neck sizing

Right....so this is something I have always avoided like the plague because my main rifle hated it..something about a off centred bore meant they were a mongrel to chamber...
anyway....I have redding dies for the .223 and the neck sizer has sat there looking at me for 25 years,the only job it has ever done was loading some 22terminater loads years ago.
looking at a .222 case,sitting next to a .223 case the question popped to mind..... can you interchange the neck die???
pretty sure a .222 die would work on any other .224 centrefire as the body is shorter....... but will the longer .223 die give enough "shrinkage" to a long enough section of the .222 case to make it work???? my rough measurements suggest it will do about half the neck...has anyone tried this????
would I be a complete heathen if took say 1/4" off bottom of the .223 dies????

If you can size 2/3 the neck that should be plenty.
Got no FL die?

got no .222 dies...havent got a 222 yet either ,was just pondering this while sitting at my reloading bench.

Ive done it, kinda worked but a lot of the projectiles worked their way back into the case bouncing around in a daybag, which was pretty niggly.
Skimming the bottom off the die would be the way I'd think.

What are you trying to achieve. Got Redding for all dies. including 222 and 223. Throw away the expander that way you are not throwing out the necks but you need to anneal before hand. The issue is sizing work hardened brass. You want all cases to chamber smoothly and be accurate. The voodoo is annealing and no expander. If the dudes I load their triple deuces can head shoot plovers at 70m it must be working ok save that Vixens are a sweet unit. My 2C.

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Originally Posted by TeRei

What are you trying to achieve. Got Redding for all dies. including 222 and 223. Throw away the expander that way you are not throwing out the necks but you need to anneal before hand. The issue is sizing work hardened brass. You want all cases to chamber smoothly and be accurate. The voodoo is annealing and no expander. If the dudes I load their triple deuces can head shoot plovers at 70m it must be working ok save that Vixens are a sweet unit. My 2C.

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hmmm so if you have a spare moment.....try necksizing a 222 case in your 223 neck die and see what you think......as said I dont have trebly yet...but as it would only be a low volume rifle,if I could get away with a heath robinson reload once or twice...yeah could be ok... if not will just have to buy trebly dies LOL.

Just look for a .222 Lee Loader or get someone to cut down a .223 one

I would have thought that yes, you could trim a .223 die to length and that would suffice. Am I correct in saying that the shoulder angle is the same for both? 23 degrees?

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

hmmm so if you have a spare moment.....try necksizing a 222 case in your 223 neck die and see what you think......as said I dont have trebly yet...but as it would only be a low volume rifle,if I could get away with a heath robinson reload once or twice...yeah could be ok... if not will just have to buy trebly dies LOL.

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Do you want some 222 brass? Got lots.

I will keep it in mind and let you know if n when I get a trebly..THANKYOU.

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Originally Posted by -BW-

I would have thought that yes, you could trim a .223 die to length and that would suffice. Am I correct in saying that the shoulder angle is the same for both? 23 degrees?

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THATS WHY Im thinking neck die not FLR die...the shoulder isnt touched so shoulder angle is pretty much irrelevant..... Im sure Ive seen calibre NOT cartridge specific neck sizing dies before.....

https://enoughgun.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7888

OK...that seals it...not good idea,use with extreme caution.

https://www.shootersforum.com/thread...pecific.62978/

and that one says OK...LOL....

I used to only neck size all my cases for years.
This is the reason i own Hornady dies as their neck dies are universal ie a 22 cal die will size any .223 dia sized neck.


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Greetings All,
After decades of neck sizing I have recently moved to full length sizing using the Redding competition shellholders for all but my low pressure loads. I also anneal every other load. Low pressure loads for the .303 are neck sized in a Lee Loader and those for the .308 in a Lee Collet die. I have body and bushing neck dies for my SAUM but have not used them much, or the rifle for that matter. I am starting to do my neck expanding when full length sizing as a separate step running the expander into the case rather than pulling it out. Cases are all de capped using punch and base sets prior to any sizing. I am not a fan of the Hornady calibre specific neck dies as the 6.5 one I have grossly oversizes my Norma and Lapua 6.5 x 55 cases
So my suggestion Micky would be to get a Lee Collet die. The .222 is a low pressure cartridge if loaded to book velocities compared to the .223. I would also neck anneal after, at the most, two firings as spring back of the case necks will result in loose projectiles if the necks are allowed to get too hard.
Regards Grandpamac.

well I just had to try it....as only had 1 single .222rem case on hand not a huge sample....trim length spot on the 1.7" required had to back the lock ring right totop of thread to enguage die to shell holder and managed to squeaze in .134" so 1/8th" so nope not really enough to work without taking to base of perfectly good die with grinder etc.... well Nigel it was worth a crack....even if someone else got to eat the cheezel... a good fellow is sending me an incomplete .222rem whackamole set so will be at least able to see how we go using that...some how or another....
hmmm LEE are seemingly a good company to deal with...I wonder if all my good words about thier gear other than the gritty, toothpaste shit, case jamming, die wrecking, hair pulling, turn air blistering blue swearing, case lube/glue has earnt me enough brownie points the ymay send me some replacement bits from out the back store room????

anyone have a .222 FLR die sitting idel and want a .223 neck die as a swap?????

loaded up a dozen rounds today by resizing using whackamole....and looked at my unused neck die and the temptation to whip 1/4" off the bottom of it with bench grinder is very strong indeed...
seating is easy...just used the .223 seater screwed in a bit further.

Post on the Buy / Sell thread, bet you’ve got one inside a week :thumbsup: