SmallCaliberCentral

I'm new to reloading, just purchased hornady lock n lOad classic. My
Dad only neck sizes for his 22-250. Do you guys neck size or full length for the .204 and is there a reason why you should or shouldn't do one or the other.

Thanks

Tyler

As long as I shoot the reload in the same rifle, I only neck size the round. That way it fits that rifle chamber as close as possible to the chambers dimensions. If I plan on using the reload in any other rifle or the same caliber, then full lenght size it, so you know it will fit. Bill K

I neck size only until the shoulders need bumping. Then I use a body die for that. I also quit using the type of die that draws a sizing spud through neck. With the Lee collett die, I get more consistency in neck/shoulder alignment and it works the brass less.

Hedge wrote:I neck size only until the shoulders need bumping. Then I use a body die for that. I also quit using the type of die that draws a sizing spud through neck. With the Lee collett die, I get more consistency in neck/shoulder alignment and it works the brass less.

Hedge,
After you use the body die to bump the shoulders, do you notice a difference in group sizes or POI on the first firing?
If you have a good load with neck-sized-only brass, I would think the body die would decrease the case capacity enough to change pressure and make a difference with the same charge of powder.

jlc204 -

Can't say I've noticed a change.
I think runout due to misaligned necks has a greater effect than does running the case through the body die. After the body die, I neck size.

I kneck sized with all my reloading, just that I understand the idear and principal of it and basically like the idear. Does it make a differance in the real world to performance???
It's better/easier on your brass too.

Steve.

The reason I ask is I ordered a neck die for my .204 2 weeks ago and has not arrived, whereas the local gun shop has a full length die in stock...

I've read multiple places about "partial" resizing us a FL die that's not screwed down far enough to bump the shoulders back. Personally, I've never tried it but it sounds reasonable. http://www.shootersforum.com/handloadin ... izing.html

inKYfromSD wrote:I've read multiple places about "partial" resizing us a FL die that's not screwed down far enough to bump the shoulders back. Personally, I've never tried it but it sounds reasonable. http://www.shootersforum.com/handloadin ... izing.html

I tried that with my RCBS full length die. It worked OK but only sized about 1/8" of the neck. A Lee collet neck sizer die does a much better job. They are a bit touchy but work great and are easy on the brass. Mine has a tendency to slice off part of the ballistic tip unless
I center the round just right in the die.

Tokimini wrote:I tried that with my RCBS full length die. It worked OK but only sized about 1/8" of the neck. A Lee collet neck sizer die does a much better job. They are a bit touchy but work great and are easy on the brass. Mine has a tendency to slice off part of the ballistic tip unless
I center the round just right in the die.

Are you referring to the sizing die cutting the brass or the seater damaging the bullet? I chucked the mandrel in my benchtop drill press and polished it with 400 and 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper until it took the diameter down .002, to the same diameter as the ball in the Redding dies. The neck tension feels close to what the Reddings produce. As for the seating die, I had the problem I think you're describing. The bullet tip would catch on the "lip" of the plug and get damaged. Use a 3/16" drill bit and gently cut a slight chamfer in the opening of the plug. This allows the bullet get centered before you start trying to actually seat it. The metal is pretty soft and cutting it was a lot easier than I expected.

inKYfromSD wrote: As for the seating die, I had the problem I think you're describing. The bullet tip would catch on the "lip" of the plug and get damaged.

That is exactly what's been happening. Thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try.

Inky, I chamfered the plug last night. I also have a spare next sizer mandrel that I have been gradually polishing down by half a thousandth. I'm going to try it on a few rounds of the next batch of reloads and see if the accuracy is better.

Tokimini - Let us know how it works for you. Make sure the plug "floats" in the die so it can center freely. If you mess up, Lee customer service is pretty good. Even though they sell spare parts, like seating plugs and mandrels, they sent them to me free of charge. I bought a collet die for .243 and .25-06 and called them about my experience with the .204 die set. They sent me an undersized mandrel for the .243 and a .17/.204 seating plug for free (.25-06 was fine). There's always the Redding bushing dies but I'm not quite ready for that kind of cash outlay, neck turning, etc.