Long read so sit down.
I have some good loads for my 10fp but my brass was not lasting but 7 firings .
I would get case head cracks.
I got to measuring and found i was setting my shoulders back .008" using the instructions that came with the Lee dies. Which states to raise the ram with shell holder in place and screw in the die until it touches the shell holder,, then lower the ram and turn the die in another 1/4-1/3 turn.
What i have found with my gun is that i need to just touch the shell holder and turn maybe 1/32 and call it good.
This way i do not push the shoulder back.
Now my die has been polished with an automotive buffing polish.
What i get with my Lee full length sizing(FLS) die set like this is.
no shoulder set back
.001" smaller at the base of the shell right before the extractor groove.
.004" smaller at the shoulder.
BUT the length of the brass does grow .007" longer than the fired case.
I end up with a .306" neck ID
My fired case measures .312" ID
All that is a lot less brass working than if i twisted the FLS die in further.
Now i took a Lee collet neck sizing die and sized another Lapua fired case.
This die has also been polished a hair.
Case body dimensions stay the same as the fired case.
No shoulder set back .
The neck ID is .307" after sizing.
A note on using this Lee die. I get smoother rounder Necks if i size very easy and then turn the case 1/4 turn and size again I do 4 times sizing on 1 case...Your mileage may vary.
The length of the brass only grew .001-.0015" over the fired case length.
Not overworking the brass like this at all and should last much longer.
NOW Dial calipers are not all created equal.
My son was given a set for free and i was at his house measuring stuff and those were the same .001" resolution as mine but i could not smoothly operate them to make them stop on .001", pretty rough.
Try to stop on .001 and it went to .004 or more.
My dial calipers i can stop easily 1/4 past the .001" line or less and read them. so to me that is .00025"
I have checked them many times with my micrometer and they read on the money..
Good tools and learning how to use them will reward you guys in your quest to reload.
Sometimes there is a bit more to it than slap together a bunch of stuff and off you go.
Hope this helps some of you out there.
Of course i am meticulous and there are many ways to get there.
I have some good loads for my 10fp but my brass was not lasting but 7 firings .
I would get case head cracks.
I got to measuring and found i was setting my shoulders back .008" using the instructions that came with the Lee dies. Which states to raise the ram with shell holder in place and screw in the die until it touches the shell holder,, then lower the ram and turn the die in another 1/4-1/3 turn.
What i have found with my gun is that i need to just touch the shell holder and turn maybe 1/32 and call it good.
This way i do not push the shoulder back.
Now my die has been polished with an automotive buffing polish.
What i get with my Lee full length sizing(FLS) die set like this is.
no shoulder set back
.001" smaller at the base of the shell right before the extractor groove.
.004" smaller at the shoulder.
BUT the length of the brass does grow .007" longer than the fired case.
I end up with a .306" neck ID
My fired case measures .312" ID
All that is a lot less brass working than if i twisted the FLS die in further.
Now i took a Lee collet neck sizing die and sized another Lapua fired case.
This die has also been polished a hair.
Case body dimensions stay the same as the fired case.
No shoulder set back .
The neck ID is .307" after sizing.
A note on using this Lee die. I get smoother rounder Necks if i size very easy and then turn the case 1/4 turn and size again I do 4 times sizing on 1 case...Your mileage may vary.
The length of the brass only grew .001-.0015" over the fired case length.
Not overworking the brass like this at all and should last much longer.
NOW Dial calipers are not all created equal.
My son was given a set for free and i was at his house measuring stuff and those were the same .001" resolution as mine but i could not smoothly operate them to make them stop on .001", pretty rough.
Try to stop on .001 and it went to .004 or more.
My dial calipers i can stop easily 1/4 past the .001" line or less and read them. so to me that is .00025"
I have checked them many times with my micrometer and they read on the money..
Good tools and learning how to use them will reward you guys in your quest to reload.
Sometimes there is a bit more to it than slap together a bunch of stuff and off you go.
Hope this helps some of you out there.
Of course i am meticulous and there are many ways to get there.