.223 case expanding

Greg Di · December 15, 2007, 04:57 PM

I just loaded 25 test rounds of .223. This is my foray into rifle reloading but I have been loading pistol for a while.

My sequence is this:

1) Tumble
2) Lube (Hornady One Shot)
3) Deprime and Size
4) Trim, Chamfer, Clean Primer Pockets
5) Prime on Lee Turret with station one empty (no die)
6) Powder using Lee Rifle Powder Die (Auto Disk Powder)(I don't think the die expands at all...does it?)
7) Seat
8) Lee FCD

I had a really tough time getting the bullets to stay put on the cartridge prior to seating. It managed to do them all, but had it been a pistol cartridge, I would have dialed in a little more case mouth expanding to make the bullet sit in the cartridge easier.

Should I be relubing after Trimming (step 4) so that I resize the case again when I go to actually load? This makes no sense to me since the brass should be 100% ready to load after step 4, but then I remember seeing many guys running .223 on progressives and they definitely are resizing on station 1.

Chalk one up in the "duh" column for me, but I am lost...

Alleykat · December 15, 2007, 05:14 PM

I load a lot of .223s on a Dillon 650. I tumble and spray with Hornady One-Shot. After the first round of trimming, I don't have to trim anymore, as I'm using an RCBS X die for sizing. For reloading cycles in which I don't have to trim, I just dump the lubed cases into the casefeeder and start pulling the handle and dropping bullets, just as if I were loading straightwall handgun cases.

I sometimes use the Lee FCD, but have just about stopped crimping any rifle ammo. I tumble the finished rounds briefly in cc media to remove the One Shot.

fourrobert13 · December 15, 2007, 05:14 PM

You only resize them once. You do not flare the case mouth with rifle cases. The projectile is held in with the neck tension. Your process is pretty close to mine, except I don't tumble until after all cases have been resized, trimmed, chamfer/deburred. After that I tumble the lube and dirt off and load them up.

December 15, 2007, 04:57 PM	#1
Greg Di Member Join Date: November 16, 2005 Location: Northern NJ Posts: 66	.223 case expanding I just loaded 25 test rounds of .223. This is my foray into rifle reloading but I have been loading pistol for a while. My sequence is this: 1) Tumble 2) Lube (Hornady One Shot) 3) Deprime and Size 4) Trim, Chamfer, Clean Primer Pockets 5) Prime on Lee Turret with station one empty (no die) 6) Powder using Lee Rifle Powder Die (Auto Disk Powder)(I don't think the die expands at all...does it?) 7) Seat 8) Lee FCD I had a really tough time getting the bullets to stay put on the cartridge prior to seating. It managed to do them all, but had it been a pistol cartridge, I would have dialed in a little more case mouth expanding to make the bullet sit in the cartridge easier. Should I be relubing after Trimming (step 4) so that I resize the case again when I go to actually load? This makes no sense to me since the brass should be 100% ready to load after step 4, but then I remember seeing many guys running .223 on progressives and they definitely are resizing on station 1. Chalk one up in the "duh" column for me, but I am lost...

December 15, 2007, 05:14 PM	#3
fourrobert13 Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2005 Location: South West Ohio Posts: 336	You only resize them once. You do not flare the case mouth with rifle cases. The projectile is held in with the neck tension. Your process is pretty close to mine, except I don't tumble until after all cases have been resized, trimmed, chamfer/deburred. After that I tumble the lube and dirt off and load them up. __________________ Be aware of yourself and everything around you.

December 15, 2007, 05:14 PM	#2
Alleykat Junior member Join Date: July 26, 2007 Posts: 3,668	I load a lot of .223s on a Dillon 650. I tumble and spray with Hornady One-Shot. After the first round of trimming, I don't have to trim anymore, as I'm using an RCBS X die for sizing. For reloading cycles in which I don't have to trim, I just dump the lubed cases into the casefeeder and start pulling the handle and dropping bullets, just as if I were loading straightwall handgun cases. I sometimes use the Lee FCD, but have just about stopped crimping any rifle ammo. I tumble the finished rounds briefly in cc media to remove the One Shot.