Neck Tension Gage (NTG) Kit
Use the Neck Tension Gage (NTG) as an inspection tool to quickly and accurately screen/sort a batch of brass before your bullet seating operation. Each...
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I anneal, I sort brass by lot, I weigh cases, I weigh bullets, I full length size, I neck size with bushing bump dies, I do about everything short of neck turning to seek consistent neck tension. I don't care if its Lapua , Normal, LC LR, LC Match, or whatever mfg of brass, after sizing...any form of sizing, my annealed brass has spring back issues. No...I don't use range brass and I'm not using cheap components. I use Co Ax Press, Forster dies or Redding dies, Sartorius scale... hell, I go to extremes to make best ammo I can.
A buddy of mine told me I need these gauges and I blew it off but he sent me a set as I was cornered and began using them. In a box of 50 cases (same mfg. / same lot) I found anywhere from 5 to 6 cases on average which the neck tension was off..too loose or tight. That is spring back , a gremlin . Then I paused and it dawned on me at 1000 yds, I'd have 5 or 6 shots that I knew were solid and they'd shoot off them mark..and I'd flog myself I wasn't being diligent in shooting ..getting sloppy and be frustrated and beat myself up about it.
Not to say I can't pull a shot but this spring back got my attention. I culled those cases out and re annealed and with bushing dies got their necks to size correctly with the other cases. Did it make a difference...and dammit, I got witnesses so I'll post it
Tikka T3 , 308 Win, 24" barrel, glass bedded to KRG Whiskey chassis, Little Bastard muzzle break, 1000 yds, H4895 powder, Nosler 175 gr RDF (weighed), my first group was 3 and 5/16 inches and then feeling really great ,, managed my second group to 6 inches ..... well, the gauges helped a ton on neck tension and accuracy of my hand loads but the dummy on the rifle can screw things up....I'm sure I'm the only one who can manage that so hold the applause.
Neck tension contributes to accuracy and variances contribute to inaccuracy. I find the use of these gauges to be of benefit and I have seen better accuracy of all my 308 and 3006 loads so far. I have tested my 6.5 gauge for my 6.5 Creedmoor loads yet but I feel confident I'll see great utility doing so.
I have been plagued by neck tension for many years and had no way to identify what cases had spring back and flawed neck tension up to now.
I place this here in hopes someone like me, suffering unexplained "fliers" and doing all sorts of gymnastics and somersaults to find out why...endlessly getting nowhere in the process can benefit from these gauges. Jezzzzzzzzzzz I got a small fortune of bullets fired out of flawed neck tension hand loads.
