ORIGINAL: statjunk
Hey guys,
I thought I understood what the resizing die was doing by backing off the die from the shell holder but I'm again confused.
I recently was introduced to a headspace guage. It is a tool that tells you how long the cartridge is supposed to be so that the bullet will be just .01" from the grooves etc...
So is it resizing that adjust the headspace or is it the depth of the bullet seating?
Doesthe resizing at different heights from the shell holder change the angle of the neck?
If I resize a shell way off the shell holder will it cause the shell without a bullet to no longer close in the chamber?
Thanks
Tom
Ok, headspace is not the same as distance from rifling. Headspace is for the shoulders only. Thoat gauge or mic or stoney point OAL gauge can measure distance to rifling. Adjusting your sizer up and down off the shell holder, adjusts the shoulders to fit your chamber.
I highly recommend you just cam over or FL size just starting out. In fact, most of my cartridges, I just cam over, in other words, screw in the shell holder until contact, and then another 1/4 turn.The ones I don't, I use a lee collet die.I used to go to great pains to do the "partial Full length" sizing you do, but found I can get more consistent ammo/shoulders, even with slightly more wiggle room, by just FL sizing. If I have a gun and die combo that gives me more than .003"extra headspace, I will find out if the gun is the culprit or die. And usually its the die, and I have my gunsmith cut just a little off bottom of my die, just a few thousands, to get the combo right. It doesn't take much. That way you dno't have to fool with the stoney gauge or candles to see where the brass is.