AusVarmint

Have been neck sizing my 204 but now the cases that have had a few goes are getting tight to chamber and need full length sizing. Have been doing a bit of research and was thinking of setting up my FL die to partial size every time instead of neck size and FL when needed.

Just wondering what you guys are doing?

use both dies the way they are intended

What Trev said. I neck size a few times then FLS to make sure it is going to chamber properly.
You're not going to do either job properly if you only half do one thing.

I stopped counting the reloads at 6 with my 6/250 brass. I started using it 8 years ago. MIGHT, I stress MIGHT be due for its first FLS

It is due to be annealed again as Mick 762 found a split neck when he tried it!

If you yave both dies then just use them. I tried with my 222 rimmed martini and maybe didnt have it adjusted enough but would chamber half or more of them when trying to bugger round with partial sizing.

I neck size with a collet in other cals and get plenty of life so far out of the cases.

I use to partial resize my brass for my .303 sporter until something went wrong. One day at the farm a mob of piggies came through the fence and do you think I could get the bolt closed on any of those loads?? Never got a shot off. Now I either neck or full length resize. And of course I make sure they chamber before heading off

I am a great believer in full length sizing for hunting rifles, way more important to get the cartridges to fit into your rifle at the right time, and also to get loaded rounds out of the chamber without hassles, than for any tiny perceived benefit of neck sizing over F/L sizing. Target and dedicated varmint rifles, well, they are different, much like their owners.

Testing done years ago by I think P.O.A. himself proved that brass lasts long when full length sizing everytime, rather than when brass is tight to chamber.

Seeing as we're on the topic of FLR. How does everyone lubed their cases before hand? Which lube and how?

lowndsie wrote:Seeing as we're on the topic of FLR. How does everyone lubed their cases before hand? Which lube and how?

Imperial sizing Wax, a little on fingers and wiped on cases as I put them in the shell holder.

I use ballistol for lubing when sizing for fls etc. For expanding or reducing you can't beat imerial sizing wax its great stuff. Both go a long way.

I FL size only.

Camel wrote: ..........Target and dedicated varmint rifles, well, they are different, much like their owners. ...........

Camel, you're a gem

I FLS but back the die off, and trim if necessary, to keep mean case dimensions in the Wilson chamber gauge. Lee lube by hand on the case body, none on shoulder or neck, snickle inside neck.

Does anyone else ever lube inside the neck? I've been dipping the necks in powdered graphite when neck sizing. Seems to work ok but it does make a mess. I always tumble after sizing so it's no biggie.

I'm thinking of switching to FLR'ing for my "bigger" game rifles if I can find an easier way to do it. Will pick up some of that imperial wax and give it a burl.

I wet a cloth with ballistol poke the top of the case on it and does the job for inside necks. Ballistol works great and doesn't affect powder or the cases.

Every few cases get a little bit of lube on the inside, especially when the expander ball gets a little tight when pulling the case back over it. Usually just twist the case mouth on my finger where the lube is from rubbing the outside of the cases.