

[Trickymissfit]

Custom dies normally have to be built one of two ways.

Option one.

Order a matching resize reamer when you get a chamber reamer and the smith uses the resize reamer to make a set of dies. Most guys do not do that but many of the better smiths have matching resize reamer that match the chamber reamer.

Must do this before the fact normally. YOu could send a couple fired cases to PTG and Dave Kiff and have him measure them for a resize reamer ($150) and then have a smith make a FL size die (figure another $200)

Option two.

really two possibles here.

1. send cases and your die or a redding body die to JLC precision and let him hone your die to fit or he will take the body die and make a custom fitted FL neck bushing size die. this assumes your existing die is too tight. Cost is $80 and a body die ($25)

2. Send cases or reamer print to Neal Jones and he wil make a custom set of dies. Normally a NS only starting until you fire the cases 3X and then send the NS die back and the cases. He makes a full body insert in the die fitted to your chamber and sends back. 90-120 days initially and then anothe 30. Cost is about $350 for a full set of dies.

BH

actually there's a third and better way, and it's pretty simple. They use a generic program in a CNC lathe that mimics the actual cartridge case shape. Then all they do is plug in the numbers. Takes about fifteen minutes to cut the case once all the numbers are there. I might add that the only reason it takes this long is the multicuts used to get a proper microfinish. It's the sameway with a chamber reamer. They use a Star grinder that has a program that allows you to simply punch in the numbers you want all the way thru. The whole process will take less than a hour, and the actuall reamer will be well under .00025" when finished. (depending on length and numbers of different tapers). A short reamer like a .445 Supermag takes about ten minutes, and will check out at less than .0001" of error.

Ever wonder how long it takes to turn a bolt for a rifle? It's less time than you took on a coffee break at work! A dual spindle lathe or a motorized tail stock lathe will do one in less than ten minutes if it's programed right (cutting the slots and holes as well)
gary

 

[Trickymissfit]

' I have been using the hornady one shot lube."

Sorta expected that.

Before you spend any more money or jump through lot of hoops, try another lube. If you like Hornady stuff, get some Unique lube and your hard sizing effort will go away.

I know this sounds crazy, but a good many benchrest shooters are using Royal Purple as a lube to size cases with. I've never tried it, but plan on giving it a try. I pretty much use nothing but Imperial Wax and graphite anymore.
gary

 

[goose]

I took everything out of the die and it looks wavy inside, like a high school auto body project. None of my other dies of various calibers and brands look like this, some kind of tooling marks. Then I found a big gouge on the inside of my 25-06 ack seater die, also a redding.

 

[Trickymissfit]

I took everything out of the die and it looks wavy inside, like a high school auto body project. None of my other dies of various calibers and brands look like this, some kind of tooling marks. Then I found a big gouge on the inside of my 25-06 ack seater die, also a redding.

you probably have found the problem. Send it back to Redding with the cases fired from the chamber.
gary