Brass problem, bad resizer?

[rero360]

I've run into a bit of a problem that I'm hoping to get some assistance on. I've been catching up on my reloading during the winter break and have been turning out a bunch of ammo for my ARs, I've been able to get just over 800 rounds done up but I have maybe another 300 cases that when I try and run them through the Giraud trimmer, they stick in the shell holder and don't extend low enough to be trimmed.

Brass is a mixture of PMC, PPU, LC, there's probably a few Federal, Remington, and Winchester mixed in as well. I'm using a RCBS RockChucker press and a Redding 223 REM B/NK 3X resizer/decapper die that has the S type bushing. What I am noticing, even on the brass that is able to be trimmed is that it appears that the bushing is not fully resizing the neck of the brass, it looks like there is roughly .040" of neck just before the shoulder that does not get resized.

My load is Wolf primers, 23gr IMR 8208 BXR, 77gr SMK loaded to mag length, with the occasional round dragging a little against the front of the Pmag.

So I think the issue is with the resizer, but I've fiddled around with it, adjusting the internal parts all to no avail. Has anyone else experienced this? Am I correct in my trouble-shooting, and if so what is the best course of action?

I took a trip to the range the other day and shot some of the ammo I had just reloaded and some older stuff, all shot fine, accuracy wasn't the greatest, between two to three inches at 100 yards out of my 16" BCM BFH barrel. I blame the group sizes on myself, its been a few months since I shot last, I was rushing a little and my head wasn't entirely in the game. Last time I shot this ammo for groups I was getting groups closer to an inch to an inch and a half.

[bigedp51]

I would not use a bushing die for reloading a AR15 rifle because of the neck diameter of the chamber. Any time you reduce the neck diameter .005 or more with a bushing die you induce neck runout. On top of this many bushing dies do not size all the way down the neck and may be causing your trimming problems.

Too much of what benchrest shooters do to their cases filters down to us poor folk with our off the shelf factory rifles and SAAMI chambers. Benchrest shooters have custom made tight neck chambers where bushing dies work very well. Our AR15 chambers are .002 larger in diameter than a SAAMI chamber and in my AR15 rifle bushing dies give me more runout than a standard full length die. A bushing floats in the die and can move side to side and even tilt slightly and it is recommended when reducing neck diameter .005 or more that the neck be reduced in two steps.

My advice would be to buy a Forster full length die with the high mounted floating expander that greatly reduces neck runout and "FORGET" bushing dies.

[wilson1911]

I use the Giraud trimmer. If I do not resize a case, it will not go down enough. I also use bushing dies with no problems. Since you just started reloading again, have you measured how much shoulder bump you are giving the brass between a fired case and a resized case ? Make sure the bushing number is facing the top of the die. I clean my dies with brake cleaner and q-tips. 800 rounds thru a die is a lot of case lube.

I have noticed that if I do not clean them out regularly there is a small amount of lube that can get just under the bushing. This will stop the bushing from seating all the way down into the die causing the neck to not get fully resized. If you just loaded the same brass for 800 rounds and they trimmed, clean everything up.

Clean where the bushing sits.

Measure shoulder bump.

[rero360]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the help.

[markm]

Agree on ditching the bushing die completely. I've tried them for several caliber and hate them for a variety of reasons.

I get sub moa ammo with a plain old Dillon Carbide sizing die (expander ball removed), and an RCBS neck expander die (in place of the expander ball). I know what you're getting on the Giraud. I've had that on brass I forgot to size.