While your neck sizing cases are you also expanding the case mouth? I worry about over working the brass.
Expanding While Neck Sizing
- Thread starter majohnson2
- Start date
If you aren't neck turning, you'll achieve more consistent bullet grip and "neck tension" by final sizing the INSIDE of the neck, rather than the outside.
Standard FLS dies do this, but size case necks down more than is needed prior to the expander ball finalizing neck ID.
Another option is a bushing die with a decapping stem that has an expander ball. Thus you can choose a bushing a few .001s undersize, and still finalize neck ID on the ram downstroke.
I've found better runout by doing the expanding on the ram UPstroke however, using a Sinclair expander die and "neck turning" mandrel that is sized .002" under nominal bullet diameter (.306" for 30 cal).
So, I choose a bushing that sizes the neck down ~.008" under what it'll be with bullet seated, then I expand to .002" under, yielding .002" "neck tension".
I've often read many people really like the Lee collet die, but I've never tried it.
I think you're over thinking and worrying too much about overworking brass.
Standard FLS dies do this, but size case necks down more than is needed prior to the expander ball finalizing neck ID.
Another option is a bushing die with a decapping stem that has an expander ball. Thus you can choose a bushing a few .001s undersize, and still finalize neck ID on the ram downstroke.
I've found better runout by doing the expanding on the ram UPstroke however, using a Sinclair expander die and "neck turning" mandrel that is sized .002" under nominal bullet diameter (.306" for 30 cal).
So, I choose a bushing that sizes the neck down ~.008" under what it'll be with bullet seated, then I expand to .002" under, yielding .002" "neck tension".
I've often read many people really like the Lee collet die, but I've never tried it.
I think you're over thinking and worrying too much about overworking brass.
Why .008" and not perhaps .004" so as to not work the brass so much? I'm just curious.
In fact I actually go a little further than .008". Reason being, is if you don't choose a small enough bushing, you can't straighten out dings.
When I used to shoot F class and cartridges came out of my happy little plastic tote, went into the chamber, and then went straight back into my tote, there was no need to go a bit undersize on the bushing.
Now that most of my shooting is in tactical matches, the brass gets beat up by getting shucked out hard and bouncing off my windage knob, and then it gets walked on for 30 minutes to an hour before I get the chance to fetch it. The necks are commonly banged up and need work.
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