New to reloading and my bullets slip right into the brass with hand pressure

[Kalle "Cully" Hyrkas]

I need some help here. I just got my RCBS Rock Chucker Press, Redding Dies (including the Type S-Bushing Style Neck Sizing Die, which of course comes without the bushings) Berger VLD Hunting 175 Gr. 308 bullets, powder, primers, etc. Everything except my Lapua Brass. I thought I would get familiar w/ my stuff and check seating depth, and try to figure where 0.010 off the lands would be, you know, stuff like that. I have once-fired Nosler Custom brass, Federal Premium once-fired and American Eagle (cheap stuff - You know, first few boxes through the new gun) and with all of it, I can push the bullet all the way through the neck with finger pressure and not even make a scratch on the bullet. Redding says to load several loaded or dummy rounds and measure the neck. Then subtract 0.002 to get the proper size bushing. I can't even load. What do I do? Do I need to crimp? I'm shooting a new Remington 700 TIR Bushmaster Custom Shop 308. I just bought it in December. Am I just being stupid? Please don't laugh....

 

[sqwirl]

I need some help here. I just got my RCBS Rock Chucker Press, Redding Dies (including the Type S-Bushing Style Neck Sizing Die, which of course comes without the bushings) Berger VLD Hunting 175 Gr. 308 bullets, powder, primers, etc. Everything except my Lapua Brass. I thought I would get familiar w/ my stuff and check seating depth, and try to figure where 0.010 off the lands would be, you know, stuff like that. I have once-fired Nosler Custom brass, Federal Premium once-fired and American Eagle (cheap stuff - You know, first few boxes through the new gun) and with all of it, I can push the bullet all the way through the neck with finger pressure and not even make a scratch on the bullet. Redding says to load several loaded or dummy rounds and measure the neck. Then subtract 0.002 to get the proper size bushing. I can't even load. What do I do? Do I need to crimp? I'm shooting a new Remington 700 TIR Bushmaster Custom Shop 308. I just bought it in December. Am I just being stupid? Please don't laugh....

Are you sizing the brass first? If you have a spacious chamber and haven't run it through sizing die, it's possible that the neck opened up enough to allow this to happen.

 

[Kalle "Cully" Hyrkas]

The Redding Body Die is designed to full length resize the case body and bump the shoulder witout resizing the neck. I measured the outside diameter of several cases and they all measured 0.343 (the spec.) and then measured the inside diameter. They were anywhere from 0.308 to 0.313 (the American Eagle were all around 0.308 and the Nosler Customs all around 0.312). Maybe I buy a seperate neck sizing die until I get data to order my bushings from Redding????

 

[tatco]

Usually bushing dies are used by guys that have custom chambers with tight necks. Sounds like your chamber is at the upper end of the SAMI spec. A full length Sizing die will do the job.
To determin what bushing(s) your "Bushing Neck Die" needs. Get a loaded round(factory will work to get you in the ballpark). Measure the neck diameter about a 1/4" down from the top of the neck. Then subtract .002 from that diameter and you'll have your bushing size.

If you sort your cases into lots by weight you'll have some consistancy in neck thickness. This will help you determine the correct size for your different brass. If you don't have a ball mic to measure your brass neck thickness, then use a full length resize die and your seater die to load a dummy shell for each of the different shell manufacturers. Then measure the diamater of each one and subtract .002. and see if they are the same. You will find that Lapua brass is thicker than the others and needs a different bushing size to keep your bullet grip consistant.

 

[mattj]

For .308 with unturned Lapua brass, .336 should do you (that's what I have the neck in my full size Forster die honed to).

That was the result of me measuring, subtracting .002" & allotting for .001" of spring-back several years ago when I had it honed.

If you want to fiddle with neck tension, you might want to order 4 or 5 bushings ranging from about .333 to .337.

 

[Kalle "Cully" Hyrkas]

Hey, thanks guys. I talked a little at the local store and got the same answers. I'm starting to figure this out. I will order the .333 to 337.

Thanks again!!!!!

 

[paphil]

It sounds like you are on the right track. Fired brass before you resize will be the same size as the chamber of the gun it was fired in.(less about.001 ) Firing the round results in the case swelling and fire forming to the demensions of the chamber. The bullet can be pushed into this brass very easily because the brass expanded to release the bullet when you shot. To reseat a bullet to find the lands, crimp the neck very slightly and just start the bullet into the neck. Use a magic marker and paint the bullet so you can see the rifling marks and the mark the case neck will make on the bullet when when you chamber the round and close the bolt. The bullet will probably stick in the barrel and have to be pushed out from the muzzle with a ram rod. The case mark on the bullet will show a depth that is .030 to .040 into the lands. DO NOT seat bullets this deep (shallow)! Very careful measuring of the distance from the case neck mark to the bullet tip end mark of the rifling mark will give an idea of where the rifling is. The best thing to do would be to get a competent gun smith to measure the bullet you are going to use untill you have more experience loading. Seating bullets too long can be dangerous and result in ruined guns and personal injury. Be careful and don,t give up. Learning to do it right will give you satisfaction for years to come.

 

[texastrophy]

With my brass, winchester takes a .333 bushing and Lapua and FC takes a .338 bushing. There's quite a bit of difference in the thickness of those brass. You are only resizing the case if you don't put a bushing in the die. That would be the reason your bullet is dropping into the case.

 

[Kalle "Cully" Hyrkas]

Thank you Paphil! This is great advice. I am on the steep part of the learning curve, and I love it. I love to learn. My goal with all of this is to bag a Coyote at 1,000 yards.