Great Case Prep Article: Question though

[Jig Stick]

I found a pretty sweet article on case prep, with pictures, recommended equipment, etc...Im not sure if its been posted before or not. I have been following this article when reloading, but have a question about step # 10. What die is available to just bump the shoulder back? I have FL and Neck sizing dies already. Im going to pick up the Redding Instant Indicator Die, but I dont think that die actually sizes....i think it just measures.

http://www.6mmbr.com/jgcaseprep.html

 

[MitchAlsup]

Re: Great Case Prep Article: Question though

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jig Stick</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have been following this article when reloading, but have a question about step # 10. What die is available to just bump the shoulder back? </div></div>

That kind of dies is known as a body die--its sizes only the body (base through shoulder. A three die set for rifle cartriges often comes with the body die as the third die.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I have FL and Neck sizing dies already. Im going to pick up the Redding Instant Indicator Die, but I dont think that die actually sizes....i think it just measures.</div></div>

Correct, the indicator die just measures.

 

[Jig Stick]

Re: Great Case Prep Article: Question though

I cant find any die described as a "body die" on Midway or StClairint. Any help?

 

[cstmwrks]

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[Jig Stick]

Re: Great Case Prep Article: Question though

I know that you can adjust the shoulder with the FL die by screwing it up or down to make the case go in more deep or shallow. BUT, I think this would also size the case. I dont want to size the case or neck at all. I just want to push the shoulder back.

 

[cstmwrks]

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[BBeyer]

Re: Great Case Prep Article: Question though

Have you tried a neck sizing bushing die with no bushing in it, dont know but may do as you wish.

 

[hdbiker1]

Re: Great Case Prep Article: Question though

&#9824;<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jig Stick</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I cant find any die described as a "body die" on Midway or StClairint. Any help?</div></div>

Natchez has the Redding body dies.

 

[memilanuk]

Re: Great Case Prep Article: Question though

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jig Stick</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I cant find any die described as a "body die" on Midway or StClairint. Any help? </div></div>

Not sure how hard you tried... went to the front page of Midway USA and entered 'body die' in the Search box:

http://www.midwayusa.com/Find?userSearchQuery=body+die

Same thing on Sinclair Int'l:

http://www.sinclairintl.com/.aspx/cid=0/k=body+die/t=P/ksubmit=y/Products/All/search=body_die

The body die will size the body of the case as well... though if you are only bumping the shoulder back 0.001-0.002", and you don't have a swollen, oversized chamber, it won't size the body very much.

If you want to bump the shoulder *only*, then you need what is called a 'bump' die. These are typically either custom made, or Forster now offers a version that can also size the neck via (proprietary) bushings:

http://www.sinclairintl.com/.aspx/pid=42861/Product/Forster_Bushing_Bump_Dies

 

[Jig Stick]

Re: Great Case Prep Article: Question though

So I have been trying to prepare my brass exactly the same way depicted in this article. But I am confused. How can I do STEP 10 if the brass has already been FL sized in STEP 1? wouldnt FL sizing in STEP 1 push the shoulder back farther than 0.002-0.003 depicted in STEP 10?

 

[Beepy]

Re: Great Case Prep Article: Question though

I have bumped the shoulder back by just screwing out the FL die so that it forms just the neck/shoulder area. Screw the die all the way out, take a sharpy and mark a line down the neck and shoulder of the first piece of brass. Run the ram all the way up with the brass in place. then screw the die down till it touches. Run the ram down, screw in the die about an 1/8 turn and run the brass back up, Keep doing this and checking where the die is touching based on the sharpy line.

I used to bump shoulders, but honestly on the rifles that I shoot the most ie 308 and 300WM I full length size every time, I know a bunch of shooters from the more "tactical" crowd that are going back to FL sizing as well.

If I had an odd ball caliber where brass cost me my left arm, both nuts and half an ass cheek... I'd baby those along with just bumping the shoulder for as long as I could...

 

[MALLARD]

Re: Great Case Prep Article: Question though

not that its not good info on the link , but , to me its overkill , i think you can get a load to exit consistently over an obt without all that work.

that is some OCD shit

 

[turbo54]

Re: Great Case Prep Article: Question though

Good God, thats seriously anal retentive... And I might add ONLY applicable to benchrest shooting.

We are NOT benchrest shooters. We do not get 20 minutes to take 5 shots, including unlimited sighters to assess the wind. The placement of our shots is the ONLY thing that counts, not just group size with an added bonus if it happens to have hit close to the center. We don't even generally get a discrete aiming point to take advantage of ammo that may be .050 MOA more consistent. Time is always a factor.

I've shot 10 round bugholes at 200 yards with completely unprepped (except for swaging military crimp) 1970s NATO brass. I've also shot 10 round bugholes with fully prepped Lapua brass. Maybe the Lapua bughole was a few thousandths of an inch smaller?

Guys and gals: PLEASE spend your time/effort on practicing the fundamentals of marksmanship, not loading "perfect" ammo.

 

[TexIndian]

Re: Great Case Prep Article: Question though

I don't do the BR thing, but tailoring your headspace to your rifle is a legitimate reloading technique for any discipline. It increases accuracy and case life and it helps prevent case head separation in guns like the M14. Once you get your die set up properly, you never have to fool with it again. Why bother reloading if your going to use generic measurements instead of fitting your loads to your gun?

Forster makes a 'neck bushing/shoulder bump' die. For .308, it is part # BBK2751.

 

[turbo54]

Re: Great Case Prep Article: Question though

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: OldTex</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I don't do the BR thing, but tailoring your headspace to your rifle is a legitimate reloading technique for any discipline. It increases accuracy and case life and it helps prevent case head separation in guns like the M14. Once you get your die set up properly, you never have to fool with it again. Why bother reloading if your going to use generic measurements instead of fitting your loads to your gun?

Forster makes a 'neck bushing/shoulder bump' die. For .308, it is part # BBK2751. </div></div>

Sound advice. I have that bushing/bump die and it is fabulous. Not that it hurts anything, but I hate neck sized only ammo that causes your bolt to close tight. With the forster bump die, I am only pushing the shoulder back .0015 and my bolt closes as if I performed a generic FLS.

 

[Fuzzball]

Re: Great Case Prep Article: Question though

" Once you get your die set up properly, you never have to fool with it again."

Well, it's really not that simple, at least not for a FL sizer. As the cases are cycled they get work hardened. Hard brass springs back more from both firing and sizing. That means the loader wanting best perfomance will have to adjust his die just to obtain the same end results.

 

[TexIndian]

Re: Great Case Prep Article: Question though

True, but annealing every few firings takes care of that problem.

 

[EWP]

Re: Great Case Prep Article: Question though

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jig Stick</div><div class="ubbcode-body">So I have been trying to prepare my brass exactly the same way depicted in this article. But I am confused. How can I do STEP 10 if the brass has already been FL sized in STEP 1? wouldnt FL sizing in STEP 1 push the shoulder back farther than 0.002-0.003 depicted in STEP 10? </div></div>

The prepped brass has been fired between step one and step 10, by the time you get to step 10 you are re-sizing the prepped brass after you have fired it for the first time but this time you size it based on the fired head space length(-.0015" for bolt rifle and .003" for gas gun) and not just a random length like you did in step 1 to make sure all of the new brass was the same before starting your case prep and it's done with your same FL die used in step 1.