Reloading Series, Episode 5: Brass Sizing Methods

[@conservativesniperhunter7439]

Very informative. You did a great job in explaining how each die and mandrel function and exactly what they do in sizing the case body and necks , well done 👍

[@Jeff_Seely]

Great video. Thanks. I use Forster and Lee FL dies with the expander removed to bump the shoulder 002" and then I use the 21 Century "window" die with one of their mandrels to set the neck tension. This process makes the most consistently sized brass for me. Essentially, I use the same 2 step process that you use for match grade ammo which I am most interested in. You are lucky to have someone turning mandrels for you. I love 21 Century but, boy, their mandrels are expensive. On a side note, I was looking at your DIY inductive furnace for annealing and it looks like we do the same thing again with subtle differences. Works like a charm and you don't have to kick down $$$ for an AMP annealer. Thanks again!!!

[@tomcooke6670]

Great thanks

[@tomcooke6670]

Thank you. This was great. But I have a question. I am new to all this. I have reading competition 6.5 creedmoor die set. Body die will not touch neck. I will decap my brass in a separate step. Next I will need to neck size. In this step can I do this without a bushing in the die. I will then body size and bump shoulder. Then I can use the mandrel to set neck tension. Just not sure if I need a neck bushing for squeezing the neck. Thanks

[@hawkeyeammosmithing]

tomcooke6670 you’ll need a way to squeeze the neck down first, otherwise the mandrel simply won’t do anything. If you’re using a Redding comp neck sizing die, get a bushing that will ideally size the neck to an inside diameter .002” under the size of your mandrel. That way the mandrel will open it back up, setting the final sizing of the neck. Hopefully that makes sense.

[@jacquescoetzee4619]

If you use a lee collet die ,but you stop before the collet start to push the case , isn't that mandrel the same as your mander sizing?

[@hawkeyeammosmithing]

Jacques Coetzee yes, and no. That die isn’t intended for that purpose and you’d get better overall results with an actual mandrel designed for expanding necks. The Lee collet neck sizer is designed to simply be a mandrel that the collet squeezes and forms the neck to/around. It’s not designed to actually expand necks. You’d still need a way to squeeze the neck down on fired brass. I’m using a gutted full length sizing die to oversize the necks, abs then a mandrel to open them back up. Yes, you could use the mandrel of a Lee collet die after the FL sizing die, stopping before the collet starts to engage, but like I said, that mandrel isn’t designed to expand. The taper at the end of it is simply not ideal for best results.

[@jacquescoetzee4619]

@@hawkeyeammosmithing Why im asking is because im new with reloading for rifles ,only do pistol currently. If i strip lee full length sizing die ,can it also bump the shoulder and size the body and then go for a mandrel setup or is it better to better to do like a body only and then the collet sizing and then mandrel or what will you suggest before I start to buy unsesesary dies ,want to do hunting and some presision long range shooting ?

[@hawkeyeammosmithing]

Jacques Coetzee I’ve used several Lee full length sizing dues with the expanders removed in conjunction with a mandrel setup and it works great. A body die will only size the body of the case and bump the shoulders. It will not size the neck at all. So a mandrel after a body die would do nothing for you. A lee neck sizing collet die would though, since they only size the neck.

[@juliusjames5577]

Yeah, I know why neck sizing is fading fast. His initials are E.C.

[@hawkeyeammosmithing]

He’s not the only one, but he’s surely helped convince a lot of people lol.

[@juliusjames5577]

He convinced me