Lever action 35 Remington neck resize or full length resize?

[schuetzen]

Can one get away with only neck resize 35 Rem used in lever actions or does it require full length resizing (assuming ammo is always fired in the same rifle)?

[Larry L]

For reliability, full length every time.

[wncchester]

It's easy to suggest 'conventional wisdom' but I have two boxes of twenty that have been run through my .35/336 for the last 25 years with Lee collet neck sizing only; they feed and shoot perfectly.  Fact is, moderate pressure cartridges like the .35 Rem. and .30-30 really don't need FL sizing very often.  My .35 ammo sees little range use, it's only used for confirming scope zero before season and then killing a few deer each year so they may still only have 4-6 cycles each.  When one box gets empty I swap and reload the other when I get to them, there's no need to hurry because one box can easily last me three-four years.
 
When I load a box each cartridge gets run through the magazine, chambered and ejected, just to be sure of proper function.  But then, I do that with hunting ammo for my bolt guns too. 

[huntswithdogs]

Wncchester, I thought I was the only one to check to see if my ammo will fit my rifle. Now I know I'm not all alone afterall....

HWD

[JeffG]

If you are going to neck size, in any hunting gun, I would function check each round.When I check my 45/70 Marlin ammo, I wrap a stout rubber band arond the action so it doesn't interfere with the lever, but blocks the hammer from falling to the firing pin no matter what.

[wncchester]

"I thought I was the only one to check to see if my ammo will fit my rifle. Now I know I'm not all alone afterall...."
 
IMHO, for range ammo it's not a big deal, for hunting/defence ammo it's a very big deal.   It's one thing to just know our reloaded ammo will fit; it's much, much better to KNOW it will fit!   

[Kmrere42]

Hi All,

Yes you can limit the sizing of the case body,  Turn the die out 2 turns and try one case.  Mark the case with a sharpie and orient  the case and chamber it.  If it goes, take the case out and put the mark to the bottom and try the chamber again.  If it still goes try another case and turn out the die one half turn and do it again readjusting the sizing in or out until you can just chamber the cartridge in 2 - 3 different orientations.  This will keep the case from failing early due to excessive working the brass.


Just remember that lever actions have much more spring in the works and causes the case to stretch more when fired with heavier loadings. 




Later,



Paul

[wncchester]

A half turn of a 7/8" x 14 die changes it some 31 thou; that's not a small change, it's massive.    The normal full range of min to max headspace is usually around 5-6 thou so a single half turn of a die exceeds that about 5 to 6 times.
 
I've never found the spring of a 336 to amount to much at the modest pressures the .30-30 and .35 Rem. cartridges produce.

[Kmrere42]

Hi wncchester,



Its not headspace that is changing.  That is already established when the cartridge was fired the first time in the chamber.  Its the neck and body taper that is being changed. 




Paul.

[Steve P]

A few years back I went on a deer hunt with a newer, to me, gun.  I was procrastinating a little too much and loaded my ammo the night before I left.  The box of 1x fired brass I had picked up was only neck sized and loaded.  Next morning before daylight I went to load my gun and the first three rounds I tried wouldn't chamber.  The bag of brass I picked up to load I had marked 1x, but they must have been purchased used.  They sure didn't fit my chamber. 
 
My buddies went walking out to their deer stands while I sat there in camp going through my whole box of 50 reloads trying to find something to fit in the chamber.  16 rounds out of 50 fit.  I did have enough for a reasonable hunt, but nothing to play with before going home. 
 
Lever actions, breach actions, and open actions all get the brass at least "kissed" on the shoulder now....unless I neck size and then try every brass before putting it in the box.  I do have some that I neck size only, but they are small batches of 50-100 and I do go outside and check each one in the chamber before putting them in my ammo box for storage.
 
Full length size you should be good to go.  (All dies do not fit every press so sometimes even full length sizing can fail until you machine a few .001" off the bottom of the die or top of shell holder.)  Neck sizing may work, but you need to chamber each case to ensure it fits.
 
My learned experience shared as food for thought.....
 
Steve