Sizing issue?

Kangbeef

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Aug 12, 2024
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Resizing 223 starline fired brass. Using a rcbs rock chunker with a forster bushing FL sizing die. I have romoved the dies cleaned and installed per instructions. When i resize the case it doesnt fit flush in my hornady case gauge. If I take the brass and rotate it in the pres 4 times it sits flush. What could be the cause of the issue. If i need to post mor information I will as soon as I can. Thanks again
 

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Ok set the die down more at the point i have to put a some force to get it to cam over. Is this the golden standard or is it different from manufacturer to manufacturer.
 
The die just might not size far enough down the case to make it come out playing nice with the gauge.

I'd adjust the die to get the shoulder bump I'm after, period, and then just view/use the gauge as a QC check to make sure cases are coming out consistent.

The gauge is just a cookie-cutter gauge, so, arguably, you shouldn't even worry about cases fitting perfectly into it as long as the rounds work in your gun and every case comes out the same. It's more important that you get the desired bump you want and it works in the gun. Bumping more than you need to, just to achieve fitting into some gauge (instead of your chamber), seems dumb, as it will only lead to shorter brass life with more case stretch and a greater risk of a kaboom if you're pushing them hard.

(FWIW, I hate the mystery of cam-over presses and prefer presses/dies that have a full-stop and no mystery.)
 
Ok set the die down more at the point i have to put a some force to get it to cam over. Is this the golden standard or is it different from manufacturer to manufacturer.
What was the result from doing that?

Camming over is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as it's not putting too much strain on the press's linkage. . . which will depend on the particular press being used. For my Forster Co-Ax, I have it set with just a little cam-over to the hard stop for consistency.
 
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The die just might not size far enough down the case to make it come out playing nice with the gauge.

I'd adjust the die to get the shoulder bump I'm after, period, and then just view/use the gauge as a QC check to make sure cases are coming out consistent.

The gauge is just a cookie-cutter gauge, so, arguably, you shouldn't even worry about cases fitting perfectly into it as long as the rounds work in your gun and every case comes out the same. It's more important that you get the desired bump you want and it works in the gun. Bumping more than you need to, just to achieve fitting into some gauge (instead of your chamber), seems dumb, as it will only lead to shorter brass life with more case stretch and a greater risk of a kaboom if you're pushing them hard.

(FWIW, I hate the mystery of cam-over presses and prefer presses/dies that have a full-stop and no mystery.)
Yeah it just had my brain thinking thats all. My standard FL die there wasnt an issue. I will load up a dummy road and see if it chambers. It's for my AR but still need to make sure it chambers. New barrel so I will get chamber measurements on thursday. Merry Christmas to everyone.
 
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What was the result from doing that?

Camming over is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as it's not putting too much strain on the press's linkage. . . which will depend on the particular press being used. For my Forster Co-Ax, I have it set with just a little cam-over to the hard stop for consistency.
It worked and will adjust more tomorrow. May try different headstamps also. Thank you and Merry Christmas
 
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Glad you solved your issue. I'm with the no cam over faction, set up your press with a solid die to shellholder contact. (I use Redding Competition shellholders to adjust shoulder length as needed.) The reason your cases fit after 4X presses is the repeated resizing is able to overcome the "springback" of your cases. Better to have a solid contact with your Rockchucker handle ~horizontal at full shellholder/die contact.
 
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