For Contender/Encore shooters/reloaders...

[Flatlander.54]

 Just curious as to how many of you guys Full length size as compared to neck size onlyfor Contenders/Encores. Ive read so much info on how both methods are wrong/right for the Contenders and Encores, depending what website your on.
 So how bout it guys, whats working for you and what isnt? How much is hype, BS, or marketing ploys to sell gizmos/services in your opinions? 

[Blowtorch53]

Hey Flatlander,

I guess I'm a flatlander too!  I have loaded for Contenders and Encores for a long time.  The only time I full length resize is the first time it is used in the particular chamber.  After that, I neck size only.  That goes for new brass as well as fired brass.  The brass will fire form to your chamber, so if you keep it segregated for that particular arm, it will fit perfectly.  You can try a neck sized case easily in your chamber by dropping it in and closing the action before priming or charging.  This will make sure it fits and it probably will fit very well unless there is another problem somewhere.  My 2 cents anyway.

BT53

[OLDHandgunner]

For all my contender barrels I size my brass to fit that chamber. And keep this brass always seperate from any others by coloring the heads with a magic marker. This works for me.

[Grumulkin]

I have loaded for Contenders and Encores for a long time.  The only time I full length resize is the first time it is used in the particular chamber.  After that, I neck size only.  That goes for new brass as well as fired brass.

Same here.

[Lone Star]

If you shoot your bottlenecked brass often enough - only neck sizing them - eventually they will no longer fit the chamber well.  Tight fitting brass is one cause of misfires, for Contenders in particular.  Occasionally using the full length sizer - set to just kiss the shoulder - will ensure perfectly fitting cases for each barrel, without the risk of misfires.


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[MnMike]

I neck size.
If I can, I use the Lee Collet dies.
If I can't, I set the FL length die to just kiss the shoulder.

Accuracy is much better.


JMHO
mike

[Lone Star]

Contrary to popular belief (mostly fostered by Lee it seems), neck sizing does not always produce the best accuracy.  Even benchrest shooters will use dies to move the shoulder back in addition to neck sizing.  Long range (600-1000 yard) shooters often use FL sized cases for maximum accuracy.

The fallacy that a NS case will "fit the chamber" better is just not true with many factory chambers.  Off-center necks will force the NS case out of alignment with the bore unless the case headstamp is aligned in the chamber the same way it was the last time it was fired.  This can be accomplished with break-open actions like the T/C -  but not so with bolt or auto actions.  A FL-sized case will always lay in the same position at the bottom of the chamber for each shot, maximizing consistency.  And consistency is what fosters maximum accuracy.   Using a FL die set to just kiss the shoulder may provide the best accuracy, for those who are willing to fire several dozen rounds to confirm it.

The above does require dies which are perfectly concentric, and unfortunately many mass produced dies are not - check the radial runout sometime.     Quality tools make more accurate reloads, but then few shooters may be able to capitalize on that accuracy, particularly in the field. 


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[Bullseye]

I neck size only using a Redding neck sizing die.

[Steve P]

It is totally dependant upon the caliber and brass.

My TCUs after fireforming, get neck sized 3-4 times before I have to full length size and bump that shoulder back a little bit.  Then good for 3-4 more neck sizing before another full lengh sizing due.

My 7x30 waters barrels gets that shoulder "kissed" with the die every time, as does the .22 hornet and most of my "rimmed" cases. 

My straight wall pistol cases get sized the length of the bullet seating only.  (bullet base to crimp groove)

300 whisper is same as TCUs.

All of my dies are set so the action on the Contender closes with a firm grip.  If I can easly open and close my action with an empty chamber, and then easily open and close my action with a sized case in the chamber, I have oversized my case. 

If I can easly open and close my action with an empty chamber, and then have to SLAM my action to close it with a sized case in the chamber, I have not sized my case enough.

Mike bell EM uses a straight edge method to check die adjustment.  He takes the barrel off of a frame, and then sizes the brass until the base of the brass and the chamber end of the barrel are perfectly parallel as proven by a straight edge.  This works good for me with setting up brass before fireforming, but has not worked as well on brass that has been fired in the gun.  I have found that overworking the shoulders just a few thousandths can cut case life pretty quickly when using softer brass. 

My contender barrels are assigned to a specific frame so I match them each time I shoot them.  I set up my reloading dies for this mactched barrel and frame also.  Same / Same every time.  Get used to the feel of the combo by opening and closing it a few times then use your brass to adjust the die to fit.  Sometimes it seems all you have to do is just size that neck and the brass is ready to go.  That may be true.  Even when just neck sizing, I always take the first couple of reloads and test fit them before loading all the ammo.  Nothing worse than getting to a match or to the range and finding out the reloads don't fit in the gun.......   

Steve

[Flatlander.54]

Thanks for the opinions guys, sorry for the delay in getting back, its been a hectic past 2 days. The info helped alot.

[Curtis]

Mike bell EM uses a straight edge method to check die adjustment.  He takes the barrel off of a frame, and then sizes the brass until the base of the brass and the chamber end of the barrel are perfectly parallel as proven by a straight edge.  This works good for me with setting up brass before fireforming, but has not worked as well on brass that has been fired in the gun.  I have found that overworking the shoulders just a few thousandths can cut case life pretty quickly when using softer brass.

I did not find the straight edge method satisfactory either.  Checking the barrel to frame gap with a feeler guage explains why.  I have gaps that run from 0.002 to 0.007 with my various barrels.  For gaps on the small end, the straight edge on the breech end might work, but not for the larger gaps.

Curtis