Resizing question

mitchparker6 · Mar 18, 2018

I'm reloading a 30 06 with winchester brass and I have some brass that I've fired once, twice and 3 times in my gun. I know when you put empty brass in the chamber the bolt should be tough to close? Well the brass that I have fired allows me to close the bolt and it doesn't seem like I put any effort into it except to get it over the shoulders on the bolt. I'm planning on full length resizing and want to get 2-3 thousands of headspace clearance. But if I can't feel where the brass is hitting the shoulder, how can I find headspace with out using a gauge?

Millsworks · Mar 18, 2018

A fired peice of brass generally has around 3-6 thousands of clearance in my experience. They usually will allow smooth chamberings also. But the chamber dementions will ultimately make those dementions more or less and the neck is usually the only real costant diameter across the board in most rifles.
The gauge will probably tell you the distance to the lands, but I am unfamiliar with a more accurate way to measure the length to the shoulder other than firing a round ,and then measuring the brass with a gauge designated for that.
Some fired brass does chamber tight and makes bolt closer firm. Many don't.
If it Chambers well, then just neck sizing may be what you want. A full length sizing die can be used to minimally size, and primarily only size the neck.
Mark the brass with a sharp, then adjust the die till it mars or erases the mark to the point you want it to size it.
That should give you the tight tolerance you are after.

Hopefully this has been written well enough to help.

cahunter805 · Mar 18, 2018

If you want to setup your sizing die to only bump the shoulder about .002 I suggest buying the kit from hornady. Use your caliper and measure from the base to the datum line on a fired case. Back your sizing die out about 2 turns and begin to size and measure turning the die down slightly every time until you reach your required shoulder bump. Most directions that come with your sizing die are very general and setup the die to push the shoulder way to much.

Bigjay73 · Mar 19, 2018

You'll probably need to fire your brass 3 or 4 times to stretch it enough to cause a tight bolt. Neck size only untill this happens, measure the cases that are tight in the chamber, and then bump the shoulders back .002.

rammac · Mar 19, 2018

You have two choices;

1. Keep reloading and firing your cases until they expand enough so as to prevent the bolt from camming over and locking in to battery.
2. Bump your powder charge up a few tenths of a grain until the fired cases no longer allow the bolt to cam over and lock in to battery.

After you get the case to expand enough to prevent the bolt from closing you start resizing the case, in very small increments, until the bolt will cam over and lock. Subtract a couple thousandths from the case length (from the base to the datum on the shoulder) that allows the bolt to lock.

mitchparker6 · Mar 20, 2018

Thanks for all the replies they have been helpful!

Don Fischer · Mar 25, 2018

Millsworks said:
A fired peice of brass generally has around 3-6 thousands of clearance in my experience. They usually will allow smooth chamberings also. But the chamber dementions will ultimately make those dementions more or less and the neck is usually the only real costant diameter across the board in most rifles.
The gauge will probably tell you the distance to the lands, but I am unfamiliar with a more accurate way to measure the length to the shoulder other than firing a round ,and then measuring the brass with a gauge designated for that.
Some fired brass does chamber tight and makes bolt closer firm. Many don't.
If it Chambers well, then just neck sizing may be what you want. A full length sizing die can be used to minimally size, and primarily only size the neck.
Mark the brass with a sharp, then adjust the die till it mars or erases the mark to the point you want it to size it.
That should give you the tight tolerance you are after.

Hopefully this has been written well enough to help.

I suspect a sharp is a sharpie pen? Never ever thought of that, gonna give it a try and see what happen's. Good thought!

Resizing question

mitchparker6

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Millsworks

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cahunter805

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Bigjay73

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rammac

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mitchparker6

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Don Fischer

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