neck resizing

[richard pries]

just got the dies for neck resizing on 30-06 has any one had any luck or bad liuck doing this procedure

[joem]

I neck resize .303 British and sometimes .223. If you only use the neck sized cases in one rifle your OK. You may still need to trim to proper length.

[Tuna]

Remember neck sizing does not work well in a semi-auto. You have to full length reszie for them. But in a bolt action or single shot it is a good way to improve brass life.

[aintright]

I have been told by different people that it makes a difference , some say it doesn't improve accuracy . All I can tell you is I have a stock Remington 700 in 243 that I FL size . I also have a custom built Remington 721 in 30-06 that I neck size . I don't know how this actually compares but I see little difference in accuracy . The 243 shoots a pretty consistent av. of 3/4"-1" three shot groups and the 06 shoots right at 1/2"-3/4".
This could be the difference in barrels for that little gain or perhaps the best I can shoot . As far as case life I have cases in both calibers that have a lot of loading done on them . For what it's worth , some of the yea and nay opinions I have gotten came from bench competitors , so I guess that would say you'll have to experiment and see how it pans out for you . But that is the fun of hand loading , finding that cloverleaf load . Good luck and happy shooting , Kenneth

[JB White]

Neck sizing for accuracy works better in a single shot rifle where it's easier to index the round in the chamber. Otherwise the only notable benefit is case life in regard to mouth/neck splitting. For the 303 British I found that annealing and keeping the loads in the moderate range worked almost, if not as good. Signs of case head seperation should be watched for the same whether neck or FL resizing despite the lack of work hardening at the web.

[RCS]

In this Winchester Hi-Wall the bullet is also indexed and a breech seater is used, the 32-40 case is also indexed but the bullet is about 1/8 inch in front of the chambered cartridge case.
The same case is used over again, and the bullet is from a nose pour mould and not sized

[joem]

I shoot quite a bit of .303 Brit. If the brass is full length sized, I will have a case head seperation on the second reload. Neck sized only I get 3 or 4 reloads before a cases head seperation.

[JB White]

I shoot quite a bit of .303 Brit. If the brass is full length sized, I will have a case head seperation on the second reload. Neck sized only I get 3 or 4 reloads before a cases head seperation.

Really?? I have heard that before but haven't experienced it. Before I ask I'm going to guess you either have an overpolished chamber, or....you're using S&B brass? I'm using Remington brass for the most part. After that it's either Privi or Winchester. I've had case mouths crack in as few as 4 reloads with the latter, but I'm getting 8 with the Remington before I begin to discard. I discovered the S&B (Sellier & Bellot or Short-lived and Brittle) didn't hold up for very long in mine either. Second or third the bright ring started showing. Only had one actually crack through a tad but haven't had a full seperation. Tossed the entire batch.

[Johnny P]

I have a Mike Lau built copy of the USMC M40A1 with a Hart barrel. I use a Wilson hand die in an arbor press which is neck size only, and there was a difference in accuracy using the same components and load in the hand die versus full length sized cases. The improvement is not to the extent that it cuts the group size in half, but in a really accurate rifle improvements are measured in small degrees.

[jim c 351]

When I was a teenager I used a Lyman 310 tool and neck sized only. This worked great untill I bought my second 30-06 rifle. None of the reloaded cartridges would chamber in my new rifle.
So,---I've been full lenght resizing for the last 55 years and never looked back.
Jim C

[psteinmayer]

Neck sizing .303 is not a problem as the .303 headspaces on the rim, same as the 30-40 or any other rimed cartridge. Please remember that 30-06 headspaces on the neck taper. If you only neck size, you will not reform the taper, which is crucial for the cartridge to seal in the chamber. Lose that seal, and you could experience leakage of dangerous hot gases past the bolt! 30-06 should always be full-length sized and trimmed... each and every loading. To ensure your cases have longevity, you should anneal the neck and taper. Most military 30-06 (ball) cases will be annealed already, and should be annealed every so often to keep them in good condition. Civilian 30-06 cases may, or may not be annealed. Look for discoloration of the neck and taper - to around 1/4 inch below the taper.

[13Echo]

For my bolt and single shot rifles I prefer neck sizing. However I do have to keep the cases separate for the individual rifles as the cases won't interchange for the same cartridge. The chamber in the Mod 70 7x57 is larger than in my custom Mauser 7x57. Case life is better with neck sizing, especially with the Lee collet sizers. For the Garand it's full length resize. The less the brass is worked in sizing and in expanding to fit the chamber when firing the longer it will last and the better the potential accuracy.

Jerry Liles

[joem]

I don't get neck splits on .303 but case head seperations. I have two .303 rifles. I retired the 1942 English made one to a wall hanger because the brass streached tooo much. The one made in India in 1966 seems to be better with case life.