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Wildcat Reloading

pawnee66pawnee66 Member Posts: 223 ✭✭
Having a custom rifle made in 222 Rem Magnum Ackley Improved with a .250 neck. I would assume that all I need to do is neck size. Will I need a full length die at some point? Any tips on wildcat reloading?

Comments

  • charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 6,579 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Neck sizing only depends on the chamber. Lumps or bumps and you will
    need a FL sizer sooner or later.

    Before loading lots of rounds, make sure they fit and perhaps fire a few.

    If it is truly an AI cartridge, then factory spec ammo should fire form correctly on first firing. A good concentric chamber and you should be able to neck size forever.

    Fireforming techniques when moving the shoulder forward.

    Rimless cases need to head space somehow. The extractor might hold the case to the bolt face. A light cast bullet loaded out to the rifling with a medium charge. A load of say 3 to 5 grains of Bullseye fired straight up, no projectile!!!. A larger expander button to bump out the neck, then size back to the new shoulder point.
  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    after a few rounds fired you will need to bump the shoulder back .001"-.002" to make for easier chambering. Some benchrest guys I have talked to stated they never had to do so, but I would imagine tight neck chambers, etc may have led to that. I can't say for sure.

    I nk size only, until the bolt offers resistance when you go to rotate it into battery. A "head and shoulders" kit will usually show that your shoulders have moved fwd a few .001"s at that point, assuming you recorded the measurement after the first firing in your chamber. I like to record that measurement, specifically for this purpose. If the bolt offers resistance when rotating into battery, and the datum line measurement remains the same as after the first firing, you have a swelling issue elsewhere on the case. Sometimes, moving the seater die body down to make changes in seating depth, will cause a slight bulge at the shoulder/body junction, causing the stiff or non-existent chambering. When I first started reloading, I learned that the hard way, after destroying 50 Lapua cases[:(!]
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