2-stage sizing process yields very low runout

[RampedRaptor]

Deleted post

 

[jsthntn247]

One thing that hasn't been posted in this thread and is very important is that Salazar says to half size with the neck bushing then get the other half with the fl bushing. For instance, if a fired neck measures .343 and a sized, unloaded round measures .334. You would use a .339 bushing during neck sizing and a .334 bushing during fl resizing.

 

[rsplante]

If you want little to no run out, without all the tricks to reduce it, like Orings under the lock rings, turning cases 15 times while seating no expander ball, start neck turning, and annealing regularly, yes it's a lot of work, yes it's time consuming, but its worth it, and doing the two together yields consistently low run out, smaller groups at any distance, brass manufacture doesn't mean shit, Lapua is better brass than Winchester, but not 2-3 times the cost of it.

Darn it, I thought I was through with neck turning for this batch of brass (1000 LC,) but it makes sense that since I have to re-trim brass due to creep, I probably need to re-turn the neck. That is a pain in the neck (intentional pun), but probably necessary.

 

[rsplante]

I just realized, that effectively, that is what I am already doing. I use a Dillon RT1200 to trim my brass, and it uses a body sizing die with no neck sizing. Then I run my brass through a Redding sizing die which sizes both the body and uses a bushing and a ball to size the neck. Since the body has already been sized by the Dillon sizing die, the Redding Body sizing die is effectly only holding a sized case in place while the neck is being sized. I also use a UniqueTek Floating Die Toolhead with my Dillon 550B. I typically measure .002" or less of run-out in finished rounds using a Hornady Concentricity gage (upgraded with a Starrett .0001" dial indicator.) I also have Neco, and 21st Century Shooting Concentricity gages; however I found that I prefer the Hornady because it has a semi-reliable method of correcting the occasional concentricity problem. (How's that for throwing in a bunch of waffle words, lol.)

 

[rsplante]

Bob 964

First, thank you for the tip. I've been having issues with run out in my .308 loads.

Second...probably a stupid question...but I'll ask anyway...I've used the Lee Collet Dies before and I know neck sizing usually means you need to use the fire formed brass only in the rifle it was fire formed to but since you're sizing the case on the 2nd step, these rounds should be good to go with any firearm chambered in that caliber, correct?

Third, if I change to a two step process, do you see any value in neck turning?

I may be fooling myself, and/or wasting time; but, the reason I neck turn, or more precisely neck skim, it to improve the consistency of relatively inexpensive brass. Since I bought 1000 LC unfired brass cases, I felt I could not afford Lapua or Norma, and had more time than money. Some people neck turn because their chamber is tight and they need to turn so that it will fit. Since I am shooting an AR, I do not need to neck turn for that reason; however, I neck skim (a compromise between turning the neck down to a consistent thickness and removing too much brass.) I do this because the brass is not perfectly distributed around the circumference of the neck, which can introduce an inconsistency in the neck tension. By neck skimming, I feel that I am improving that consistent neck tension while preserving as much brass as possible.

 

[rsplante]

Hrm. I usually do the neck sizing last because I have to lube to body size. Then I throw it into the tumbler to take the lube off. I sometimes get media in the primer pockets and neck sizing is where my de-priming step is. That then cleans the media out of the flash hole. I've not spent a lot of time checking runout but perhaps I need to get a different cleaning method or differerent media that doesn't get stuck so I can swap these operations.

~Brett

If you want to try a different cleaning method that doesn't have the dreaded walnut hull in the flash hole 50% of the time, one option is Ultrasonic, but even that does a so-so job of cleaning. Yesterday I received my Thumblers Tumbler with 5lb of Stainless media. Stainless Steel Reloading Supplies | Tumblers, Separators, Media, Brass & More!

All I can say is WOWWW!!!!! The brass is SO clean and shiny, my wife wanted to make a necklace of the stuff!

 

[Sniper Uncle]

If you want to try a different cleaning method that doesn't have the dreaded walnut hull in the flash hole 50% of the time, one option is Ultrasonic, but even that does a so-so job of cleaning. Yesterday I received my Thumblers Tumbler with 5lb of Stainless media. Stainless Steel Reloading Supplies | Tumblers, Separators, Media, Brass & More!

All I can say is WOWWW!!!!! The brass is SO clean and shiny, my wife wanted to make a necklace of the stuff!

My wife wants a necklace made from a 50 BMG. I just made some Tactical Beverage Entry Devices---TBED-50BMG---and she wants a cartridge for a pendant. I said I'd try to make her one out of two 5.56's and a 30.06 first, as it would be smaller and a little easier to handle.