Throat scuffing bullet when neck sized. Any ideas?

bolt face · January 28, 2009, 05:04 PM

I've been loading for a .223 700 SPS tactical. The rifle is 100% stock at this time and has a 3-9 VXII on it. It is very accurate. I've been loading 65 grain GameKings and 69 grain MatchKings with H4895.
Yesterday at a lasered 372 yards with 69 SMK's it shot 5 3-shot groups at 2" or under with the best being 1.53, all nice little triangles. These were all different charge weights, it doesn't seem to care. It loves SMK's with the SGK's a close second. This is with virgin win. or rem. brass FL sized. The problem is when I go to neck size the once fired brass I'm getting a scuff mark on the bullet just above the case mouth when the round is chambered. It's not the lands, it's a wide scuff mark that isn't consistent between rounds- some have it worse than others- some not at all. Is it neck run-out? Can it be bad enough to rub the throat? I tried two different neck sizers (RCBS and Redding) both the same. I'm wondering about the seater now. Tried it without the expander ball and still did it. Also, I have chambered a round, carefully extracted it, covered the scuff mark with black marker, turned it half a revolution, rechambered and the new scuff is in the same spot- in other words it's the round not the chamber. When FL sizing, no problems. Sorry about the long post, just wanted to get it all out there. Man, I feel better already.

dahermit · January 28, 2009, 06:54 PM

Full length sizing with full length sizing dies. Are you backing the FL die out to neck size? Or, do you have a Lee collet die for neck sizing. Nevertheless, if the rifle is shooting that good, I would not worry about the bullets not being concentric with the case...accuracy trumps everything else.

bolt face · January 28, 2009, 07:15 PM

Thanks for the reply.
I'm neck sizing with RCBS & Redding neck sizing dies. I haven't been shooting any neck sized rounds since I found the scuff marks, all the good groups have been from full length sized rounds (rcbs FL die). Basically, I was neck sizing some saved brass I had and getting somewhat erratic results. I then bought some virgin brass and FL sized it, suddenly the rifle is very accurate. I went to neck size some of the once fired virgin brass and discovered the scuffing. I would like to neck size after the virgin brass is once fired for brass longevity and to see if I can get even more accuracy. The way it is I'm sort of stuck FL sizing right now.

January 28, 2009, 05:04 PM	#1
bolt face Member Join Date: December 17, 2008 Posts: 18	Throat scuffing bullet when neck sized. Any ideas? I've been loading for a .223 700 SPS tactical. The rifle is 100% stock at this time and has a 3-9 VXII on it. It is very accurate. I've been loading 65 grain GameKings and 69 grain MatchKings with H4895. Yesterday at a lasered 372 yards with 69 SMK's it shot 5 3-shot groups at 2" or under with the best being 1.53, all nice little triangles. These were all different charge weights, it doesn't seem to care. It loves SMK's with the SGK's a close second. This is with virgin win. or rem. brass FL sized. The problem is when I go to neck size the once fired brass I'm getting a scuff mark on the bullet just above the case mouth when the round is chambered. It's not the lands, it's a wide scuff mark that isn't consistent between rounds- some have it worse than others- some not at all. Is it neck run-out? Can it be bad enough to rub the throat? I tried two different neck sizers (RCBS and Redding) both the same. I'm wondering about the seater now. Tried it without the expander ball and still did it. Also, I have chambered a round, carefully extracted it, covered the scuff mark with black marker, turned it half a revolution, rechambered and the new scuff is in the same spot- in other words it's the round not the chamber. When FL sizing, no problems. Sorry about the long post, just wanted to get it all out there. Man, I feel better already.

January 28, 2009, 06:54 PM	#2
dahermit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2006 Location: South Central Michigan...near Posts: 6,501	Full length sizing with full length sizing dies. Are you backing the FL die out to neck size? Or, do you have a Lee collet die for neck sizing. Nevertheless, if the rifle is shooting that good, I would not worry about the bullets not being concentric with the case...accuracy trumps everything else.

January 28, 2009, 07:15 PM	#3
bolt face Member Join Date: December 17, 2008 Posts: 18	Thanks for the reply. I'm neck sizing with RCBS & Redding neck sizing dies. I haven't been shooting any neck sized rounds since I found the scuff marks, all the good groups have been from full length sized rounds (rcbs FL die). Basically, I was neck sizing some saved brass I had and getting somewhat erratic results. I then bought some virgin brass and FL sized it, suddenly the rifle is very accurate. I went to neck size some of the once fired virgin brass and discovered the scuffing. I would like to neck size after the virgin brass is once fired for brass longevity and to see if I can get even more accuracy. The way it is I'm sort of stuck FL sizing right now.