westbronco

You should have your F.L. sizing die adjusted to touch the shell holder when the press ram is in the full up position. However, if you are sizing cases you have fired, F.L. sizing should not be required. If the case dia. is too large you would not have been able to extract the case. The case dia. springs back from the chamber wall after firing a slight amount and therefore can be easily extracted.

That being said, you may have a problem with the case length to the shoulder growing a bit too long. After a number of firings, the brass work hardens and does not spring back as it should. This is normally corrected by F.L. sizing, but is not done when a case is neck sized only. If the F.L. die is not touching the shell holder, you are only neck sizing the case.

This can be checked by using a .45 cal. pistol case and a caliper. Place the .45 case mouth over the neck of the problem rifle case so it sits on the shoulder. Measure the length of this combination to establish a reference length. Now make the same measurement on a new case. This length should be shorter as a new case is made short enough to fit the shortest chamber allowed for that cartridge. Now F.L. resize the problem case and see if the shoulder length has shortened at all. If it has not moved and you had the die all the way down to the shell holder, you have a defective F.L. sizing die. It can be corrected by the maker or replaced.

I had this problem once with a 6mm/.284. I used the above method to prove the problem was in the die, and the manufacturer removed .005' without question. They said the shoulder should move back .001" ' to .002" on a long case of this type to allow easy chambering. Hope this helps.