Lesson learned

Fla_dogman · December 10, 2015, 08:47 PM

Hello from N Fla, new to the board and thought I would start off with a brain fart I had. I had been using a collet neck sizing die for my .243 and changed to a full sizing die when a friend gave me a pile of he old brass. Here's the problem. I set up the new die on my brass, so when I cycled the rounds the they worked fine. But after loading several of the new used brass they didn't cycle. So I became best friends with my bullet puller and started over. Where's my sign?

Blindstitch · December 10, 2015, 09:06 PM

Did you trim the brass?

Fla_dogman · December 10, 2015, 09:10 PM

Not the second time I did mic it and it was good it didn't size the lower portion.

Blindstitch · December 10, 2015, 09:12 PM

Ok so you have a full length die but didn't size full length?

Fla_dogman · December 10, 2015, 09:24 PM

I have both, neck sizing and now a full length die

Fla_dogman · December 10, 2015, 09:26 PM

The collet die is used only for 1/rifle only w

Fla_dogman · December 10, 2015, 09:27 PM

Full length die is used for multiple rifles or brass from another rifle.

Blindstitch · December 10, 2015, 09:58 PM

I guess i'm missing something. Has anything changed besides the die? Is the length the same as the previous loaded ammo you were using. And were you cycling the ammo in only one gun?

Fla_dogman · December 10, 2015, 10:06 PM

I used casings from my rifle to set up the full length die so they didn't require a complete resizing to cycle so I didn't have the die set low enough to resize the case fully so when I used casings fired from another rifle which requires a full resize to cycle they didn't work. So screwing the die in further the problem was fixed, unfortunately I discovered the issue after 50 rounds

Blindstitch · December 10, 2015, 10:13 PM

Sounds like proper die setting solved everything. Funny how a fraction of a fraction of an inch makes all the difference.

Fla_dogman · December 10, 2015, 10:20 PM

Yes funny now not so much when I discovered it LOL. But you're right the slightest bit off and they won't work

Snyper · December 11, 2015, 05:14 AM

It's best to check the brass in the gun before sizing too many, and always before seating projectiles

Mauser69 · December 11, 2015, 08:45 AM

Just to clarify for some - lots of relatively new reloaders these days seem to think you need some special die for just neck resizing - 'tain't so. FL dies do perfect neck sizing only when adjusted just a little high - seems like the OP already knows that now, but many do not. Back in the 70s the die instructions and loading manuals all discussed this.

I'm not sure why companies decided they needed to start making special neck sizing dies, but IMO it seems like just a way to sucker more money out of new reloaders. There may be some special needs they meet, but most of us do not and never will need them.

849ACSO · December 11, 2015, 04:41 PM

Agreed. I bought one neck sizing die once. It didn't size the neck enough for decent neck tension. As I did before, now I use full length dies screwed out to only size the neck. Some of them size a portion of the case that way, but not enough to call it FL.

December 10, 2015, 08:47 PM	#1
Fla_dogman Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2015 Posts: 265	Lesson learned Hello from N Fla, new to the board and thought I would start off with a brain fart I had. I had been using a collet neck sizing die for my .243 and changed to a full sizing die when a friend gave me a pile of he old brass. Here's the problem. I set up the new die on my brass, so when I cycled the rounds the they worked fine. But after loading several of the new used brass they didn't cycle. So I became best friends with my bullet puller and started over. Where's my sign?

December 11, 2015, 05:14 AM	#12
Snyper Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2013 Location: Eastern NC Posts: 3,047	It's best to check the brass in the gun before sizing too many, and always before seating projectiles __________________ One shot, one kill

December 11, 2015, 08:45 AM	#13
Mauser69 Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2014 Location: New Mexico Posts: 204	FL Dies Also Do Neck Sizing Only Just to clarify for some - lots of relatively new reloaders these days seem to think you need some special die for just neck resizing - 'tain't so. FL dies do perfect neck sizing only when adjusted just a little high - seems like the OP already knows that now, but many do not. Back in the 70s the die instructions and loading manuals all discussed this. I'm not sure why companies decided they needed to start making special neck sizing dies, but IMO it seems like just a way to sucker more money out of new reloaders. There may be some special needs they meet, but most of us do not and never will need them. __________________ NRA Family Life members, TSRA Life member, USAF vet and American Legion member.

December 11, 2015, 04:41 PM	#14
849ACSO Senior Member Join Date: September 21, 2014 Location: Somewhere in the middle Posts: 629	Agreed. I bought one neck sizing die once. It didn't size the neck enough for decent neck tension. As I did before, now I use full length dies screwed out to only size the neck. Some of them size a portion of the case that way, but not enough to call it FL. __________________ "The day you stop learning SHOULD directly coincide with the day you stop breathing."

December 10, 2015, 09:06 PM	#2
Blindstitch Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2013 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 2,692	Did you trim the brass?

December 10, 2015, 09:10 PM	#3
Fla_dogman Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2015 Posts: 265	Not the second time I did mic it and it was good it didn't size the lower portion.

December 10, 2015, 09:12 PM	#4
Blindstitch Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2013 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 2,692	Ok so you have a full length die but didn't size full length?

December 10, 2015, 09:24 PM	#5
Fla_dogman Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2015 Posts: 265	I have both, neck sizing and now a full length die

December 10, 2015, 09:26 PM	#6
Fla_dogman Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2015 Posts: 265	The collet die is used only for 1/rifle only w

December 10, 2015, 09:27 PM	#7
Fla_dogman Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2015 Posts: 265	Full length die is used for multiple rifles or brass from another rifle.

December 10, 2015, 09:58 PM	#8
Blindstitch Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2013 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 2,692	I guess i'm missing something. Has anything changed besides the die? Is the length the same as the previous loaded ammo you were using. And were you cycling the ammo in only one gun?

December 10, 2015, 10:06 PM	#9
Fla_dogman Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2015 Posts: 265	I used casings from my rifle to set up the full length die so they didn't require a complete resizing to cycle so I didn't have the die set low enough to resize the case fully so when I used casings fired from another rifle which requires a full resize to cycle they didn't work. So screwing the die in further the problem was fixed, unfortunately I discovered the issue after 50 rounds

December 10, 2015, 10:13 PM	#10
Blindstitch Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2013 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 2,692	Sounds like proper die setting solved everything. Funny how a fraction of a fraction of an inch makes all the difference.

December 10, 2015, 10:20 PM	#11
Fla_dogman Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2015 Posts: 265	Yes funny now not so much when I discovered it LOL. But you're right the slightest bit off and they won't work