Posted: 7/19/2007 12:04:50 PM EDT
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I'm doing my first .223 reloads and I've got some nice new Winchester brass for the proper reloads, and some used RG brass (shot in this rifle) I've kept for the initial setup of the dies etc. Both types of brass have been full-length resized the same, trimed to the same length. I've tested seated some bullets on the emtpy cases so I can get the overall length right. When I ran them through the rifle (chamber then eject) the Winchesters would eject fine but extraction on the RG was hard. Any suggestions why brass thats been sized the same and is the same length is behaving differently ? |
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The RG is thicker and harder. It's not as malleable. It also creates higher pressures. You can use it if you wish, and it will probably be OK, but I wouldn't bother. Don't forget to de-crimp the primer pockets as well How did they extract when fired?? Keep OAL to about 2.250" |
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When fired originally they extracted easily. I've just done a little bit of playing with a FL (small base) sized RG case and it really doesn't want to extract - where the die is screwed in to touch the shell-holder. I then screwed the die in another half turn and extracts easily. In this position the press does still cam over fully so I think this is effectively taking up the slack in the press. Would this effectively be bumping the shoulder back a little more? |
Yes, and that is exactly what you want to do. Die instructions are never correct. Ideally, you would have a cartridge headspace gauge that you could use to measure the base to shoulder length and set the difference between fired and resized cases. The ideal is about .002-.003" setback. Don't feel it necessary to get one though. Find your own happy medium where extraction is right. What you're actually doing when sizing your cases is lengthening them. The brass is extruding and as you can't actually see what's going on in there. The body gets squeezed first and elongates. You must make sure the shoulder is getting pushed back. Don't get too anal though, spend only what time is necessary to make decent ammo and then spend the rest of the time on the range practising. Mark |