Advise, experience with resizing

[JC5123]

I was resizing some .308 brass last night, and I had 2 cases that came out of the die almost fluted around shoulder. I've never had this happen before, anyone know what may have caused this?

I did a little trouble shooting, here's what I eliminated:

No debris in the die
Cases were not over length
Properly lubed with no lube on the neck
Die was installed in the press properly

I'm at a loss as to why this happened. It seemed like the shoulder was going too far into the die and being compressed, but if this was the case, why only 2 out of 65 when they were all the same batch?

[Majer]

Fluting of the brass is usually cause by too much lube build up in the die or too much lube on the case. Haven't heard of any other causes.Good luck in your quest.

[Solus]

Sounds like over lube to me too.

Here is a link to a picture and then an  article discussing it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12723954@N05/4596845389/lightbox/

http://forums.thecmp.org/archive/index.php/t-15564.html

[JC5123]

Perfect, I was suspecting that, but couldn't confirm. I'll clean my die really good before I start up again.

[Majer]

you might want to try the method I use when resizing rifle brass,I split the brass and lube 1/2 of them, then alternate between lubed and unlubed,That way you don't get the build up of lube in your dies.If the dry brass goes in real hard then try every 3rd round dry.

[Sponsor]

[JC5123]

you might want to try the method I use when resizing rifle brass,I split the brass and lube 1/2 of them, then alternate between lubed and unlubed,That way you don't get the build up of lube in your dies.If the dry brass goes in real hard then try every 3rd round dry.

Was actually doing that! It's a great idea, although I did it just to save having to lube EVERY case.

[GASPASSERDELUXE]

You may want to invest in a stuck case remover if you are going to lube every other case.  I know.

[JC5123]

I have one. It has seen action. 

[robert69]

Yes, the dented case is because of too much lube.
I would not alternate lubing, a stuck case will be the result, and probably damage to the primer removal pin.
I do suggest using the Hornady one shot lube, lightly sprayed about half way up the case.  You still need to lube the inside of the case neck. The one shot lube has replaced the lube on a pad method, and not as messy, and alot faster. I just had to invest in several MTM loading trays for the process. These trays are only used to lube the cases. I use the RCBS case loading blocks when loading ammo.
One thing I do is closely monitor the cases while resizing the cases. You can see the lube building up, so before the case starts to dent, just remove the die from the press, unscrew the primer removal shaft, and wipe out the inside of the die with a clean rag and solvent.  This is what I do.  I just sized 500 .308 win cases.  I highly recommend using a RCBS precision mic (.308 winchester P/N 88329) to set your full length sizing die for minimum case sizing.  It is simple to set up, and used properly, your brass will last alot longer.  I am up to 10 reloads for bolt actions, and AR10. No case failures, and no indications of possible head separations.
I have been reloading for over 50 years. It is a great hobby, and as much as I shoot, target and varmint, it is a big cost saver. Even if the cost of components has gone sky high, its still cheaper than factory, excluding labor. I enjoy doing the process.