School me on 222 brass...

[castalott]

I need thinner necks. My unsized cast bullets won't go in an fired case. I really don't want to neck turn a bunch of this...

Which brand has the thinnest necks? Thanks in advance, Dale

[lightman]

I think I have Lapua, RP and WW. I'll measure a few after while.

[BK7saum]

You say that they won't seat in a fired case, but are your cases crimped and then fired with light cast boolit loads. A lot of the time the crimp doesn't iron out all the way and there can be a crimp still on the fired cases.

[Guesser]

Or....a slightly larger expander ball in the die......

[Wm Cook]

Shouldn't a simple deburring tool and a Lyman M Expander die solve the problem??

[PaulG67]

" My unsized cast bullets won't go in an fired case"

Does this mean an unsized case? how big are your boolits?

Also what size is your chamber neck, have you cast the chamber and measured the neck portion?

[largom]

Best to slug your bore and measure. If your as cast boolits are .002 over bore diameter you could be OK. Use a neck expander die or other means to expand the case neck. Seat one boolit and see if the round will chamber without any pressure. If round chambers you can now work up a load.
Some do not have the means to cast their chamber so if the seated boolit will chamber WITHOUT PRESSURE you can test the load with oversized boolit.

[lightman]

I think the others are offering good suggestions but here are some measurements;

FC---.125
Lapua----.130
RP----.115
WW-.118

These are averages from a few cases. It probably won't mean much as anything you buy will be a different lot #. Everyones QC seems to have slipped since the 2008-2009 shortages the variation between cases of 1 head stamp may be more difference than these 4 head stamps.

[gnostic]

Assuming, you can get the bullet into the case, doesn't mean the loaded round will fit into your rifle's chamber...

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I need thinner necks. My unsized cast bullets won't go in an fired case. I really don't want to neck turn a bunch of this...

Which brand has the thinnest necks? Thanks in advance, Dale

I imagine you have a method to your madness?
because I size all my boolits and size all my cases.

Anyway, I've found, on average, that R+P are thinner than all other common US brands of brass, across the board of all calibers. In fact, I have one gun, a stock S&W 625 JM, that will only function properly with R+P brass, because it is thinner.

[CASTER OF LEAD]

I shoot cast from my .222 . They are .225 and powder coated. I collet size ALL my brass (mixed headstamps), to accept jwords with proper neck tension. When I load the cast .225's I use a Lee universal exp. Die to bell the neck to accept that diam.
My fired cases from these cast loads will allow the .225's to slip into it easily. What is the diameter of your boolits? Lube? PC? I can cut one hole 5 shot groups at 50 yards , and around 1 " at 100 yards. No expert by any means , but do have quite a bit of experience with cast and the .222. - CASTER

[castalott]

I didn't explain too well. Take brass fired in that gun and a .224+ bullet won't go back in the case by hand pressure only. It makes me think the neck is too tight. I probably should turn the necks on a few and try that...

I hope that makes more sense.... Dale

[BK7saum]

Shoot a high pressure jacketed load and then try that brass. Low pressure loads don't fully expand the brass to the chamber.

Again, is the brass you're trying to fit a bpolitical into from a cast boolit load? Or a high pressure load? And was that fired case crimped ot heavily crimped on the previous load.

I have never seen a factory chamber that didn't have several thousandths of neck clearance. I would imagine that 0.226" boolits should chamber. I think crimp and light/medium loads are your problem.

Also work hardened brass has more springback. How many firings on these cases?

[castalott]

It is a low pressure load with no crimp... only straighten out the m die flair. The number of firings would be several but unknown.

[lightman]

I'm just wondering if you have an old Bench Rest rifle? The 222 was a favorite Bench Rest round back in the day. If so, you may have a tight neck chamber.

[country gent]

I would recommend a chamber cast to get an accurate idea of loaded neck dia and neck dia of the chamber. This will give a very accurate dimension of what your working with. As mentioned above a lot of 222s were built with min or tight neck chambers. On tight necked chambers the neck dia was normally stamped behind the caliber designation. You normally see .222 rem .248. Sometimes if room allowed it was under the caliber stamping. On a minimum chamber the neck was seldom marked as it was meant to work with factory ammo. A good chamber cast will give you neck dia and allow you to compare your loaded rounds.
.222 rem was the benchrest cartridge for years and is a very accurate cartridge, it is easy to load for and most loads in a well built rifle perform well. Check your brass for neck wall thickness and work from there. Measure your loaded rounds neck dia and see how it compares to sammi specs. You can load a dummy round and see how it chambers by hand it should drop in free but this is very basic.

[mdi]

I think I'd make up a dummy and measure the neck. Needs to have a bit of "wiggle room" inside the chamber (room for the neck to expand a bit under pressure). And/or see if it chambers...

[castalott]

My rifle is a new cz 527... It just didn't seem to make sense that a .224 boolet wouldn't easily go in a fired case.

But good answers all! Thank you... Dale

[EDG]

Your case necks need to be annealed. Your necks are springing back undersize.

[castalott]

hmmm... I can try that...Thanks, Dale