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Thread: Necessary to Resize a Rifle Cartridge?

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub
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    Necessary to Resize a Rifle Cartridge?

    My long gone Dad told me that resizing a single chamber gun cartridge wasn't necessary since the chamber sizes the brass to the necessary size, unlike a revolver which has multiple sizes. He also said this is a benefit in minimizing the work hardening of the brass.

    Any truth to his advice? The two long guns of his are a 6.5 x 55 Swede Mauser and a .22 Hornet Stevens Walnut Hill falling block single shot. I'll be reloading and shooting these soon.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    I only neck size, for rifles using their individual brass exclusively..ie One 30-06.. Obviously that rifle can run neck only sized brass... as no other is going to be chambering my Reloads..
    Heck... I use 1 32ACP carbide die for all of my 30 caliber neck sizing...even a 38spl die for my 35 Remington...or 35 Whelen..
    careful to stay away from the shoulder...

  3. #3
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    If you don't at least neck size, there won't be any neck tension, and the bullet will usually just fall into the case.

    I went for a long time only neck sizing .30-06, until a second one came along.
    They'd all fit the old M1 Garand, but didn't want to chamber in the Rem 700 with a tighter chamber unless they'd been fired in it.
    Now days, I have enough of the common caliber's brass that none get reloaded very many times,
    I don't worry about them getting work hardened or cracking, so I go ahead and full length size everything.
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    Well... You do want to minimize working the brass. But over time the brass will stretch and shrink less and less after each firing. Most of the f class guys I'm aware of use custom full length dies to minimize sizing. But sizing does need to occur, even in a single rifle use case

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    Boolit Bub iflyskyhigh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by nhyrum View Post
    Well... You do want to minimize working the brass. But over time the brass will stretch and shrink less and less after each firing. Most of the f class guys I'm aware of use custom full length dies to minimize sizing. But sizing does need to occur, even in a single rifle use case

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    Yes-- but over time can be a long, long time. My M1 Garand brass is up to 12 reloads each neck sized only with no stretch problems yet. Same for my 30-30 where I'm up to 21 reloads per case.

    I think the best advice is to only neck size-- but pay attention to how your bass is doing over time.
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  7. #7
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    If it’s to be used in the same gun, I usually only neck size and often only light taper crimp, depending on their use.

  8. #8
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    I have multiple rifles in the same caliber. I keep a separate lot of brass for each rifle, 300 Savage, 308 Win, 358 Win, 32 Spcl, others. Redding makes a Competition shellholder set that can be used to provide different sizing unique to a rifle using a single die. Some sort of sizing is or will be necessary, depending on pressure of your loadings. Neck sizing is needed to hold bullets in MOST rifles. Redding and others also make bushing dies that allow fine tuning of your neck or full length sizing. The Lee Collet die also works well for neck sizing and increasing case life. Full-length sizing to 'FACTORY' dimensions will usually shorten case life and is unnecessary unless multiple rifles will fire the same bunch of reloads. Rifle reloading, bottle-neck or straight is a little different than most handgun reloading with relatively short straight cases.

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master Harter66's Avatar
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    I'm with Hick on this one .
    Size what you need to have it work smoothly .

    I have a 7×6.8 I neck size only 6-7 cycles still good to go .
    I have a 30-30 I neck size only with a 308 die , 9 cycles good to go .
    I have a really tight 06' I have to FL every 8th time in a slide action the bolt gun wouldn't go over 5 .
    I had a 7.62×39 that I actually had to neck up to 9mm and size back down about every 9th go because the bolt and firing pin were so aggressive they would drive the shoulder back until it was out of headspace .
    I have 45 Colts with 30+ cycles sized just enough to hold the bullet for a BlackHawk .

    With that said I'm still working out details on a 6.5×50 SR and it's sister in 7.7×58 that uses an 8×57 neck die . I use a 6.5×257 Roberts AI to neck size Dad's 25-06' so far so good but when you're sneaking up on the 12.5 gr of Unique with a bullet the rifle shouldn't be shooting well but is (it's a bullet length to twist thing in a varmint special M700 with a history of poor 120 gr performance) , doesn't move much brass .
    At one time I had a 38 S&W , two 357 Rugers and a 38-357 Marlin that shared brass necked ........
    Outside of that one Prima Donna Savage 06' , which is its own story , and the M760 Rem I don't think I've ever had a gun that I couldn't get by with just a neck sizing 10+ cycles for a single chamber .

    I advocate minimum sizing because I've had several guns that had enough chamber slop for a factory round to need the scotch tape 303 Britt trick to stop the rattle .
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  10. #10
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    I neck size or partial size for about every long gun. I use the old Lyman 310 die to neck size 3 cartridges for bolt rifles. If I don't have a neck sizing die then I partial Size.
    It's easy to do, adjust the Full-Length die up until a nickel fits between the shell holder and the bottom of the FL sizer die. Lock die body nut, You may have to adjust your decapping/neck expander a bit farther down to ensure decapping of old primers. So far I haven't had to do this. You MUST lube the inside of case necks. I find a dry lube works well for this. You won't be using any type of Lube on the case body. The shoulder will not be touched with this method of sizing. Case life is increased.
    But it only works well when brass is separated into lots dedicated to a single rifle. My Dad taught me this trick 60yrs ago. Works on every rifle or T/C barrel I've tried it on.
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  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
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    At some point the case will no longer have neck tension on the bullet. With factory rifles, fired with factory ammunition, that may be the first shot. With an “under” chamber and turned necks for a precision fit, you might get a number of firings without having to size. Some custom die makers want rounds fired from the chamber 3 or more times, to fully form before machining a size die for that chamber.

    Some stuff I have does best with full length sizing, other stuff, like .22 Hornet, does best with sizing only the portion of the neck that holds the bullet. Leaving the remainder of the case “blown out” to fit the chamber.

    In short, guns are different and you have to see what works best with each of them, no blanket answer.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by iflyskyhigh View Post
    I quit neck sizing in 1969 for all the reasons Eric Cortina mentions in his vid.

  13. #13
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    The 6.5x55 shouldn't be a problem since it's a bolt gun. Most times I set the sizing die to bump the shoulder on hunting rifles to bump the shoulder .003. The Hornet may need the shoulder bumped a little to chamber without effort. Just the nature of a falling block. The brass is pretty thin on the Hornet so you may get away with just neck sizing when it's near new, but after numerous firings on the same case it will hang up a bit when going to battery.

    I used to do a partial resize on brass for my straight wall TC Contender ammo to get my ammo centered in the chamber. Sized to a little shy of the case head expansion ring.
    Last edited by jsizemore; 12-01-2021 at 03:29 AM.

  14. #14
    Boolit Bub iflyskyhigh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Iowa Fox View Post
    I quit neck sizing in 1969 for all the reasons Eric Cortina mentions in his vid.
    Yup. I love watching people’s brains seize when they see that video.

    I experimented with neck sizing only when I first started reloading.

    Didn’t last long.

    I anneal after every firing, Redding Body Die to bump the shoulder, Lee collet die for neck tension, then Henderson Precision Trimmer when needed to trim. Took me a long time to refine my process. Learned a lot along the the way. Still learning. Met this guy who builds custom long range precision rifles. I’ve learned more from him in the past couple years than I did in my first 10 or so years of reloading.

    I run my stuff pretty hot so I still only get maybe 8 firing a case. 10 some times.

  15. #15
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    I neck size for guns I only have a single rifle in that caliber.. but eventually even they need a full size and trip / trim.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by harringtondav View Post
    My long gone Dad told me that resizing a single chamber gun cartridge wasn't necessary since the chamber sizes the brass to the necessary size, unlike a revolver which has multiple sizes. He also said this is a benefit in minimizing the work hardening of the brass.

    Any truth to his advice? The two long guns of his are a 6.5 x 55 Swede Mauser and a .22 Hornet Stevens Walnut Hill falling block single shot. I'll be reloading and shooting these soon.
    Yes Sir,that's good advice from your Dad one gun one caliber,
    Back in the day we called that the difference between Handloading and Reloading.
    Today reloading has gone to making as many rounds as one can,as fast as they can easy to see Handloading worked for your dad so his advice should work for you.
    I think I would try both and see which works the best for you and your guns
    Handloading was one gun one caliber and Reloading was one caliber and many guns. just my 2cents.����
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  17. #17
    Boolit Master

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    I've completely abandoned neck sizing only. I find best most consistent results by full length sizing to give a very modest shoulder bump.

    Auto-loaders get full-length sized to pass a case gauge.
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  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Taterhead View Post
    I've completely abandoned neck sizing only. I find best most consistent results by full length sizing to give a very modest shoulder bump.

    Auto-loaders get full-length sized to pass a case gauge.
    I only neck size single shots.. auto loaders are just asking for trouble with anything other than full resize.

  19. #19
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    using the same gun/brass I will neck size only as the case has been fire-formed to the chamber.
    for rifles which are semi-auto and lever actions I resize full length as those types of actions seem to function better with full-length sized brass.
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  20. #20
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    The only time I don't FL size in bottleneck cases is when I'm doing paper patched boolits. I do that so the patched boolit will be a tight "slip fit". Everything else is FL sized. I have a Ruger 300 Win mag bolt rifle that is more accurate when using a small based die, I don't know why that is, but it is.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check