Full Length vs Neck Sizing 243

Regarding neck vs FL sizing I most always get better accuracy with neck sized brass. I ve also started using a lot of Lee collet neck sizing dies and they produce concentric ammo not to mention not working your brass as much.
 
If you know your headspace measurement, and keep sized brass 0.0015-0.002 short you are not over working the brass. Universal deprime,fl size without the expander and use a mandrel for 0.002-0.003 neck tension and you reduce brass movement even more. You will have very consistent hunting ammo that will chamber easily. I normally seat further off the lands for hunting ammo. Just as there can be several powder loads(nodes) that will produce good groups, there can be a couple of seating depth nodes that produces good groups. I like a powder node .4-.6 gr range that has minimal vertical, I like to find a 0.005-0.006 seating depth range that gives tight round groups, I like 0.015 to 0.050 or more off the lands for hunting ammo. For AR rifles I size under an extra 0.001. Tight round groups are easier to zero scopes and build ballistic data.
 
I can't tell from your original post. Did you swap stocks before you ever started your load development or did you swap stocks and also switch to neck sizing?

I personally don't agree with the "Stop neck sizing" deal. All, I've ever done is neck size with the Lee collet neck size die for my .243 and pretty much anything will shoot about an inch. I have a few loads that shoot around half an inch and 2 that shoot around 1/4". I'm pretty sure that "neck sizing" isn't a problem... but bushing neck sizing dies can sometimes give you necks that are not concentric. I highly recommend the Lee collet neck sizing die. I use it with all the cartridges I load for.
 
Last trip to Kansas, Nephew killed a 240 lb buck at 320 yards with the exact same load! That large buck just fell over. The kid was so excited, I was surprised he could shoot. We saw the buck coming across the CRP around 700 yards, I grunted a couple of times, rattled a few times, here he came at a trot. He stopped solid staring at us hid in the hay bale blind at 320 yards, I told him to shoot, dialed up the Bushnell 4200 4x16 to 300 plus two clicks. BANG Plop Flop!

We cut his shirt tail off and bloodied his face! First buck!

Those 100g Hornady's just work!
 
Dersetcj: I swapped stocks before I ever shot the gun. Free floated and bedded with Devcon.

I am a big fan of Lee and that's what I used for the neck sizing (Lee collet) and got lots of run out and not enough neck tension. I could not wait to fire form my brass and get to neck sizing since it's the only 243 I own. Maybe two turns on the die is not enough? I am having similar issues with a 270 but my 223 and 308 reloads are solid.

I bought a Forster FL sizing die and seating die for my 243 and run out has been under control but I am still not seeing super tight groups. Good enough for deer hunting but not what I'd like to see.

I will keeping plugging away and see what I come up with.
 
The Lee instructions tell you not to cam over the press with the collet die and there's a good reason. Completing a full stroke on the press is the only way to be consistent though. You need to be careful and have the die adjusted correctly to do this without breaking the die. You can remove the mandrel from the die, chuck it in a drill and sand/polish it down a couple thousandths to get more neck tension if you want it.

If you're getting run out with the collet die, you may need to turn the necks of your brass? The necks may be thicker on one side than the other. I also use a Forster bench rest seating die.
 
For what it's worth, one of my best .243 loads is Lapua brass, neck sized in Lee collet die, BR2 primer, 50.5gr H1000 with 105gr Hornady hpbt (Wet moly coated). It's 3037fps avg from a 26" barrel. 49gr and 49.5gr looked like garbage. The 50gr group came together out of no where and 50.5gr is magic in my rifle.
 
This may help you on your full length sizing issue. I found it very very successful in a lot of cases:

Forster Neck sizer, standard, not the bushing type. These are the only std dies that will bump the shoulder back:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/FORSTER-NECK-SIZING-DIE-FOR-243-WINCHESTER-MFG-006441/202636900220?hash=item2f2e19b77c:g:U2sAAOSw34FVFcrq

Now, to determine how much you are bumping the shoulder back to get the "feel" on the bolt closing you like use a 30 cal ogive gauge, hornady or Davidson will work.

ON my last Rem 700, I got 12 firings on a neck sized case with the shoulder bumped back a bit before I had to full length size.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hornady-Lock-N-Load-224-308-Comparator-Set-With-6-Bullet-Inserts-B234/353117075134?epid=2254362261&hash=item52376af6be:g:E3gAAOSwE25e8s9p
 
I stopped neck sizing my brass. At some point you’ll need to bump those shoulders back. I found my groups were more consistent bumping shoulders every time. I don’t like something being different every 3rd or 4th loading. Jme
 
Originally Posted By: jasentI stopped neck sizing my brass. At some point you’ll need to bump those shoulders back. I found my groups were more consistent bumping shoulders every time. I don’t like something being different every 3rd or 4th loading. Jme

So my groups after bumping the shoulders are never going to be worse than your best, shoulder bumped every time groups? I'm good with that, lol. Seriously though, people do things differently. I have not been convinced to "Stop Neck sizing" yet....
 
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