Super 1050 Sizer Die Setup Question

[trodrig]

Hey folks! I've got a quick question on setting up the sizer die on a Super 1050 for 223. I just received the press set up from Dillon. However, with the adjustments to the sizer as it came from the factory, most sized cases would just barely pass the JP case gauge. Then, when I tried to chamber them in my rifle, they were very tough to chamber and even more tough to extract. Turning the sizer die down another 1/8 - 1/4 turn helped them to fit the gauge better and chamber and extract very smoothly in the rifle. My question is, is it ok to have the sizer die turned down 1/4 turn past contacting the shell plate? Does doing so risk warping the shell plate or causing some other malady?

Thanks for the help!

[PROBIKE101]

if its only aquarter turn that should not hurt,mine just touches a little when the carousel is full,i had same problem

with 9and 45 this solved it.

[noylj]

If your sizing die is adjusted to just kiss the shell plate, that should be all the sizing your going to get.

Right now, it sounds as though you are either short stroking (since the die is point of initial contact with the shell plate).

If this is what you are doing, I would contact Dillon. I have never needed to adjust a sizing die more than just to touch the shell plate. Something sounds wrong to me.

[DougCarden]

Thomas,

You will need to adjust the die down until the cases fit the case gauge. You will end up "overcamming" a little bit as you have found, but don't worry about it. I have the JP gauge but ended up using the Dillon gauge as it is slicker for dropping the cases in/out. One thing to watch is to not go too much. You will bump the shoulder back too much and if the brass is old and tired you can get case separations. Once you set the brass to be just under the gauge where it should be then stop. A good thing to check when you think you have it set up is to chamber a couple of pieces of brass to see if it will extract without problems. Once you do it a couple times you will get it figured out. Setting up your sizing die is a big deal for full length resizing the .223. Take you time and make sure it will work in your chamber before you go to town and do a lot. There is a wealth of info here, and it is where I learned a lot for loading .223. Make sure you have a stuck case extractor and use Dillon Lube! Have fun too.....

DougC

[Boxerglocker]

Thomas,

You will need to adjust the die down until the cases fit the case gauge. You will end up "overcamming" a little bit as you have found, but don't worry about it. I have the JP gauge but ended up using the Dillon gauge as it is slicker for dropping the cases in/out. One thing to watch is to not go too much. You will bump the shoulder back too much and if the brass is old and tired you can get case separations. Once you set the brass to be just under the gauge where it should be then stop. A good thing to check when you think you have it set up is to chamber a couple of pieces of brass to see if it will extract without problems. Once you do it a couple times you will get it figured out. Setting up your sizing die is a big deal for full length resizing the .223. Take you time and make sure it will work in your chamber before you go to town and do a lot. There is a wealth of info here, and it is where I learned a lot for loading .223. Make sure you have a stuck case extractor and use Dillon Lube! Have fun too.....

DougC

Agree with everything above. Just don't forget if you have more than one rifle that the chambers may be different. I have a MIL-SPEC DDM4 that will feed rounds loaded to the minimum set back, but another MIL-SPEC "Match" barreled AR that will only chamber rounds to the max.

Edited December 25, 2012 by Boxerglocker

[trodrig]

Thanks for all the info folks! Just wanted to make sure that overcamming just a little bit is not going to damage the shell plate or something else on the press. I've got it set now to just set the shoulder back enough to fit between the steps on the JP gauge. From trial and error I've found that this is right where the brass will easily chamber and extract from my rifle. Even if the brass is flush with the top step, it is hard to extract. It's gotta be between the steps in order to be easy in and out. Looks like I'm set to go! Thanks again!

[purecharger]

I had the exact same issue with sizing 5.56 LC brass - it looked perfect in the Dillon case gage (in between the high and low step) so I went ahead and loaded 100 rounds only to find that every 2 or 3 wouldn't chamber in my JSE upper. I was wary of turning the size die down more, since it was already touching the shellplate, but I went ahead and did it anyway. Now my cases gage just below the low step, and chamber flawlessly in my rifle. I don't notice any adverse effects on the shellplate even though the last 5 degrees or so of the handle downstroke are after the die contacts the shellplate.

[purecharger]

I was reading up on headspace and I thought this passage was relevant:

If the shellholder doesn't come into solid contact with the die solidly enough to make it cam over (that's the bump feeling) then it won't set the shoulder back

Article:

http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.com/2009/08/reloading-headspace.html

Edited January 4, 2013 by purecharger

[Franco79]

I was/am having the same issue as well FL sizing .223 brass. The looked perfect in the dillon case gage, but when I went to chamber an empty shell some were a pita to extract! reading on here, some folks suggested bumping the shoulder down a little more. I did that, and now the back of the case sits a little below the high side of the case gage. Now the rounds do extract with out issues!

Read all my issues here.

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=165106

Hey folks! I've got a quick question on setting up the sizer die on a Super 1050 for 223. I just received the press set up from Dillon. However, with the adjustments to the sizer as it came from the factory, most sized cases would just barely pass the JP case gauge. Then, when I tried to chamber them in my rifle, they were very tough to chamber and even more tough to extract. Turning the sizer die down another 1/8 - 1/4 turn helped them to fit the gauge better and chamber and extract very smoothly in the rifle. My question is, is it ok to have the sizer die turned down 1/4 turn past contacting the shell plate? Does doing so risk warping the shell plate or causing some other malady?

Thanks for the help!