Stop neck sizing your brass!!!

[Mach 1]

The video changed nothing for me. I will still neck size my bench guns till the end of my days. A lot of people use cheap hornady brass that don't shoot as much as the video guy. Hornady brass neck sized will last twice as long as a fl sized brass. Even on expensive lapua and norma brass which I use I get more firings. If u trim your brass after every firing like I do you will almost always trim more brass off your case when fl sizing. This extra trimmed off brass is coming primarily out of the headspace region of your case. So the brass can't last as long being fl sized. I can see where firing multiple rounds in quick fashion you don't want to mess with the possibility of cycling problems. I also know alot of comp. Shooters push velocity and pressure limits to ring out the best bc they can get. On my 300 win mag I get 12 loads before fl sizing the brass again, granted it's a belted case but even my 300 wsm I get 8 firings before fl sizing. I think everyone can agree that a fl sized piece of brass expands more than than a neck sized piece of fireformed brass inside a chamber. If consistency is accuracy what is more consistent? A case that expands more or less? Why does everyone like using the same lot numbers on bullets and brass? Because its perceived to be more consistent than mismatching lot numbers. The video guys says no one neck sizes anymore. I'm around benchrest shooting enough to know that's not true. Everyone has there own opinions. Just do what works the best for you

 

[gunners]

So what you are saying is I should go back to a sub Moa full length resize load and forgo the 1/4 Moa Neck size load because that's what bench rest shooters use. Right that's smart. If I had a rifle that prefers fl sizing I would. But then my barrels aren't an inch and a half thick and I don't hunt with a 20 pound rifle.
Race car/road car

 

[bigedp51]

Stop Neck Sizing! Why You Should Full-Length Size Your Brass
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com...g-why-you-should-full-length-size-your-brass/

Whidden Full-Length Sizing Dies
by AccurateShooter.com Editor
For proper Full-length sizing, you want a quality die that's a very good match to your chamber. For our project rifles we usually turn to Whidden Gunworks which offers both bushing and non-bushing FL dies. And if you want the hot new option, check out Whidden's patent-pending, click-adjustable FL-sizing die. This gives instant, precise control over shoulder bump. It works great.

 

[Greyfox]

While the choice of method and the debate about which is best is interesting and could go on forever, I think that the single most important practice required whether you choose to NS or FL size(or any of the other variables associated with developing a load) for a particular rifle is to establish the a relevant, performance based "specification". For example, the spec for one of my 6.5x284's used for LR medium game hunting for the past 7 seasons is:
140 VLD @ 2975FPS, ES <12FPS, .25MOA-.4MOA@200 yards, <.5MOA@1000yards: zero@ cold/warm bore, minimum 60rounds. .
This particular rifle/load spec isn't that much different from my other LR hunters but underlying methods and components may vary. The general idea of setting a specification is applied to all my firearms/applications. This particular rifle uses neck sized Lapua Brass 1-3x fired, then body sized .001-.002", then back to Neck sizing. I also made life a bit easier by acquiring sufficient "same lot" components when I completed my original load work...enough for 1000+ loads. My other two 6.5x284's show no difference in NS vs FL, so I chose FL sizing for simplicity. I will, at the beginning of each hunting season confirm that my rifle/load is meeting the its specification. So far with the above rifle, after 7 seasons and approaching 1000 rounds, it has, and I suspect that it will until the barrel finally gives out......as indicated by no longer meeting it's specification.

"First be effective, then devise ways to be efficient"
-R.Sloma

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

Ok I'll throw my hat in the ring. I haven't reloaded for a very long time. Only about 8 years. I neck sized for a majority of that time. I have nothing against it. I'm still wouldn't have a problem doing it. Last year I went to FL resize with a .002 shoulder bump. I did this because I didn't like having to run my cases through a fl die every few firings because they didn't like to going my chamber. This to me is contrary to consistency when you have to break up your loading technique every few firings. I do everything possible to make sure everything is the same EVERY TIME. Another thing I didnt like was the stiff bolt close. Thats personal preference but for me i didnt care for it. Once i started actually testing the 2 side by side i actually found that in my rifle it was more accurate with the fl sized cases than the neck sized. I haven't looked back since and I've been shooting on average tighter groups. I haven't noticed any difference in case life. I say just try both and see which your rifle likes and stick with it.

 

[waltercrouse]

You stated that once ammo or new cases are fired (fire formed) that they are close to a perfect fit in the chamber. Wouldn't this also mean that the concentricity in further loads would also be close to perfect as long as the case wasn't resized? Thanks for all of the information that you are providing.

How can a case be misaligned if is to formed to the chamber. I would think a full sized case would have more tendencies to be misaligned , but being locked at the neck and at the rim or belt the round should be centered . I have been neck sizing all my cases and measure and trim after each firing . Checking the web at the belt or rim for stretching of the case. Belted magnum case will show stretching at the belt , I found this on Federal and some Remington belted cases.

 

[Rich Coyle]

Once i started actually testing the 2 side by side i actually found that in my rifle it was more accurate with the fl sized cases than the neck sized.

I did the same thing with a Savage .223. The worst five shot group it fired once the load was established was .494". Part of working up the load was to test five five shot groups with neck sized and full length sized brass. The rifle preferred the necked sized brass.

I also squared the heads and ran the same number of groups. One with the control loads and the other with the squared heads. The squared heads were more accurate. Squaring the heads messed up the head space so I didn't start the test until they were all fired once. I used a Wilson case trimmer to square the heads.

 

[Jeff Gibson]

Does this apply to semi auto guns like the AR?

 

[bigedp51]

Does this apply to semi auto guns like the AR?

In a semi-auto and pump actions the resized case should be resized .003 to .005 "smaller" in diameter than its fired diameter. This allows the case to spring back from the chamber walls and not cause any extraction problems.

In a bolt action lifting the bolt straight up is called primary extraction and is to break the case free from the chamber walls. And pulling the bolt straight back is called secondary extraction and the case should be able to pulled to the rear with very little effort.

And if you have hard bolt lift it is a sign the case needs to be sized smaller and have more spring back from the chamber walls.

This is why the majority of benchrest shooters are now full length resizing their cases. This greatly reduces bolt lift force and the rifle is not disturbed and moved on the bags. Meaning the rifle does not need to be readjusted after each shot to align the scope on the target.

 

[Buck Buster]

The video changed nothing for me. I will still neck size my bench guns till the end of my days. A lot of people use cheap hornady brass that don't shoot as much as the video guy. Hornady brass neck sized will last twice as long as a fl sized brass. Even on expensive lapua and norma brass which I use I get more firings. If u trim your brass after every firing like I do you will almost always trim more brass off your case when fl sizing. This extra trimmed off brass is coming primarily out of the headspace region of your case. So the brass can't last as long being fl sized. I can see where firing multiple rounds in quick fashion you don't want to mess with the possibility of cycling problems. I also know alot of comp. Shooters push velocity and pressure limits to ring out the best bc they can get. On my 300 win mag I get 12 loads before fl sizing the brass again, granted it's a belted case but even my 300 wsm I get 8 firings before fl sizing. I think everyone can agree that a fl sized piece of brass expands more than than a neck sized piece of fireformed brass inside a chamber. If consistency is accuracy what is more consistent? A case that expands more or less? Why does everyone like using the same lot numbers on bullets and brass? Because its perceived to be more consistent than mismatching lot numbers. The video guys says no one neck sizes anymore. I'm around benchrest shooting enough to know that's not true. Everyone has there own opinions. Just do what works the best for you

Exactly right: I talked to a well known gunsmith and hunter today and his son-in law and grandson. They neck size only, even their deer hunting rifles that are not belted magnums. They will slightly full length when the cases start to drag a lot, just enough to ease the case cycling, not a heavy resizing.

 

[tbrice23]

I'm not sure what some of you considers full length sizing but I size my brass my brass with a full length size die just enough to bump the shoulder back .002" measured with a headspace comparator, whether it is a belted magnum or an Ackley or regular beltless bottle neck cartridge. By no means a "turd in a violin case".
When I close the bolt I can feel the case being chambered but no real resistance.

Time and time again I've compared neck sized to properly FL sized accuracy and never have I found NS to be better. Maybe because I don't run pink panty loads, I don't know. But my routine never changes and I'll never have to fire an entire lot of brass after FL sizing to get my NS accuracy back.
Consistency is the name of the game.

 

[ctw]

Hey tbrice, maybe you should explain to some of us just exactly what a pink panty load is. I neck size and run my loads hot to get the most performance out of them. I'm not going to try to convince you or others on here to change what works for them. If it works for you by all means do it. But I'm not going to bring into the conversation what color panties your wearing. ctw

 

[tbrice23]

Hey tbrice, maybe you should explain to some of us just exactly what a pink panty load is. I neck size and run my loads hot to get the most performance out of them. I'm not going to try to convince you or others on here to change what works for them. If it works for you by all means do it. But I'm not going to bring into the conversation what color panties your wearing. ctw

That must have been a sore spot for you.

 

[ctw]

No not at all; its'all good. I got a chuckle from your comment. And as far as what color my under garments are; I'll never tell. Let's just say there not pink. lol ctw