Neck Sizing 22-250

[SEHunter]

It has not taken me long to realize this forum is out of my league and that i would be a classic newb with my limited knowledge but i decided to give it a go anyway.

I have been reloading for 7 or 8 years now and am still pondering all the different points of view about sizing. I have read on unting forums that the most common perception of sizing for accuracy is neck sizing so thats what i began to do. I shoot all fire formed brass in the same gun but they chamber hard although they extract easy. I have found several .5 moa loads but there is always a negative like the example i mentioned above.

The only case prep i do not do is turn necks or weigh the brass into lots. I individually weigh charges, and all the basic stuff as far as consistancy goes. Guess my main question is can i have every bit as accurate of a load with FL sizing? All my dies are RCBS standard dies. With my novice equipment, what is my best bet? For my purposes, a half dollar group at 200 yards would be great.

My guns are all production barreled and factory actions with action bedding and triggers. My latest toy is a 22-250 Rem SPS 26" with a H-S stock and a timney trigger. Thanks for tolerating a beginners type thread.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Re: Neck Sizing 22-250

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SEHunter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It has not taken me long to realize this forum is out of my league and that i would be a classic newb with my limited knowledge but i decided to give it a go anyway.

I have been reloading for 7 or 8 years now and am still pondering all the different points of view about sizing. I have read on unting forums that the most common perception of sizing for accuracy is neck sizing so thats what i began to do. I shoot all fire formed brass in the same gun but they chamber hard although they extract easy. I have found several .5 moa loads but there is always a negative like the example i mentioned above.

The only case prep i do not do is turn necks or weigh the brass into lots. I individually weigh charges, and all the basic stuff as far as consistancy goes. Guess my main question is can i have every bit as accurate of a load with FL sizing? All my dies are RCBS standard dies. With my novice equipment, what is my best bet? For my purposes, a half dollar group at 200 yards would be great.

My guns are all production barreled and factory actions with action bedding and triggers. My latest toy is a 22-250 Rem SPS 26" with a H-S stock and a timney trigger. Thanks for tolerating a beginners type thread. </div></div>

I think 22-250 cases are prone to stretching by their very nature, so neck sizing, especially if you're turning your necks and spending time weight sorting them, is probably prudent and should hold off premature case head separation a bit.

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't bump the shoulders back every 2-4 cycles, to facilitate chambering, either. It's a balaincing act.

If you don't have a body die, be judicious when cranking down your FL sizing die, when bumping the shoulders back.

Think about annealing, as well.

I shoot a Savage 12 VLP in 22-250, so I have some experience loading the cartridge for accuracy, even though I'm not a hunter.

I don't turn necks BTW and I don't weight sort my 22-250 brass.

Chris

 

[Temp9]

Re: Neck Sizing 22-250

Welcome to the forum,

I think you'll find that many people on this forum FL size exclusively. Neck sizing is no longer the standard for accurate reloading (unless maybe if you're trying to squeeze out that extra .05" for benchrest). The key to FL sizing is a bump gauge - the kind that clamps over your calipers. Bump .001" below your fired length.

 

[varmint slayer]

Re: Neck Sizing 22-250

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ChrisGarrett</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SEHunter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It has not taken me long to realize this forum is out of my league and that i would be a classic newb with my limited knowledge but i decided to give it a go anyway.

I have been reloading for 7 or 8 years now and am still pondering all the different points of view about sizing. I have read on unting forums that the most common perception of sizing for accuracy is neck sizing so thats what i began to do. I shoot all fire formed brass in the same gun but they chamber hard although they extract easy. I have found several .5 moa loads but there is always a negative like the example i mentioned above.

The only case prep i do not do is turn necks or weigh the brass into lots. I individually weigh charges, and all the basic stuff as far as consistancy goes. Guess my main question is can i have every bit as accurate of a load with FL sizing? All my dies are RCBS standard dies. With my novice equipment, what is my best bet? For my purposes, a half dollar group at 200 yards would be great.

My guns are all production barreled and factory actions with action bedding and triggers. My latest toy is a 22-250 Rem SPS 26" with a H-S stock and a timney trigger. Thanks for tolerating a beginners type thread. </div></div>

I think 22-250 cases are prone to stretching by their very nature, so neck sizing, especially if you're turning your necks and spending time weight sorting them, is probably prudent and should hold off premature case head separation a bit.

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't bump the shoulders back every 2-4 cycles, to facilitate chambering, either. It's a balaincing act.

If you don't have a body die, be judicious when cranking down your FL sizing die, when bumping the shoulders back.

Think about annealing, as well.

I shoot a Savage 12 VLP in 22-250, so I have some experience loading the cartridge for accuracy, even though I'm not a hunter.

I don't turn necks BTW and I don't weight sort my 22-250 brass.

Chris</div></div>

Chris pretty much summed it up. I shoot a LOT of 22-250 a year and if you follow the bump the shoulder back every 3-4 rounds or whenever rounds start to chamber a little tight, your brass will last a long time and throw some annealing in there and they will really last. I personally can get away with going about 5 reloads before needing to bump the shoulder back and usually by then its time to anneal so I anneal and FL size about every 5 fires and neck size in between.

 

[SEHunter]

Re: Neck Sizing 22-250

Thanks guys. I just went to Brownells and picked up a Redding FL bushing die along with an RCBS head space measuring tool. Im looking forward to being able to chamber easily again. The neck sizing has not panned out for me with the warm loads i make.

 

[Fuzzball]

Re: Neck Sizing 22-250

"..the most common perception of sizing for accuracy is neck sizing"

Yeah, that's conventional 'expert' opinion. Like a lot of conventional wisdom it's wrong as often as it's right. The only way to KNOW is to try it, even if there's a difference it won't be great.

In some 47 years of reloading, including about 45 years with a .220-250, I've seen no difference in bolt action case stretch with any cartridge if I resize my cases properly. It does help to have a Hornady, Sinclair, Innovative Technologies or RCBS case gage to restore FL sized shoulders to fired length but it can be done with just the chamber, that was the ONLY way to do it for my early years. Shoulders restored to fired position is as far back as you need to go, the cases have already shrunk back a thou or two from the chamber so going further back only produces a tad more stretch than need be.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Re: Neck Sizing 22-250

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Temp9</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Welcome to the forum,

I think you'll find that many people on this forum FL size exclusively. Neck sizing is no longer the standard for accurate reloading (unless maybe if you're trying to squeeze out that extra .05" for benchrest). The key to FL sizing is a bump gauge - the kind that clamps over your calipers. Bump .001" below your fired length. </div></div>

Funny you should say this and although I diagree, I was reading either GUNS, or G&A and I think it was John Barsness' (sic?) reloading column the other day and he made an aside that 'neck sizing' is basically an 'archaic' practice and no longer needed, outside of BR shooting and it made me laugh.

I pretty much only neck size for my 22-250, 308, 7RM and 338LM boltguns and while conventional wisdom holds that FL sizing is the safer route to go, I don't think the practice is 'caveman' type stuff.

Hell, I haven't FL sized, or shoulder bumped my 338LM brass for the last six cycles, lol.

Chris

 

[boltgunluvr]

Re: Neck Sizing 22-250

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ChrisGarrett</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Temp9</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Welcome to the forum,

I think you'll find that many people on this forum FL size exclusively. Neck sizing is no longer the standard for accurate reloading (unless maybe if you're trying to squeeze out that extra .05" for benchrest). The key to FL sizing is a bump gauge - the kind that clamps over your calipers. Bump .001" below your fired length. </div></div>

Funny you should say this and although I diagree, I was reading either GUNS, or G&A and I think it was John Barsness' (sic?) reloading column the other day and he made an aside that 'neck sizing' is basically an 'archaic' practice and no longer needed, outside of BR shooting and it made me laugh.

I pretty much only neck size for my 22-250, 308, 7RM and 338LM boltguns and while conventional wisdom holds that FL sizing is the safer route to go, I don't think the practice is 'caveman' type stuff.

Hell, I haven't FL sized, or shoulder bumped my 338LM brass for the last six cycles, lol.

Chris

</div></div>

Diddo....N sizing is not obsolete whatsoever, but to each, his own. We all have our method of madness. Same process for all my bolt guns. Only FL size every 4th loading. Why wouldn't one take advantage of NS, especially for bolt guns? I not saying it is more accuracte than FL in all rifles, but one may be able to see improvements. Depends on all the variables. And it's way faster. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Temp9]

Re: Neck Sizing 22-250

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ChrisGarrett</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Temp9</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Welcome to the forum,

I think you'll find that many people on this forum FL size exclusively. Neck sizing is no longer the standard for accurate reloading (unless maybe if you're trying to squeeze out that extra .05" for benchrest). The key to FL sizing is a bump gauge - the kind that clamps over your calipers. Bump .001" below your fired length. </div></div>

Funny you should say this and although I diagree, I was reading either GUNS, or G&A and I think it was John Barsness' (sic?) reloading column the other day and he made an aside that 'neck sizing' is basically an 'archaic' practice and no longer needed, outside of BR shooting and it made me laugh.

I pretty much only neck size for my 22-250, 308, 7RM and 338LM boltguns and while conventional wisdom holds that FL sizing is the safer route to go, I don't think the practice is 'caveman' type stuff.

Hell, I haven't FL sized, or shoulder bumped my 338LM brass for the last six cycles, lol.

Chris

</div></div>

I definitely wouldn't say it's "archaic" or "caveman", and it definitely has it's place. But I do believe the accuracy advantage of neck sizing is insignificant. It has other advantages like minimal brass working, simplicity, and the fact that you don't need to lube the cases. It's also probably easier to get low runout numbers, though I wouldn't know because I don't worry about that either.