Match Case Prep

Just bought a Gibbs 1903 Sniper & want to shoot in Vintage Sniper matches, so my question is does anyone neck-turn their match cases? Thanks.

Alot depends on your chamber and what brass your using. In your Gibbs I would assume your running a standard milspec chamber. So based on that if you buy high end brass with uniform necks I See no reason to turn them in that rifle other than one wanting to reduce neck tension. Brass life considered still probably not. If you buy cheap brass and want to sqeeze all the accuracy out of it then you will have to turn.

Using my Sendaro for an example I do not turn my Norma brass. Its uniform based on my experience. Once in a while I have a piece that shows too much run out when loaded. I save them for fouling shots or hunting. If I use Winchester depending on lot I sometimes have to turn. Remington Federal and Privi I have to turn. The Federal brass seems to last longer though as it weighs more, although that effects capacity. I better stop here before I digress. Hope this helps.

Unless you are shooting off a bench it is doubtful you will ever know the difference, if any. I have a Mike Lau M40A1 that is very accurate, and I only clean up the primer pocket and flash hole on Federal Match brass. I use an arbor press with hand dies and my reloads shoot better than out of the box match ammo.

Nope. My '03A4 is a real one(not the scope though. Too expensive even when I bought the rifle 30 some years ago. $175Cdn.) and haven't ever done anything but check lengths(trim etc as required), FL resize, and use match grade bullets. Shoots one hole groups if I'm having a good day. IMR4064 and Hornady 168 grain Match.

If you stay with the CMP rules , the WWII era optics for this rifle are the limiting factor on accuracy, that is why the USMC Model 1941 sniper repro rifles with 8x Unertl win the Camp Perry Vintage Sniper Matches. Not the ammo, its the optics.

Load great ammo with high end components and you will do as good as you can with a 03A4 (original or Gibbs / Creedmore / Rock Ridge repro) at 300 and 600 yards (which is not far at all). Good ammo will hold that far out just fine.

Now..you go to 800 and 1000 yds, better ammo will yield better results.

We had a gent in his 80s show up with a Gibbs A4 repro, Hi Lux Weaver 330B scope and hold 9 rings at 800 and 1000 yds this fall at Quantico Vintage Sniper Match. He had some serious hand loads made to do it

I don't mind prepping brass. By the time I figure the expense of actually getting to the range & shooting, the time I spend prepping the brass is not wasted. We all strive for accuracy so why not bring the best ammo we can make to the range. If I have a true 1.5 MOA rifle I want to feed it 1/4 MOA ammo if I can. That way it is one less thing I have to worry about.
Semper Fi

FWIW, ChuckinDenver uses a match reamer on short chambered USGI barrels, or maybe Criterion now since he is a dealer. That may make a difference with brass prep.

My limited experience, if reloading for just the single rifle, then consider using neck-sizes brass, clean the primer pockets and uniform the pockets [IF NEEDED].
Check the flash tube as it enter the brass and use a #2 long length center drill to uniform the orifice, to reduce variation in the flame of the primer.
MAKE CASE OAL UNIFORM, as I was told by Bruce W., of the DCM van, that scattered OAL will affect consistent ignition.
Seat primer at consistent depth and pressure.

Spoke and shot with USMCR team and the 600 and up loads are soft seated [7.62NATO] and single oald into chamber and confirm bolt closure [m14 NM rifle.]
Keep us posted, sound interesting endevour.

Skip the #2 drill. Pick up a flash hole deburrer. Chances are with punched primer holes the excess brass is hanging there in the interior of the case. Get rid of that and they should be way more equal.
Weighing and segregating your brass by weight is a big help. Uniform the primer pockets and seat the primers right to the bottom where they are supposed to be for proper function.
About a gazillion other steps , but that is a good start.

Semper Fi
Art