full length or neck sizing on a short fat case?

[ko1featherweigh]

Full length shoulder bump everything

 

[MagnumManiac]

I've never heard of any more than one fire forming shot for any case. What's the purpose of this and do you have custom barrels? Since so many people seem to get great accuracy from full length sizing it just doesn't seem right that you need more than one fire forming shot.

I can promise you that you are forever NOT FL Sizing your brass if this is how you go about it. In fact, using ONE fireforming load, then knocking shoulders back is over sizing your brass every time you fire it.
The purpose for firing a case 3 times with only neck sizing until it is fully formed to the chamber is the ONLY way to get accurate readings.

Many people shooting precision rifles run tighter reamers than what SAAMI spec is for a very good reason…MORE TOLERANCE IS NEVER THE ANSWER TO PRECISION!

Cheers.

 

[tim_w]

I do 2X max, esp. on wildcats. I, too, am interested.
View attachment 585188
Frankly, I cannot believe we are still discussing this. @ZAK13, did you get the answer you were looking for?

Come on its the most basic, should be easy to answer questions that turn into 10 page threads lol. I wonder how much discussion a question like " What is the proper way to cycle your action/ run your bolt?" LOL

 

[tim_w]

I am beginning to think this 1 x fire forming idea is coming from the recommendation on new cases to first run a mid pressure load before your full pressure load to harden the case head more to help keep the web from weakening. Or maybe with the idea of improving a case which we also typically correctly use the same fireforming term. But obviously in this case we are using a reduced load to account for the significantly reduced volume which after load development can proceed.

Who knows??

 

[Rocketeer77]

Recently I decided on a new rifle chambered in 6.8W. Now looking at all the reloading dies available, I see most brands are offering a full-size die set, there are a few that offer a neck sizing die. Which is better for a short fat cartridge like the 6.8W? I reload quite a few different calibers already, new cases are full length sized, after they are fire formed, the cases are then neck sized only. But now having my first short and fat cases to deal with, I'm not sure if I can or should reload as I have with other the calibers I have.

My experience with 6.5 PRC is that you must FL size every time same with our 22-250 AI

 

[RichCoyle]

Well they could but it's life would be 1-2x maybe lol

People also have dies/chambers brass that are not spec'd to work ideally with each other as a system. Its why sticking with quality tough brass manf helps as it all starts with the virgin case (obviously improvements accounted for). Base everything off that.

There is a good reason die makers only want cases that have been 3x fired, neck size only to spec from.

I had so many wildcat dies made at Hornady Ben recognized my voice. I never heard of three times fired brass. He wanted three fired cases; never mentioned fired three times.

 

[tim_w]

I had so many wildcat dies made at Hornady Ben recognized my voice. I never heard of three times fired brass. He wanted three fired cases; never mentioned fired three times.

Interesting. I committed it to memory as 3x3. 3 cases fired 3x. Fairly confident that's what Neil Jones asked for on a die set he made many yrs ago. Similar to what a 6mm Swiss Match is but made from 308 cases, it was around '93? I love long neck cases like the 6 rem from when I was a teen. Always made sense to me. Very nice work too. Also have a die kit from him maybe 10 yrs ago for Norma Mag that will do various shoulder angles and neck sizes.

You know what though I just looked at Alan Warner instructions and sure enough just as you stated from Ben he asks for 1x fired cases.

I also will certainly not contradict Ben. If we compared knowledge I only know the title of the book where he knows the entire book and then some. Lol In fact I can not recall ever hearing or reading a negative comment about dealing with Ben. In that sort of buisness that is a rarity. My dies on my 338Mega are from his work with Rich and they work great.

It's certainly possible I have my wires crossed and am mis-remembering. Well crap!?!

 

[Greyfox]

My experience has been that I have also found that it takes 2-3 rounds for new brass to fully match the rifle chambers headspace. I can use a neck size dye or my FL dye during this "stretching" period to often achieve comparable results to my subsequent FL sized loads with fully formed brass for the remainder of the cases usable life. If I don't use a FL dye for the subsequent loads I may soon experience difficult extraction due to expansion of the case body.

 

[FEENIX]

Deleted!

 

[Mikecr]

I had so many wildcat dies made at Hornady Ben recognized my voice. I never heard of three times fired brass. He wanted three fired cases; never mentioned fired three times.

Ben at Hornady will make dies that oversize, and he doesn't care about that.
This is common.

This is also a matter that is under OUR control.
Like when I want a custom bump (only) die, I send 3 cases that I have pressurized beyond MyMax/SAAMI max.
So while the die maker thinks he's giving me plenty of body sizing, he's actually giving me exactly what I want.
That is, barely a squeeze of the body (no sizing), while bumping shoulders.