338 Lapua RCBS full length sizing issue

[I Am Hero]

Hey guys, I have a quick question that perhaps you guys have an answer to.

I was going to use some real cheap Herters 338 Lapua brass to work up some loads before switching to my Norma and Lapua brass. The problem that I ran into with both my Lyman and my RCBS die is that the brass runs into there with about 1/2-3/4" exposed out the bottom of the die. I figured this is all fine and normal as my 7 mag die is similar, but the problem that I am having is that it isn't sizing the neck properly.

After I loaded a 250 gr SMK into there and put it in my calipers, my calipers had enough force to sink the bullet into the neck. I can't put any more tension on the die when I do the full length size because otherwise it bends the rod inside (already did this with my Lyman die unfortunately).

Do I need to back off the decapper so the brass can run farther in there without bottoming out? Anyone have insight as to what is happening? Is it the cheap Herters? I haven't tried the norma stuff yet.

It is a RCBS 16601 FL Die Set.

 

[MJY65]

Do I need to back off the decapper so the brass can run farther in there without bottoming out? Anyone have insight as to what is happening? Is it the cheap Herters? I haven't tried the norma stuff yet.

It sure sounds like it. The die touching the shell holder should be your goal. No need for the decapping pin to be down that far.

 

[I Am Hero]

It sure sounds like it. The die touching the shell holder should be your goal. No need for the decapping pin to be down that far.

Ok, that is how far it was set from factory on both dies so that make me really wonder if that was the problem.

 

[biffj]

Never trust factory settings....anyones guess how they set things up. One more detail...using herters brass to work up loads for any brass but herters is not really helpful. All your brass will be different and the load that works in the herters may be more or less good in any other brass. I've been using 3 different types of cases for my .338LM-Privi Partizan, Hornady and Lapua. With the same load and 250gr SMK's the privi is chronographing 2970fps, the hornady 2900 and the Lapua 2860. Thats a pretty wide range and if you measure the case capacity you find the lapua has the highest capacity and the privi the lowest. I suppose you can extrapolate from any of them to any of the others but I normally work a load up for each type separately. It saves on surprises.....

Good luck
Frank

 

[FLIGHT762]

You're bending the rod because you have the decapping rod set too far down and the expander ball is hitting (bottoming out) on web of the brass . The decapping pin should only stick out of the die no more than 1/4" or less. Back the decapping rods out and set the die touch the shell holder. Read up on how to properly set the F/L die to properly bump your cases shoulders minimally.

 

[I Am Hero]

Thanks for the info guys. Yea I also need to get a headspace gauge for the 338 now because I feel like the tolerance on 338 is a lot less than 223 or 308 in a gas gun like I typically shoot.

 

[MJY65]

Yea I also need to get a headspace gauge for the 338 now because I feel like the tolerance on 338 is a lot less than 223 or 308 in a gas gun like I typically shoot.

Never a bad idea to set your dies to minimize overworking the brass, but I would suspect you could get away with a lot more on a bolt action 338 than the gas guns you mentioned.