Neck sizing oncefired brass from another rifle?

[MrSwede]

I recently aquired some once fired brass in 338LM.
Until now I've used virgin brass, and I've been necksizing them, so that's what my setup is. (RCBS).

But what about the brass that has been fired in another rifle?
They aren't fireformed to my chamber, but is there any reason to full length size them if I can get them to chamber with only necksizing them?

 

[Buckoman]

Re: Neck sizing oncefired brass from another rifle?

No necksizing is fine. If you find it hard to close your chamber then a FL is in order.

 

[Hummer]

Re: Neck sizing oncefired brass from another rifle?

If cases from another rifle will fire in yours you are extremely lucky. Neck them and go.

 

[427Cobra]

Re: Neck sizing oncefired brass from another rifle?

IMHO its a dumb idea, all need to be FL sized and fire formed in your chamber, then NS can be begin

 

[Victor N TN]

Re: Neck sizing oncefired brass from another rifle?

I have never neck sized brass fired in another rifle. I have never had it fit. Why waste the components if it doesn't work? If it were me I would size them all full length. But that's just me.

 

[CanPopper]

Re: Neck sizing oncefired brass from another rifle?

Most of the "free range" brass I picked up need to be full length size. I tested them by putting them in my chamber and tried to close the bolt. Every time, they had expanded to a dimension that was too large to fit.

My conjecture is my barrel is a custom precision match one while the rifles that fired those brass were probably factory ones will looser chambers.

You can do the same test to see if those brass would fit. If you can close the bolt comfortably on them, then just neck size and fireform to your chamber. I imagine if someone with a factory barrel picked up my brass, he would probably find an easy fit in his rifle.

 

[Victor N TN]

Re: Neck sizing oncefired brass from another rifle?

I just figure that I started handloading to get the best and most accurate ammo possible. Why introduce an unknown variable? The fact that it's more economical is just a big plus.

 

[Fuzzball]

Re: Neck sizing oncefired brass from another rifle?

" is there any reason to full length size them if I can get them to chamber with only necksizing them?"

No. And once it's fired in your rifle, it won't make any difference at all how you first sized it.

 

[johndoe]

Re: Neck sizing oncefired brass from another rifle?

If you do not size them first I would atleast chamber check each
one first by closeing the bolt on them. I've had brass before
that you can close the bolt just fine but if you take brass out
and rotate it say from 6 to 12 o clock position you get resisitance.
I theoriesed that the thin side of the brass streched the most so now
the cartridge is banana shaped. A fls will usually take care of that.

 

[sinister]

Re: Neck sizing oncefired brass from another rifle?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Good grief! Some folks act like using a FL sizer will emasculate them. Brass is cheap. This is not benchrest! </div></div>

Smartest posting on the internet all day.

Brass cases are expendable. Full-size the brass and fire-form it to YOUR chamber for optimum accuracy. Anything else is half-stepping since you don't know how the previous chamber was cut (and what the reamer dimensions were), nor what the powder charge and pressure were.

Neck size after that if you prefer.

 

[Fuzzball]

Re: Neck sizing oncefired brass from another rifle?

"Good grief! Some folks act like using a FL sizer will emasculate them. Brass is cheap. This is not benchrest!"

Actually, we sre addressing the man's question. I thought that was appropreate, or is it not?

And, if the bolt closes on the case easily (Which does often happen, you know?) then the bolt isn't even close to being used as a "sizer".

 

[MrSwede]

Re: Neck sizing oncefired brass from another rifle?



While brass may be cheap for the most part,
brass for 338LM isn't really ever cheap, even once-fired.

I'll test each piece of brass in the rifle.
If they chamber nicely, necksizing it is.

 

[Fuzzball]

Re: Neck sizing oncefired brass from another rifle?

"I'll test each piece of brass in the rifle.
If they chamber nicely, necksizing it is."

Swede, you clearly understand.

 

[joemagee]

Re: Neck sizing oncefired brass from another rifle?

Myself I would just start fresh and resize all, who knows what the brass has been through , was it factory or hand loads, was he trying different loads , powders, and bullets? All makes a difference on brass.

 

[Lt. Arclight]

Re: Neck sizing oncefired brass from another rifle?

Full Length resize EVERYtime!! Just make sure you can measure your EXACT headspace from the fired round and set up you dies accordingly. Its REAL easy to get carried away.

Why? Sooner or later you are going to have to full length resize them-if you do it every time they are fired you end up working the brass far less (use a full length bushing die with no expander button). AND your case volume will remain constant.

After owning 4 different 338LM's one trick to get the brass back to new standards is with an RCBS TRIM die adjusted so the press cams over. This has allowed brass fired in an AR30 to be used in a tight GAP chamber with minimum headspace.

+1 RJ HUNTER- As a tactical shooter,IMO,I'll give up "benchrest accuracy" for absolute reliability to feed from a magazine.Plus, 338LM,at least in my experience has NEVER produced "benchrest" accuracy.