Fully length resize 308

[Top Hunter]

Thanks Gun pimp. Looks like I got it right at last, not to labour the point but does
It mean I have full length resized the case ?

[The Gun Pimp]

Yup - sounds good. The only thing you can do wrong is to maybe over-bump it. But if you can just feel it with the bolt it will be OK.

[Daryll]

Forgive me if i'm being dumb here, but I'm not sure I understand....

I've just started reloading .308 using once fired GGG cases that were used in another rifle, so they needed a FL resize. I ran a batch of 50 of them through the FL die, trimmed, tumbled amd primed them, then thought about checking bullet length. I took another case, FL sized, trimmed it, pushed a bullet in lightly and then tried to chamber it.... it wouldn't allow the bolt to close...

I tried several of the cases i'd already prepared.. they wouldn't fit either.

I then read about screwing in the FL die further, so tried that, ran a case through 2-3 times and eventually it would allow me to close the bolt.

But....this is the bit i don't understand... if you seat the die in until it touches the shell holder, how does seating the die further down in the press work?? the case is still only going to go in until the case holder touches the die...??

[The Gun Pimp]

Golden rule Daryll - new rifle new brass. Don't use brass fired in another rifle.

If you try and resize brass used in another rifle you may get away with it but, with use, brass gets springy and won't fully resize always - two thou. and the bolt won't close. Yes, you can get a bit more bump by screwing the die in a bit more so it takes all the 'spring' out of the press. The other dodge is to skim a few thou. off the bottom of the die.

But honestly why bother - just treat yourself to a box of new Lapua brass - it's only about £50 and you should get five or six reloads from a case.

[Alpha1]

I have spent a lot of time learning about shoulder bumping. I have spread sheets running on all of my current firearms. One thing that really stands out is if you are really serious about shoulder bumping cases for accuracy you need to bin all your old cases and start with new brass.
Accurate measuring tools are a must and in my opinion the only game in town are the SHOOTING SHEDS shoulder bump gauges.
I don't use full length dies for shoulder bumping I tried that and was not satisfied with the results my set up is:
Size the neck with a bushing die and remove the primer: L.E.Wilson die used with a Arbor press.
Resize the case on my Wamadet press with a Redding body die using a Redding competition shell holder to bump the shoulder to my required set back to give me a consistent smooth chambering of my hand loaded rounds.
The bullets are then seated with a L.E.Wilson micrometer seating die and surprise surprise they work .

[Daryll]

I used those cases to experiment and develop loads on, and thought as long as the had a FL resize they'd be fine.

I have a couple of hundred GGG cases that have been fired in my current rifle, so they should only need the necks doing.

[The Gun Pimp]

When you 'distort' a case under 50,000 psi of pressure, don't expect your weedy little press to reverse the process.

Darryll - if you want some good advice - always full-length re-size. Why wouldn't you? It's still only a pull on the press handle.