.308 Win - Setting setback

[Multi-Tool]

I’m working on setting up my seating die to resize some once-fired Lapua brass. I use Imperial sizing wax for lube. I am not using a special resizing die; just a normal Hornady .308 resizer. I was able to set the die to the target setback between .001” and .002”. The problem I am having is that some of the cases seem to be stretching beyond my target setback possibly due to the resistance caused by the expander in the die on the “return stroke”. I need to decap the cases, so should I remove the expander, and start by sizing the case bodies, get a universal decapping die and use an expander mandrel on the case mouth after resizing, or is there something else I need to do?

Thanks!

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

A little lube on the expander or in the case mouth may help. Otherwise, I'd screw the die down a smidge more instead of jumping into mandrels - unless you want to add two steps because I don't think you can take the ball off the hornady dies and still hold the decap pin in place.

 

[Multi-Tool]

One thing I could do is remove the expander and use the resizer as a body die.

 

[Gohring65]

In my early years of going down the precision rabbit hole, I used a Lee collet with a Redding body die, no worries of expander stretch. Worked well.
Now I use bushing dies and mandrels.

 

[whatsupdoc]

That is the way I do it decap clean then resize, some with a mandrel others I use a Forster type expander that sits high in the die.

With that said what you should do is decap the cases then resize them without the expander ball in the die. Then you measure the
"bump" "setback" and confirm that the expander is the issue.

 

[Multi-Tool]

Follow-up:

I called Hornady and they told me that I could remove the expander ball and replace it with the connector from a Hornady pistol die. This would allow me to de-cap and body size in one step. I could follow this up with the mandrel step. Hopefully, this will address the issues.

 

[Baron23]

I’m working on setting up my seating die to resize some once-fired Lapua brass. I use Imperial sizing wax for lube. I am not using a special resizing die; just a normal Hornady .308 resizer. I was able to set the die to the target setback between .001” and .002”. The problem I am having is that some of the cases seem to be stretching beyond my target setback possibly due to the resistance caused by the expander in the die on the “return stroke”. I need to decap the cases, so should I remove the expander, and start by sizing the case bodies, get a universal decapping die and use an expander mandrel on the case mouth after resizing, or is there something else I need to do?

Thanks!

So, I may be wrong but I don't see where you acknowledged @TheOfficeT-Rex suggestion to lube the inside of your necks.

Do you do this?

I have imperial sizing wax and use it on mandrels and outside of cases. For inside necks, I use Hornady OneShot spray. Works well and there is no way I'm taking a q-tip and working on the inside of necks with wax. With 50 cases in a loading block, I just spray at the necks with about a 30 degree down angle and have had zero issues with galling or stretching from an expander ball.

https://www.hornady.com/reloading/case-care/lubes-and-cleaners/case-lubes

With that said, I just prep'd 400 Lapua 6.5 CM cases once fired from Berger factory ammo and I decided to get a mandrel kit from 21st Century and remove the expander ball (and I decap before tumbling and hence before sizing so no need for decapping pin either).

Question....just how are you seeing this stretching, how much more "set-back" are you seeing, and why do you think its from the expander ball and not just an artifact of what I find to be rather normal variation in shoulder bump depending on how I run the press handle (lots of pressure/over-cam on the bottom, not a lot, none, etc).

Not doubting you...just curious

 

[Multi-Tool]

I do lubricate the inside of the case necks and of course the case body. My method for the necks is to smear some Imperial wax on a plastic brush for the caliber I am loading and run it inside the case necks. A little goes a long way, so the cases are not gooped up with lube. In the past, I tried spray lube and had issues with difficult sizing and stuck cases. Once I discovered Imperial, there was no going back for me.

My target setback is between .001” and .002” below the an average fired case measurement. When I was resizing, I made a mental note of a few cases that were more difficult than typical and set them aside. When I measured them, the case measurements were +.002” or more compared to a fired case. So, I suspect that the expander is the source of the stretching. Perhaps I didn’t explain this clearly enough, but I am not seeing additional setback, rather I am seeing stretching of some cases making the length measured to the shoulder longer than a fired case and thus, way off of my target setback.

 

[Doom]

One thing that may help is to polish the expander with Flitz or similar polishing compound.