Minimal Neck Sizing for Oversize 303 British

[papertrl]

Hello All,

I've lurked in this forum off and on for the past couple of years and have gained a wealth of information. There hasn't been much I've wondered about that this forum hasn't helped answer, so I've never really felt the need to post a question. The answers are here! I've gained some ideas from this forum regarding my current problem, but am now hoping someone has some specifics before I pry open the wife's purse strings and buy something more for this old rifle.

I have a P14 303 British with grooves at .314. It chambers and shoots a .316 boolit nicely (thanks to NOE for the mould and Buckshot for the boolit sizer). I've been neck-sizing with my Lee full-length die, using a .32 caliber expander that I sanded down to .314 on my drill press. I was pretty happy thinking I was being kind to my brass until I left the expander out one day and resized some cases. I discovered my die sizes all the way down to .300 (give or take a little for different brands of brass)! Then I end up expanding it all the way back to .314. That seems like a lot of work hardening to me- taking the necks from nearly .316 after firing down to .300 then back to .314.

My 303 Lee Loader Classic sizes the necks to .308, which is better, but I'd like to see that number higher yet, maybe .312-.313 before expanding to my desired dimension of .314? I've read that the Lee collet neck sizer for 303B sizes to .3085, which doesn't help much. Has anyone bought a larger diameter mandrel and sized it down to the neighborhood I'm interested in for the 303 collet sizer? Did it work out? I haven't held one of these in my hand, but would it be much different from sanding down an expander ball with a drill press? Alternatively, does anyone have any neck dimensions from other brands of resizing dies with the expanders removed? Even if I dare to think of loading FMJ with my die (gasp--only hypothetically speaking), it seems like taking necks all the way to .300 and then back to .310 or so (with the supplied expander) is still a lot of unnecessary work hardening. I'd really like to hear others' thoughts about where to draw the line between sizing down and expanding back up.

Regards,
papertrl

[nhrifle]

You might try honing out the neck area of your sizing die. Just wrap some emery cloth around a stick and spin it with a drill until the bore is the size you want.

[MT Chambers]

Even the .308 seems very small for the .316" bullet, esp. if you're saying that the .308 measurement is the O.D. and not the I.D., my .303 uses .311" cast bullets and my Redding dies work out perfectly.

[beemer]

I turned out a larger mandrel for my Lee collet die. My rifle used .314 dia. bullets and I also felt that I was working my brass more than necessary.

Dave

[papertrl]

Even the .308 seems very small for the .316" bullet, esp. if you're saying that the .308 measurement is the O.D. and not the I.D., my .303 uses .311" cast bullets and my Redding dies work out perfectly.

Darn. I thought I was being so careful in my original post. All the dimensions refer to neck IDs.

[papertrl]

I turned out a larger mandrel for my Lee collet die. My rifle used .314 dia. bullets and I also felt that I was working my brass more than necessary.

Dave

I don't have a lathe. Did you do it by sanding on a drill press?

[Mk42gunner]

I have neck sized various .30-.31 caliber rifle cases with a carbide sizing die meant for the .32 Smith & Wesson Long. It does require a separate depriming step, but it worked for me.

Robert

[texassako]

I would use the Lee collet die. Mine is made for a .311 neck. Less pressure on the handle sizes the neck less. The only time you really need to mess with their mandrels is to get a smaller neck size. Barely pressing on mine will get me a .314 or bigger inside diameter. It takes a few cases to figure out how hard to press for the size you want.

[462]

Different sizes can be realized with a Lee collet neck sizing die, if one ignores the instructions.

[brassrat]

I am having problems,also. This neck sizing is new to me. My .314 boolit is crooked :-)

[EDG]

Buy a Redding or other brand .308 Wind neck bushing die. Then buy the bushing that will give you a .312 or .313 neck. If you want more control put a .313 or what ever expander ball in the die too.

BTW the .308 Win neck bush die will neck size more than 30 different cartridges with the correct bushing.

[papertrl]

Thanks everyone who offered suggestions to my original post. My collet die arrived today.