rifle brass resizing efort

[Aric]

How much harder (force required) to resize rifle brass compared to pistol brass?

When I resize .223 brass, the first 90% of the way into the die is very easy about the same amount of force as pistol brass. However, the last 10% of the case takes substantially more force. So much force that my hands hurt and my arms are tired after a few dozen. I suspect something is wrong but I don't know what. The dies are clean, the cases are sprayed with Hornady one shot.

[Youngeyes]

I don't know which press you are using, but check that you haven't over tightened the sizing die. You may be pushing into the shell plate.

[Aric]

I am sizing on a single stage press.

[wgj3]

Lube? Makes lots of things better.

Something stouter than 1shot works better for me. Any of the pastes/greases. Wiped onto the lower third of the case. Also need a bit inside the case neck.

Edited October 25, 2015 by wgj3

[Glockinator]

I switched to this Hornaday case lube. It was cheap and goes much further than one shot.Also check how much you are setting the shoulder back. You may need to adjust your die up some. You want it to size the neck and just bump the shoulder in most cases.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/758495/hornady-unique-case-lube-4-oz-tub

[Youngeyes]

Use a case gauge and check that you are not over sizing the shoulder of the case. The case gauge is necessary to properly sizing .223 or any rifle caliber. Are you using a full length sizer?

[RiggerJJ]

one shot is not good for rifle brass. sooner or later you will get a stuck case if you continue to use it for rifle. Try Dillon case lube or anything lanolin based, it will help a lot.

jj

[RPatton]

I does take more force to size rifle brass and that last 10% of the stroke is where all the sizing gets done

Using too much lube will give your brass grease dents and too little will give you stuck cases.

I went to Dillons spray long ago and it works well.

[Beastly]

one shot is not good for rifle brass. sooner or later you will get a stuck case if you continue to use it for rifle. Try Dillon case lube or anything lanolin based, it will help a lot.

jj

+1

[RPatton]

one shot is not good for rifle brass. sooner or later you will get a stuck case if you continue to use it for rifle. Try Dillon case lube or anything lanolin based, it will help a lot.

jj

+1

That is true about the One Shot but if you spray lightly with One Shot AFTER using the Dillon lube it makes resizing soooo much easier.

[RiggerJJ]

forgot to add...

once the brass is sized, decaped and trimmed, drop it in a tumbler to remove the lube.

jj

[spitboy]

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/519525/imperial-case-sizing-wax-2-oz

This stuff makes sizing 300 Weatherby Mag cases smooth....love this stuff

[Aric]

Youngeyes, I watched the video. I am not currently doing that.

What is the easiest /best way to size 1000's of cases from many different rifeles?

[Aric]

I assumed if I ran the case all the way into the resizing die, everything would be back to spec (unless trimming is required).

[Youngeyes]

I thought the same thing when I started loading rifle. I had set my sizing die using the same technique as as my pistol dies. I had headspace problems until I started case gauging. The trim size( OAL) was correct, but the headspace( shoulder) was off. You keep (slowly) lowering the die and measure the case until it passes. Sometimes that means having the press cam over ( google cam over). This requires more effort. I resize and deprime all my .223 cases on a single stage Lee press. There is no fast way to do 1000s of cases, unless you send them to someone who processes brass as a business. As others have said, use a good lube. I use a homemade mix of lanolin and alcohol. There are posts here that will give you more info on the homemade stuff. Remember to resize before you trim.

[Beastly]

Youngeyes, I watched the video. I am not currently doing that.

What is the easiest /best way to size 1000's of cases from many different rifeles?

Motorized or hand-cranked 1050, or maybe a 650 with case feeder. Edited October 27, 2015 by Beastly

[Mbauer67]

Youngeyes, I watched the video. I am not currently doing that.

What is the easiest /best way to size 1000's of cases from many different rifeles?

Motorized or hand-cranked 1050, or maybe a 650 with case feeder.

This is the only way in my world, that and use Dillon luve

[RPatton]

I thought the same thing when I started loading rifle. I had set my sizing die using the same technique as as my pistol dies. I had headspace problems until I started case gauging. The trim size( OAL) was correct, but the headspace( shoulder) was off. You keep (slowly) lowering the die and measure the case until it passes. Sometimes that means having the press cam over ( google cam over). This requires more effort. I resize and deprime all my .223 cases on a single stage Lee press. There is no fast way to do 1000s of cases, unless you send them to someone who processes brass as a business. As others have said, use a good lube. I use a homemade mix of lanolin and alcohol. There are posts here that will give you more info on the homemade stuff. Remember to resize before you trim.

+1 A good succinct description of the problems associated with reloading bottleneck semi auto ammo.

When I was loading for a bolt action rifle I would resize brass only enough to get the action to close without any effort. I figured that was working the brass less and I got a lot of use out of every piece of brass. I can't remember ever hearing or reading about using a case gauge back then(1967). Hardly anyone I knew shot a semi auto or slide action center fire and they didn't reload.

Getting an AR made the case gauge a necessity. I got my case gauge after a couple of case head separations and had found a few more incipient case head separations. If you don't have a gauge you don't know if you are pushing the shoulder back too far.

[bigedp51]

How much harder (force required) to resize rifle brass compared to pistol brass?

When I resize .223 brass, the first 90% of the way into the die is very easy about the same amount of force as pistol brass. However, the last 10% of the case takes substantially more force. So much force that my hands hurt and my arms are tired after a few dozen. I suspect something is wrong but I don't know what. The dies are clean, the cases are sprayed with Hornady one shot.

Hornady One shot is a dry film lubricant and my advice is to "STOP" using One Shot and switch to a wet film lube like Hornady Unique, RCBS Case Slick or make your own for rifle cases.

I wet tumble all my cases "BEFORE" resizing because I have semi autos that throw perfectly good brass away and let it fall on the ground. Meaning these cases pick up dirt and grit that can scratch your dies and brass. And besides scratching your brass it can add effort to the sizing operation.

Also the degree of polish the die has after manufacture effects the sizing effort. You can chuck a section of cleaning rod in a drill and use a shotgun cleaning mop to polish the inside of your dies. Put some J&B bore paste, automotive rubbing compound etc. on the shotgun mop and polish the die. You can also dissemble the die and put the body of the sizing die in a vibratory tumbler with treated walnut media to polish it.

Bottom line, I use the three lubes listed above and have no problems sizing cases. But also remember Lake City cases are the hardest cases followed by Lapua and at the bottom Federal being the softest. Also remember if the cases were fired in a larger diameter chamber they will require more effort to size.

And lastly something to think on, the male Ewoks from Star Wars use Hornady One Shot..........................

[LikesToShoot]

Not sure what's going on with your brass. What press and dies are you using?

I use Hornady One Shot all the time and don't tube afterwards. The few time I stuck a case was because I didn't apply enough lube. (easy fix when using Lee dies, punch and hammer).

I line my brass up in a tray, side by side, spray them down then tilt the tray to roll them a little and spray some more. Brass with crimped primers take additional effort too.

[lefty o]

ive used one shot for years on many thousands of rifle casings, and never stuck one.

[savagemann]

I prefer to sort brass by headstamp. Different makes may need the die to be adjusted differnetly to achieve proper headspace, due to variances in thickness. Also, if you are using range pickups, you will find the force required at the handle will vary depending on the size of the chamber the brass was shot out of.

Make sure the brass is free of debris before lubing.

Lube brass before sizing.

Test the die adjustment using a case gauge.

I use a homebrew lube made with liquid lanolin and 99% alcohol. About 10 or 12 parts alcohol to 1 part lanolin.

Put in a large container and mist a little from a spray bottle. It doesn't take much.

Let the alcohol evaporate and it is ready to size.

It is easy to over do. If you put too much lube on you will possibly see dents on the shoulder.

If that happens, back off on the lube.

[yellowfin]

Cooking spray works remarkably well for 5.56, and for anything larger I use Froglube.

[jtaylor996]

Well, my second ever 300BLK case just got stuck in the die. The press pulled the head off the case, and since the spindle was stuck in the die (but loose), I tried to hammer the case out by the spindle. Pretty sure everything is destroyed at this point

I was using one shot lube, and it was a forester bench rest full length sizing die. ARGGHHHHHH!!!!!

So far, I HATE reloading rifle.

[peterthefish]

I was using one shot lube, and it was a forester bench rest full length sizing die. ARGGHHHHHH!!!!!

So far, I HATE reloading rifle.

Yeah, it's not like there are 100 threads saying "don't use one-shot to lube rifle cases".