Question about .22-250 sizing dies

I'm just starting to load for my new .22-250 Savage. I bought a box of Winchester Varmint ammo today and did the barrel break-in procedure. I have a set of Forster Benchrest dies (2) and resized the cases after I cleaned them. Trimmed them to minimum length and tried one in my rifle; very hard to close the bolt. Went back and checked my die set-up and it was per the instructions. Sized a couple more and had the same issue. I set up a Lee sizing die from an older die set and sized a few. There is a slight resistance when closing the bolt but nothing like when sized with the Forster die.

So, is the Forster die designed to be a closer fit in the chamber? The instructions say to just let the die touch the shell holder (top of the jaws since I have a Bonanza Co-Ax) and the Lee instructions say touch the shell holder and go 1/4 to 1/3 more downward.

Kind of interesting because many years ago I shot some matches and when I just neck sized there was no problem of interference for 8 or 10 firings.

You think it's me, the brass, the dies or a combination.:confused:

Well it sounds like your headspacing may be on the tight end. I believe you can buy shell holders that are ground thinner and that would be the answer.

You want to light a candle and hold the neck at the top of the flame to soot it up. Lightly spray some lube on and adjust your die down till it touches the soot on the shoulder.
At that point try the case in your rifle. If its still tight ease the die down a smidge at a time and check it until you get the fit you desire.

If you have a comparitor measure a fired case and shoot for .001 less on your resized case.

If your bottoming too hard on the shell holder buy a ground one or have someone grind yours down.

Dumb question:

You are putting lube on the outside of the case and a bit in the neck before running into the FL die right?

I got called one evening to help a buddy's dad out with a issue he was having. He was using the Lee FL die on a 223 and was having a similar issue you describe. Found out he was only putting lube on the outside and so the expander was draggin pretty bad and actually pulling the neck and stretching the brass longer. Just a thought.

Good point!

Are your Forster BR dies full length or neck sizing dies? It will be on the box, and also engraved on the sizing die.

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Originally Posted by Sawfish

Are your Forster BR dies full length or neck sizing dies? It will be on the box, and also engraved on the sizing die.

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It is a full length sizing die. I blackened a case today and it is not bumping the shoulder. The Lee die does fine and it does bump it. I'm thinking about just getting a neck sizing die and use the Lee when I need to. Or, I can see if a local shop will take a little off the bottom of the die. Not sure they have a surface grinder though. I would hope that since it's a Forester die, the issue is not with the shell holder on the Co-Ax press which they also make.

Before you go taking anything off the die just try turning it down more.

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Originally Posted by Pastprime

Or, I can see if a local shop will take a little off the bottom of the die. Not sure they have a surface grinder though.

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Use a shorter shellholder. You can take a few thousandths off yourself with 80 grit emery or even a bench grinder for that matter, they don't have to be 100% flat or square. You can't file them, they're hard. The deck height, floor to the top, doesn't mean squat other than limits how far a case can enter a die.

Bill

The directions are for general set up but you really have to adjust them for your chamber. Make the die touch the shell holder and turn in another 1/4 turn. Size one and test in chamber. If tight keep turning another 1/4 turn until it closes easily. The depth of the FL size die adjusts how much you bump back the shoulder. The Model 11 Sporter barrels have pretty tight chambers.

Try just sizing the neck on a case fired in that rifle. Back the die off a few turns from contact so you just resize the neck. The case should fit in the chamber if it was fired in the chamber. It will be tight but it should fit. IMO grinding the shell holder is a bandaid fix. If through adjustment you can't get the brass to size properly you have a bad die or worse a bad chamber. How does the factory ammo chamber?

Take Bill's advice. the shell holder will solve the problem. You could also buy a set of Redding competition shell holders at Sinclairs.
Follow the directions. they will also work with other cartridges you might load for.

I have a Co-Ax press also and one of my 22-250's I have to set up as specified and then turn the die down a little at a time until it works. Over the last 40+ years of reloading for 22-250 and others I have had several that required this. I have loaded for around a dozen 250's , right now I am down to 2.