Is there any particular advantage to sizing 44 mag cases just enough to grip the length of the bullet instead of doing a full length size?

Not much to be gained from neck sizing 44mags. If using a single chambered gun (like a T/C Contender or a rifle) would be able to get the neck-sized case back into the chamber...probably. If using a revolver, would be more of a problem as all the chambers are not identical.

In short...no advantage, lots of dissadvantages. Straight walled cases usually give up by way of case mouth splits...would still be working the brass there about as much neck sizing as full sizing.

IF the loads are light enough not to expand the rear of the case, could probably neck size and load three or four times before needing a full length sizing....more if the load is really low pressure.

If your dies will work for the .44spcl also then by all means back off, as you are sizing to much. Start with one full turn off bottom about .070 More if you are still over sizing. ( A good indicator is bullet bulge when seated in the case) If you are using a revolver check six before doing a whole batch. The less you work the brass the better the chamber alignment with the bore, not enough sizing and you will lose the bullet grip, and not be able to get top loads. The balance is there if you want to pursue it, it is all mechanical, so it is all repeatable. I think it is a worth while endeaver especially if you shoot a lot.

Yes. My dies are the Hornady New Dimension set for 44 Spl and 44 Mag. I picked those because they come with an extra seater stem that has a nice large flat area that handles the Beartooth WFN bullets without wedging them.

I can see ribbonstone's point about the case mouths being the first to go. I can also see Swany's point about maybe gradually forming the case out of alignment.

Even though I have been trimming the brass, I still get variations in the amount of bell from my Lyman 2-stage expander M die. I can't figure that out. Perhaps it is in the alignment of the stars (Starline brass, that is. Just joking.)

So Swany, right now I am sizing down as far as that die will go before bottoming out on the case holder, and you are saying back it off at least one turn?? As long as I can still get them to chamber at random in all 6 cylinder holes. Correct?

Thing is, not all chambers are truely round...are very close to it, but after a bit, neck sized cases will only want to chamber easily when they are oriented the same way they went in the last time.

Last post is right...no real need to size past free entray into any given chamber, so long as the bullet/neck grip (bullet pull) is good.

I seldom size 1100% fully...usually two or three turns out, not bothering to size to the solid web of a case that hasn't expanded.

Am a minimalist on case belling as well..so long as the bullet isn't scraped when seating, am happy. Am a beliver in a seprate crimping operation.

Dave Scovill had an article in Handloader a while back on this. In theory, you get better brass life & possibly better accuracy. In practice, brass is cheap, and I doubt too many of us could prove the accuracy part of it.

It would indeed be an aggravation to get to the range or hunting field and find out your ammo won't chamber. I'd say... it's an interesting experiment, but not something I'd do with hunting ammo.

I tried neck sizing one of my .44s once. Got tired of trying to find a chamber that the round would fit in. I also have more than one .44, and neck sizing is not conducive to multiple toys. I agree with MikeG in the accuracy dept. I have not found a handgun yet that I could out shoot!

Allen :)

I don't think I would call it neck sizing if the dies will work for the shorter .44spcl brass then it is like a lot of combo dies ie 38-357, 375-38-55. I do agree with MikeG on the hunting ammo. But these combo dies are really working the hades out of the brass and usually it is the necks catching the brunt of the work. Good cowboy action dies are generally exclusive to the caliber, and not made this way. Ask for what is intended. I reload for 38 and 357, I don't use the same dies for the jobs. I have lee 38-55s which come with a 375 win sizer and that makes bullet seating look like a reversed bottleneck. Had to back it off a quite a ways for proper case sizing. I do the same for the .357. If problems exist, it is because of the dual purpose dies. I say get the proper tool or tune it in if possible. Have fun, hope we are helping.

Is it possible there are sizing dies strictly for 44 mag? I think every die set I've seen for 44 was a combo 44 mag / 44 Special.

Dave,

The reason that the die box says both magnum and special is that the dies should work fine for either, not considering maximum brass life. The outside diameter of the case is the same for both, and you can adjust the expander & bullet seating dies for either length.

Now, to address the points above, it is true that some dies do really work the brass a lot. The die manufacturers want to ensure that the ammo will function in all guns. Also, for full-power hunting loads you want all the bullet tension you can get, so the case is resized well under the bullet diameter.

Now, for casual shooting and such with light loads, it's really not entirely necessary to size the case as much. So, if you can find a set of dies which are either designed for this (example being some of the cowboy action dies which are probably also set up for cast bullets which are often slightly larger diameter than jacketed), or by chance & manufacturing tolerances, just don't size the cases as much, then you can use them for maximum brass life.

But you don't want to go with minimum sizing on full-power loads, as you wouldn't want the remaining rounds in your .44 to jump crimp and tie up the gun after the first shot.

Hmmm, I never thought about all this. A larger die sounds good to me. Especially because I use mostly medium loads. Definitely under 37,000 CUP.

The Hornady New Dimension titanium nitride sizing die I am using measures .448 on the inside of the sizing ring.

After I full length size the cases, they rattle around pretty good in my Ruger cylinder holes.

Can anyone suggest another brand of sizing die that is larger by design??

I may have posted this before, butwith this topic I feel it bears repeating. This is my method for sizing/loading all straight pistol cases. It ought to be said that if you are using carbide or Titanium nitride dies that they will excessively size the entire case since they are single diameter.

1) Adjust sizer die to size just the portion of the case which will contact the bullet.

2) Expand cases.......

3) Prime and charge........

4) Seat bullets in the standard seater die set to not crimp.....

5) Use Lee Factory Crimp die to crimp bullets. This finishes the sizing of the remainder of the case which wasn't sized previously.

Since the Lee FC die has a carbide ring which only sizes the case to SAAMI Maximum, this reduces the working of the body of the cases.

I really can't say that this results in any benefit, but I feel better about the brass. Unless you are shooting hundreds of rounds a week, or only have a few cases that you load over and over I'm not even sure that the increase in case life will really be an issue. I have .32 S&W Long, .44 Spl., .357 Mag. cases that I have had for years, some 30-40 yrs., and have loaded them more times than I really have any idea.

Alk, that's an interesting way to skin the cat, never thought about using one of the Lee dies in that manner for slight resizing. Thanks for sharing!