Brass resizing advice

[TxRaptor]

Looking for suggestions and advice for full length resizing .308 Win brass. I have a collection of once fired FGMM 308Win brass from a non-reloading friend. He shot it through a bolt gun and I am attempting to full length resize before loading for my bolt gun. I am currently using a new Hornady custom full length resizing die with expander to resize. I am aware of better reloading techniques that yield better results by not using an expander ball. I already have separate body and neck dies on hand to mimic Markm's technique for brass that has been fired through my rifle.

Issue: When I am on the upstroke, it seems the expander sticks and drags on the neck mouth. No issue on initial down stroke.

Brass was wet tumbled/dried and lube applied outside the case and inside the case mouth (homebrew dillon case lube). Doing some research, it seems some like to use dry mica on the case mouth to smooth out the expander being pulled through. Others just remove the expander ball and use a lyman M die or a Sinclair expander mandrel.

Before I go off and buy either or both options above, I figured I would see what others are doing. Suggestions?

[mark5pt56]

I just went from a standard expander ball to a Sinclair expander mandrel, huge difference. The standard die will size the neck close to .010, the expander ball has to to just that and it over works the brass. I also picked up a Lee universal decapper. I've heard of some using a standard die and having it honed and some using a bushing only and some a bushing that's sizes the neck down slightly more than required and then a mandrel.

Easiest? lube the inside neck and run it.

Remove Eball and pick up a decapper and mandrel

third -beat head against wall as you crawl from the rabbit hole

[markm]

That drag is not acceptable. It'll mess with your headspace if it's bad enough. Plus case trimming hell. If I'm doing something with tight necks, I apply lube with a soaking wet qtip to make sure it's thoroughly lubed; then dry tumble it off.

[bigedp51]

You wet tumbled your cases and I bet you have peened case mouths, try and deburr the case mouth and see if the sizing improves.

Your Hornady die should have a well tapered expander and a VLD deburring tool has a sharper 22 degree taper to better remove the case mouth peening.

[TxRaptor]

I'll try using more lube and seeing if that will help before buying anything else.

Not sure how the deburring tool will help on the upstroke... I've already passed the case mouth on the down stroke and the expander is inside the case. Regardless, I plan to debur the case mouth after I trim.

[markm]

Not sure how the deburring tool will help on the upstroke... I've already passed the case mouth on the down stroke and the expander is inside the case.

That, and very often my necks get dented out of round so that the deburring tool can't cut evenly. I do love the VLD cutter though. In a pinch it can remove primer crimps on 5.56 brass as well.

[bigedp51]

Issue: When I am on the upstroke, it seems the expander sticks and drags on the neck mouth. No issue on initial down stroke.

If the case mouth sticks and drags on the initial upstroke of the ram the only things I can think of are dented case mouths or case mouth peening and not enough inside deburring.

You need to look at the case mouth with a good magnifying glass, this will tell you a story. If you have case mouth peening you will see brass flakes inside the neck and on the expander.

[PracticalRifleman]

For case neck sizing, do NOT use an expander ball in any situation. You can FL size and neck size in one step with a Redding Type-S with the expander removed. Expand in a separate step with a Sinclair expander mandrel. I’d recommend carbide over TiN.

The problem is on your downstroke with the expander ball, it has a tendency to create ovals (induced runout) of your necks as well as inducing stretch. The result is larger extreme spread and standard deviation, more trimming, and the potential for pressure spikes.


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[bigedp51]

For case neck sizing, do NOT use an expander ball in any situation. You can FL size and neck size in one step with a Redding Type-S with the expander removed. Expand in a separate step with a Sinclair expander mandrel. I’d recommend carbide over TiN.

The problem is on your downstroke with the expander ball, it has a tendency to create ovals (induced runout) of your necks as well as inducing stretch. The result is larger extreme spread and standard deviation, more trimming, and the potential for pressure spikes.


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The Redding bushing dies come with a expander and at the Redding bushing die FAQ they tell you if the neck thickness varies .002 or more to use the expander.
Bushing dies work best with tight neck chambers and neck turned brass. Bottom line the expander pushes the neck thickness variations to the "OUTSIDE" of the neck. And this why all dies come with a expander.

Tech Line & Tips (FAQs)
Bushing Selection
https://www.redding-reloading.com/te...hing-selection

If the neck wall thickness varies more than 0.002", it may be necessary to use a bushing a couple of thousandths smaller than your calculations indicate, and then use a size button in the die to determine the final inside neck diameter.

Below the 6.5 Guys video below show that they get less neck runout with a Forster full length die vs a Redding bushing die.

[PracticalRifleman]

The Redding bushing dies come with a expander and at the Redding bushing die FAQ they tell you if the neck thickness varies .002 or more to use the expander.
Bushing dies work best with tight neck chambers and neck turned brass. Bottom line the expander pushes the neck thickness variations to the "OUTSIDE" of the neck. And this why all dies come with a expander.

Tech Line & Tips (FAQs)
Bushing Selection
https://www.redding-reloading.com/te...hing-selection

If the neck wall thickness varies more than 0.002", it may be necessary to use a bushing a couple of thousandths smaller than your calculations indicate, and then use a size button in the die to determine the final inside neck diameter.

Below the 6.5 Guys video below show that they get less neck runout with a Forster full length die vs a Redding bushing die.

Redding may suggest as such, but it isn’t gospel. All dies come with an expander so that one can simply buy a set of dies and load ammo without additional tools.

One has to ask, does the outside of the neck or the inside of the neck come into contact with the bullet? Many many many many benchrest shooters use the method I describe (most of which turn necks but not all) with good results.


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