FULL OR NECK

[Lewdan 17]

Hi guys, just wondered whats your preference when reloading?, Full size the case or neck size only? is there any info to verify which method is best.

Cheers

LD

[zx10mike 137]

cheers for starting this one i will watch closely,i have just purchased a redding neck sizer as i believe it can improve accuracy and helps to prolong the life of brass.once the round is fired it expands to fit your chamber and this is better for consistancy.this is how i understand it.

 

whilst were about it if someone can explain the benefits of bushing dies,how they work,and what difference to accuracy it makes i would appreciate it.

 

cheers mike

[dave1372 83]

First off is the following

 

click here

The guy writing the article also goes on to talk about full length resizing and why he believes it is best in the following article about preparing new brass.

 

click here

 

The key to accuracy he believes is getting the case neck correctly set up because cases can be quite irregular and curvy in the body interesting stuff.

 

This site has good credibility given that the owner of Border Barrels (Dr Kolbe) contributes and he's a mega brain PhD in physics that can pull clap-trap apart !

 

I currently neck size but am considering changing to full length.

 

I was also trying to find a link about primer pocket uniforming I came across where someone had done an article and tests as to whether it made a difference or not and he tested a Possum Hollow Deluxe Deburring Tool and tested cases that hadn't been uniformed and ones that did and according to his results it improved grouping by 35% ! Think I am going to buy one to try out.

Edited April 26, 2011 by dave1372

[Lewdan 17]

First off is the following

 

click here

The guy writing the article also goes on to talk about full length resizing and why he believes it is best in the following article about preparing new brass.

 

click here

 

The key to accuracy he believes is getting the case neck correctly set up because cases can be quite irregular and curvy in the body – interesting stuff.

 

This site has good credibility given that the owner of Border Barrels (Dr Kolbe) contributes and he's a mega brain PhD in physics that can pull clap-trap apart !

 

I currently neck size but am considering changing to full length.

 

I was also trying to find a link about primer pocket uniforming I came across where someone had done an article and tests as to whether it made a difference or not and he tested a Possum Hollow Deluxe Deburring Tool and tested cases that hadn't been uniformed and ones that did and according to his results it improved grouping by 35% ! Think I am going to buy one to try out.

 

Thanks Dave , very interesting article! I have always full sized my cases so i will continue with this, but some handy tips in this article i may add to my reloading process.

Much appreciated.

LD

[zx10mike 137]

First off is the following

 

click here

The guy writing the article also goes on to talk about full length resizing and why he believes it is best in the following article about preparing new brass.

 

click here

 

The key to accuracy he believes is getting the case neck correctly set up because cases can be quite irregular and curvy in the body – interesting stuff.

 

This site has good credibility given that the owner of Border Barrels (Dr Kolbe) contributes and he's a mega brain PhD in physics that can pull clap-trap apart !

 

I currently neck size but am considering changing to full length.

 

I was also trying to find a link about primer pocket uniforming I came across where someone had done an article and tests as to whether it made a difference or not and he tested a Possum Hollow Deluxe Deburring Tool and tested cases that hadn't been uniformed and ones that did and according to his results it improved grouping by 35% ! Think I am going to buy one to try out.

 

Thanks Dave , very interesting article! I have always full sized my cases so i will continue with this, but some handy tips in this article i may add to my reloading process.

Much appreciated.

LD

 

 

likewise thankyou for taking the time to pass that on very usefull.cheers mike

[Sherrif 1]

thats intresting, i dont make my own bullits yet

a mate said its better to size only the neck but the article said full size

[HUnter_zero 58]

Not read the article yet, but will do.

 

IMHO if your reloading for hunting, the full length resizing is best with the bullet placed at a standard COAL.

 

If your reloading for the target, then neck size and seat the bullet off the lands to reduce group size.

 

John

[dicehorn 38]

Not read the article yet, but will do.

 

IMHO if your reloading for hunting, the full length resizing is best with the bullet placed at a standard COAL.

 

If your reloading for the target, then neck size and seat the bullet off the lands to reduce group size.

 

John

 

Hm...IMHO if you have a custom chamber (which is normally tight) I can see the merits of F/L cases - in fact many custom rifles shoot more accurately being F/L. Whereas the majority of factory rifles are made to SAAMI spec and therefore cases are quite sloppy in the chamber as they are made to fit every case manufacturer's weight of case. That is why I would advocate N/K as it would take quite a few firings to get the case to expand enough to cause problems chambering or ejecting a cartridge. Besides, F/L will reduce the life of the brass.

 

Having said that I must say I have never really found fireformed cases shoot any better than new cases.

 

Not sure I could 100% agree with you John on your above statement about F/L for hunting and N/K for target and differences between lands for both IMO seat the bullet where it shoots most accurately no matter what the application is for - perhaps I mis-interpreteted what you wrote!!

 

Peter

[HUnter_zero 58]

Not sure I could 100% agree with you John on your above statement about F/L for hunting and N/K for target and differences between lands for both IMO seat the bullet where it shoots most accurately no matter what the application is for - perhaps I mis-interpreteted what you wrote!!

 

Peter

 

Hey Peter, long time no speak and I do keep meaning to meet up for a pint!! We have a bit of work to do on the farm in the next few months, which will give plenty of time for a meet up! I have kept a box of Black gold for you as well (my timing is cr@p but my memory is ok ).

 

I was in a rush with my reply. Here is how I see it.

I've played around with NS and have squeezed a little tighter groups. I don't have custom chambers and doubt I ever will as I'm no target shooter and have no real interest in pure target shooting. So for me, I want a solid, dependable round. A round that can chamber in another rifle ( there has been times when my shooting partner or I have picked up .308 instead of .243 or .243 instead of .308. Now at 100 yards 10 odd grains isn't going to make a massive difference to POI with a kill zone of 8" ). I don't want to seat bullets at the edge of the chamber, or have an increased case neck length to seat the bullet just off the lands( I have a Remington don't forget ). No, for me personally I just want a round that I know will group MOA or less, will chamber and will fire, sized and molded as close to SAAMI specifications as possible.

 

Even at the range, my rounds are standard spec.

 

However, I would be more likely to NS, or increase COAL if it was for pure target shooting or to try and achieve the tightest group my rifle could produce. After all the rounds just sit in the box, not in my pocket being shaken or dropped.

 

I guess if the rifle has a short throat (not like a Remington 700) and the bullet has a fair neck tension then seating just off the lands would only increase accuracy but that said I wouldn't be stalking with anything that produces much more than MOA, so a slightly reduction in group size, even 1/2MOA wouldn't make any difference to the final outcome in a stalking situation.

 

So I guess ( my personal opinion ), for the two above reasons alone, that's interchangeable rounds between rifles and accuracy needs for a stalking rifle I can see little or no point NS or increasing COAL for hunting.

 

John

[zx10mike 137]

i hunt small varmint bunnys and crows and love to get acurracy at tight as poss to increase my range.lots of paper punching so i know my limits so the whole target grouping helps me.plan to take up dear stalking next saterday when my numbers come up but agree i suppose you do not have to worry about the difference between one inch or two in your case.

[HUnter_zero 58]

Don't get me wrong, I like to know where my shot will go!!

 

But why do I spend £800 on a scope? Well because I want to know that the scope will not let me down. I could go and buy a SMK scope, it's going to do the same.... until one day the thing falls apart.

 

Same with my ammo I guess. I have the tools and knowledge to seat 0.001" off the lands, I don't because in my mind (which is where 90% of the accuracy comes from with rifle shooters)having the bullet tottering just inside the case mouth is unnecessary risk and having the ability to swap cartridges between rifles has benefits.

However, you hit the nail on the head, pure and simple. If I were shooting crows at 400 yards with my .243 then I would need to squeeze every possible bit of accuracy out of my rifle and me! However shooting deer at 100 yards, is a different story altogether. I just want to know it's going to work, first time every time and my reloads produce respectable groups .5MOA out of my Rem700 SPS tac, topped with an S&B (German) 6x42. No NS, needed.

My Steyr pro-hunter .243"/topped with an 8x56 S&B, produces one hole groups at 100 yards with 58 grain V-max and a little over an inch with grain Rem SP, loads of which will suit both fox & roe. I can squeeze a little better by NS & seating off the lands, but why and lets be honest how far am I going to shoot with a 6x42 & 8x56 scope .

 

John

 

 

John

Edited May 1, 2011 by HUnter_zero

[dave1372 83]

.....I found the article about the deburring tool : click here .. Funny thing is that his results show that NS not FL produced better grouping results !