Newbie reloading question

[Gerard]

Hi Guys,

I have developed a load using fire formed and neck sized cases, but now the complete batch (350 rounds) is due full length sizing. (After about 5 reloads).

So my question is, should I continue with my current powder load (a compressed load of 46.2 of 2208 in Winchester cases - .308), or given the now reduced case volume should I start all 350 cases with a lower charge until fire formed again??

I guess I can expect a small drop in accuracy, compared to neck sized cases?

Cheers,
Gerard.

[Barry Davies]

Gerard,
Get yourself a Redding Body Die ( not a small base die ) and use this rather than a full length sizer then you will not have to reduce your load.
A load of 46.2 is fairly mild for a Winchester case unless you have a batch of 2208 that is rather dense. Either that or your Cases are heavier than usual. Normally Winchester cases go about 157 to 160 gns and will easily take loads around 48 gns without compression, and that's without using a drop tube.
The other limiting factor may be your chamber having a short throat.

[Gerard]

Thanks Barry,
I will invest in a Redding Body die.

But... lets say, for this time..I had already went ahead and spent the afternoon/evening resizing all 350 cases (...which, unfortunately I have!!)
Would I now need to start low and work up a load back to 46.2 ??
Or could I just resume with 46.2 even though the cases are full length sized?

Many thanks for your help!

regards,
Gerard.

[shooter mcreid]

Hello gerard,
i have found that if your only knocking the shoulders back 0.002" it doesn't make a big difference and full length sizing doesn't mean you will get a loss of accuracy. Possibly the biggest impact will come from how much the fls die reduces your neck diameter thus increasing neck tension. Are you running no turn brass? What is the bushing size?

[KHGS]

Thanks Barry,
I will invest in a Redding Body die.

But... lets say, for this time..I had already went ahead and spent the afternoon/evening resizing all 350 cases (...which, unfortunately I have!!)
Would I now need to start low and work up a load back to 46.2 ??
Or could I just resume with 46.2 even though the cases are full length sized?

Many thanks for your help!

regards,
Gerard.

No you don't need to reduce your load just because you have sized your cases. The load you have developed in these cases & chamber will not change, you may need to use a drop tube to get the powder in the case without compressing, but I would think that would be unlikely as your load is not a hot one, unless as Barry has said, your lot of powder is a faster burning lot.
Barry's advice on the body die is correct by the way. As an aside I body die size my 308 cases each loading & I use a Lee collet dies for neck sizing. I load three different calibers & I use collet neck dies & Redding body dies for all of them. I do not body die size my Ackley F Open cartridges every time.
Keith H.

[Gerard]

Thank you guys.

I will accept the advice and upgrade my dies for the future.

Im currently not neck turning (if I understand that was the question asked by 'shooter' above? I just re use the Winchester factory rounds ( the standard WMBC branded stuff I think)), and am only using Lyman dies.
I got them second hand with my rifle, they are not micrometer dies and its the usual FL, Neck and Bullet seater.
I really do need to invest in better reloading dies. (and experience! )

As an aside I have noticed that my neck tensions have been increasingly getting looser. Typically 1 thou, or less on the previous reloads, perhaps that means I'm due annealing.
As a newbie, that actually made me a little concerned when travelling on the bumpy back roads down to Goondiwindi on a couple of occasions for prize shoots.. so much so that I brought verniers and re-measured everything on arrival! haha.. Just newbie nerves and the projectile seating dept was unchanged after the trip.

Good to hear I can continue with my established powder weights (I will of course for safety, check with a lower load on the first new batch of powder, just incase I'm unlucky with a surprisingly hot batch).

[plumbs7]

Hi Gerad , watch your neck tension as this the foundation of low sd's ! 2.5 -3 thou is ideal . Others will tell you different. It's important to make the projectile stays put in the initial stage of primer ignition, or there will be variances. Sounds like time to anneal! I do mine the old fashioned way in a darkened room , drill and map torch . Not as much fun as amp machine but works , if done consistently and correctly!
As regards to first question I think Keith , Josh and Barry have answered the question!

[shooter mcreid]

With the unturned brass you may notice projectiles are much harder to seat after FL sizing. let me give you
an example. recently i needed to FLS a small batch of brass as i couldn't find a saum body die anywhere.
My redding bushing die has a 0.314" bushing, case wall thickness is 0.0155" to 0.0160" which brings
the internal diameter of the necks down to between 0.283" and 0.282". As the projectiles are 0.2844", i
end up with about 0.002" neck tension. After FL sizing i measured the outside diameter of the brass which
sized it down to 0.308" yielding a neck tension of 0.008". This is a significant difference so i ended up
using a K&M expander to bring the necks back to about 0.314".
To summarise, if there is a significant difference between what the neck die and FL die produce for neck
diameter thus a significant difference in neck tension then it could result in a noticeable change.
sorry if i have veered off topic a bit!

[KHGS]

Hi , watch your neck tension as this the foundation of low sd's ! 2.5 -3 thou is ideal . Others will tell you different. It's important to make the projectile stays put in the initial stage of primer ignition, or there will be variances. Sounds like time to anneal! I do mine the old fashioned way in a darkened room , drill and map torch . Not as much fun as amp machine but works , if done consistently and correctly!
As regards to first question I think Keith , Josh and Barry have answered the question!

It is not so much what your neck tension is, but that it is consistent. The amount the neck is sized is not the only factor in neck tension, it is but one of the factors.
Keith H.

[PhilD]

I have recently changed to use a FL Bushing Die, without the bushing, I basically just use the body of the die. This way, it doesn't have any interaction with the neck. I then do the neck with the Lee Collet die (and de-prime). As the collet die works on the inside diameter of the case, wall thickness becomes much less relevant.

It adds a second step, but, I don't mind as it works. My ES/SD has dropped significantly and seating tension is much more consistent.

PhilD

[johnk]

There's a first step I carry out reloading - depriming with universal depriming die. Amazing how clean my expensive dies stay that way.