Catfish Angler Forum at USCA banner

Full Length Size Every time?

3K views 15 replies 5 participants last post by  Don Fischer 
#1 ·
Talking rifle casings here. I use my reloads ONLY IN MY RIFLES, so generally I'll just neck size until it starts getting a little tight, then I'll full length size them...I've seen some people say you should full length size every time. I can see that if they are going in a semi auto. But I can get longer life by just neck sizing. What's y'alls thoughts on this?
 
#2 ·
Only reply I can give is my sons and I have 2 rifles in 223 and 2 in 556. All ammo is reloaded for the 223, can't find data for 556. One of the 223 rifles has a tighter chamber. One of the 556 rifles has a looser chamber than the others. All cases fired from that rifle is bulged. All cases are debulged before loaded again.
 
#3 ·
Only reply I can give is my sons and I have 2 rifles in 223 and 2 in 556. All ammo is reloaded for the 223, can't find data for 556. One of the 223 rifles has a tighter chamber. One of the 556 rifles has a looser chamber than the others. All cases fired from that rifle are bulged. All cases are debulged before loaded again.
 
#4 ·
In my experience you'll get a little better accuracy if you fire form and neck size only. Obviously the brass is rifle specific and can only be used in the rifle it was fire formed to. I own three .308 bolt rifles, one is a precision the other two are basic hunting guns. I neck size for the precision and full length for the other two so I can use the ammo in either rifle. When your looking to get the best accuracy after fire forming, bullet seating depth is important. Factory seating for a .308 is 2.810 but in my precision rifle with 168gr match kings I seat to 2.990 which is 0.10 off the lands.
 
#5 ·
Only reply I can give is my sons and I have 2 rifles in 223 and 2 in 556. All ammo is reloaded for the 223, can't find data for 556. One of the 223 rifles has a tighter chamber. One of the 556 rifles has a looser chamber than the others. All cases fired from that rifle is bulged. All cases are debulged before loaded again.

Jimmy here's some load data for the 5.56x45 nato. It's for Accurate/Western powders only so I don't if it will help you any.

http://www.accuratepowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/WesternLoadGuide1-2016_Web.pdf
 
#7 ·
Mark, thank you for the link.
What I was getting at was the chamber in the 556 is longer, main reason you can't shoot 556 factory ammo in a 223 rifle. On both the data list they have a case length of max 1.760 and trim 1.750. Which makes both data loads for the 223. Looking over the list for the bullets and powders I have I can load on average 1.0 grain more per 556 rounds.
I had some 556 cases that measured 1.767 to 1.770. Loaded them without trimming. They fit the chamber of the 556 rifle.
So much easier to load all at 223 data so I don't have to keep separate.
 
#8 ·
All my rifles are either 5.56 or .223 wylde so I can shoot any .223 or 5.56. I use mostly once fired Lake City brass trimmed to 1.750 but I don' t go to 5.56 specs. Usually I just go to .223 max and call it a day and they work just fine in my ARs. I'll be headed over to my range in about an hour to test some .223s that I loaded with bl-c2 powder which I haven't used before.
 
#9 ·
I get way better accuracy from neck sizing only. I never full length size for my single shot or bolt rifles. If they get tight in the chamber it's time to trim them back to starting length. My 243 is a break barrel single shot. some bras has 10 loads through it, trimmed back only once. Hope this helps, John.
 
#12 ·
Our range is $75 per year and you must have a current NRA membership. There is also a one time $75 sign up fee for new members. That give you access to rifle, pistol, shotgun and archery ranges and 1 guest per trip. Rifle only goes to 200 meters, but that's plenty enough for me. Hopefully when we get more done on the cabin, we can build a range on our land.
 
#16 ·
Boy is this old! But I know more about reloading than I do about catfish! If you are neck sizing with FL dies, your not getting to the junction of the neck and shoulder. As a result every few reloads need FL sized, or what people imagine as FL. They set the die up as explained in the direction's and the die return's the case to SAMMI spec. Don't need to do that. What you shuld do is FL the case to match your chamber, lot of people call it bumping the shoulder. You cannot bump the shoulder without bumping the whole case! To get where you want to be, neck size till the sized case will no longer let your bolt close. At that point, with the die set where you were neck sizing at, turn the die down about 1/4 turn at a time till you can take the case out of the die and chamber it in the rifle. When it first start's chambering you will feel the shoulder of the case rub in the chamber, down with the die another 1/4 turn. Soon as you chamber the case without feeling that rub, lock your die down right there and the case will fit that chamber. And the case will have been FL sized, it's just that it is sized to fit that chamber now. Called partial sizing. I have 2 243's. The ammo for one will not chamber in both but the ammo for the other will chamber in both. The difference is in the chamber of the rifles.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top