Full length Vs. Neck resize?

[DeadWood]

Hope to be re-loading for 30-30 Win. lever rifle (only have one in this caliber) this summer in light and max loads. I plan on keeping brass seperate as far as shooting for those.

I know to resize brass thats new and never been fired before in this rifle, but to help save on brass life what can i get away with as far as resizing?

Full length resize the max loads and just neck resize the light load brass or full lenght resize both?

thanks

[flounderman]

you can try neck sizing, and as long as the action will close, it will be fine. lever actions don't have the caming action a bolt has and you probably will have to full length.

[R.C. Hatter]

:coffeecom Since you are shooting a lever action, conventional wisdom would be that you need to full length resize, considering the lack of any camming with respect to that action. That said, you might try only neck sizing to see how it works. My guess is that you can get by with neck sizing every other firing.

[Lead Fred]

I full length all lever and gas guns cartridges

You dont want to rip a case in half, or get one stuck.

With dedicated cases to a bolt gun, you can get away with neck sizing only

[largom]

I neck size only for my 35 and 30-30 Marlins shooting CAST boolits at 1700 to1800 fps. Have not had a problem yet.

Larry

[462]

DeadWood,
I full length size for an old Model 94. Why invite possible problems.

[mike in co]

try this........

back your die out a couple of turns.
size a case....1/2 of the neck ?

seat and chamber...how did it go ?

start turning the die down...1/4 turn.
and do it all over again

plain and simple, size till it works, and then maybe a tad more ...

i neck size for most of my rifles.....some lite sizing on ar's....tho blasting ammo is not just full length, but small base cause it was not fired in my rifle and this ammo will go in several rifles.


one rifle, one lot of brass, i'd go wiht the least amount of sizing to get 100% function.


mike in co

[woody1]

About 50 years ago I started my lifes reloading trip with a Winchester Mdl. '94 in 30-30 and a Lyman 310 tool & dies. I'm here to tell you I did not need to full length resize. I prob'ly loaded the same 4-5 boxes of brass at least 8-10 times before they wouldn't fit because they needed the necks trimmed. I loaded everything from 32-20 equivalent loads to full house 170 grain loads using 30 grains of 3031 or the equivalent. These days most of my 30-30 loads are loaded with the same dies using a Tru-Line Jr. press. You do have to make sure the brass comes outa and goes back in the same rifle! Regards, Woody

[mike in co]

Another thing to consider is accuracy. I have experienced and read of others who had less accuracy with neck sized only, and tighter groups when full length sized. You'd think it would be the other way around, but I've seen groups tighten with full length sized brass. Everything else the same, all shot in the same gun, same day, same reload components. Don't know why.

i dont know why either, but it is contrary to the norm.

fired brass SHOULD center the loaded round better in a chamber.

poor loading techniques ?

sizing to die makers instructions, typically means ammo that is too small for the chamber, little if any brass supported , sorta hangin on the bullet at the throat.

today in benchrest shooting most guys now full lenfth resize BUT IT IS CUSTOM DIES TO THIER CUSTOM CHAMBER and only about .0005/.001 at the shoulder. that puts the bullet in the throat/on the lands/jammed in the lands and the case well centered in the chamber.



mike in co

[1hole]

Many "conventional wisdom" stories come from folks loading and shooting one type cartridge finding something that tends to work well for them and then others striving to make it true across the board. It's that second step that leads some to say "FL sizing gives best accuracy" and it's only true for some folks, certainly not across the board. The lever cartridges do quite well neck sized - most of the time - and, done with a Lee Collet neck sizer, the brass will last a long time.

As Mike points out, the FL dies, and rifles, the BR crowd uses are NOT the same as our's, so what they do is irrelivant to what we need to do.

I've been collet sizing for my 336/.35 for years and the rounds feed fine because of the low pressures involved. By the time a case needs to be FL'd they are usually ready to have neck splits anyway so I toss 'em.

To get longer case life with neck sized cases requries minimum case working, and the Lee collet die gives that, and annealing each 5-7 loads (depending on specific chamber neck diameter and brass brand). I anneal some cases but not for my .35 Rem hunting ammo!

Deadwood, my suggestion is to buy a Lee Delux die set. At one price you will get both the necessary FL die, the collet neck die and shell holder, all made to the same tolerances as any others. Contrary to much web hot air, the Lee seater die is an excellant design.

[Throckmorton]

my marlin chambers ALL my fl sized cases,but not all my neck sized cases,so I fl size them.I shoot it seldom so overworking the brass is a long-term thing in my case.
To me,fl sizing means I won't be pulling bullets to fl the ones that didn't fit because I necksized them.

[pls1911]

Keep life smple...
Just do it. Resize. 30-30 brass is cheap enough not to worry about a little shorter case life, and the practical negative affects are minimal to il.
Buy 1000 once fired hulls of the same brand, and start using the first 250.
Accuracy concerns are valid, but not to the extent you'll notice unless you're bench rest accuracy.... HAH! not with a lever gun.
However, with segregation of brass by brands and proper bullt making procedure under 2" 100 yard accuracy is easily achievable...
And make your life easy find a good load and stick to it.... in the long run it's cheaper and easier than having several for alternate applications....silliness and wasted time!!!
For me, it's 26 grains of Reloader 7 behind Saeco, Lyman, RCBS or Ranch Dog bullet 165-180 grains heat treated, checked and run through a .312 size die.... always good in several rifles, old and new. Punches pigs and steel, deer, and vermine...

[mike in co]

Keep life smple...
Just do it. Resize. 30-30 brass is cheap enough not to worry about a little shorter case life, and the practical negative affects are minimal to il.
Buy 1000 once fired hulls of the same brand, and start using the first 250.
Accuracy concerns are valid, but not to the extent you'll notice unless you're bench rest accuracy.... HAH! not with a lever gun.
However, with segregation of brass by brands and proper bullt making procedure under 2" 100 yard accuracy is easily achievable...
And make your life easy find a good load and stick to it.... in the long run it's cheaper and easier than having several for alternate applications....silliness and wasted time!!!
For me, it's 26 grains of Reloader 7 behind Saeco, Lyman, RCBS or Ranch Dog bullet 165-180 grains heat treated, checked and run through a .312 size die.... always good in several rifles, old and new. Punches pigs and steel, deer, and vermine...



1000 ps of brass in a 30-30....you are kidding right ??

i know 30-30 owners how never finished the first box of 20 in 20 years !


not picking on you, its possible to use up brass, but 1000 pcs is just unheard of in my neck of the woods.......


mike in co