Neck turning new brass
- Thread starter sig2009
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First, ask yourself why you are turning necks.
The reason needs to be something positive for the brass/ammo.
(Tight neck reamer is not a reason unless you are/were in a bind and it was only reamer available. A tight neck reamer should be the product of neck turning instead of neck turning being the product of the reamer)
The reason needs to be something positive for the brass/ammo.
(Tight neck reamer is not a reason unless you are/were in a bind and it was only reamer available. A tight neck reamer should be the product of neck turning instead of neck turning being the product of the reamer)
Based on your posts, I’d suggest taking a loading class or getting back to basics.
You’re all over the place and your understanding of things is a bit off.
I usually measure the thickness first. I measure 308,338nm &338lm Peterson brass. They all avg at 0.015” the lowest spot I ever measure was 0.0145. I don’t turn neck on the Peterson & Lapua brass
If you looking for low ES, focus on neck tension first.
If you looking for low ES, focus on neck tension first.
I turn most of my brass prior to fire forming which includes brass for my F Class and ELR rifles in which the chambers were cut to provide a specific neck clearance. Size with FL bushing dies without the expander which has provided consistent seating pressure and single digit SD's. Its a matter of what one is trying to achieve. If your just banging steel for fun not much point really. If you are trying to get sub .5 MOA at 1000 that is a different story.
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If the cartridge you shoot does not have "quality" options for brass, then turning necks might help.
Personally, I have seen lower velocity ES uniforming case neck thickness, but it was a point of diminishing returns. The load was was already accurate at closer ranges (~.5MOA), but I got vertical stringing at distance (~1000 yards) consistent with velocities measured over a chronograph. Fireformed Federal brass was sorted by weight. Velocity was measured for 10x low weights and 10x high weights, and velocities were consistently different. Neck wall thickness were inconsistent. Bullet seating pressure/feel was inconsistent, even on annealed/chamfered/dry-lubed necks. Bullet run out was not great, so I turned the necks to "clean them up."
The result was less vertical dispersion at the target at distance, lower ES, and more consistent feel sizing and seating bullets. If I had Peterson/ADG/Laupa options for brass, it probably would have not mattered as much.
Personally, I have seen lower velocity ES uniforming case neck thickness, but it was a point of diminishing returns. The load was was already accurate at closer ranges (~.5MOA), but I got vertical stringing at distance (~1000 yards) consistent with velocities measured over a chronograph. Fireformed Federal brass was sorted by weight. Velocity was measured for 10x low weights and 10x high weights, and velocities were consistently different. Neck wall thickness were inconsistent. Bullet seating pressure/feel was inconsistent, even on annealed/chamfered/dry-lubed necks. Bullet run out was not great, so I turned the necks to "clean them up."
The result was less vertical dispersion at the target at distance, lower ES, and more consistent feel sizing and seating bullets. If I had Peterson/ADG/Laupa options for brass, it probably would have not mattered as much.
If you are neck-turning to fix brass with large neck-thickness variation, you might fix the neck but that won't fix the body. Buy better brass.
Or, do a test - turn 20 cases and set aside 20 for a control. Load them all identically then shoot 'em and measure your groups. If it works for you have at it but maybe that variation in neck thickness is not the issue that you think it is.
Unless you have a tight-neck chamber, neck-turning should be the last thing you do - after you have done everything else. FWIW, I uniform primer pockets, and deburr flash holes (deburr reduces flyers for me) then anneal after every firing (neck tension and case life), size to just a hair under chamber length with a redding type-S set to -4 and expand with a mandrel to -3 (for neck tension and donut removal). I no longer sort by weight or check case volume or turn necks and I stopped using a Wilson neck die. Doing all of those things might give me a 5% reduction in group size but, for me, the cost in time and case management is too high. I can blow a shot from poor wind reading a lot more than the benefit from neck turning.
Or, do a test - turn 20 cases and set aside 20 for a control. Load them all identically then shoot 'em and measure your groups. If it works for you have at it but maybe that variation in neck thickness is not the issue that you think it is.
Unless you have a tight-neck chamber, neck-turning should be the last thing you do - after you have done everything else. FWIW, I uniform primer pockets, and deburr flash holes (deburr reduces flyers for me) then anneal after every firing (neck tension and case life), size to just a hair under chamber length with a redding type-S set to -4 and expand with a mandrel to -3 (for neck tension and donut removal). I no longer sort by weight or check case volume or turn necks and I stopped using a Wilson neck die. Doing all of those things might give me a 5% reduction in group size but, for me, the cost in time and case management is too high. I can blow a shot from poor wind reading a lot more than the benefit from neck turning.
I don't know why some people think neck turning is some extensive process. For all of the expensive crap that get advocated here for some reason neck turning is a bridge too far.
I only turn the case necks for my rifles that have tight neck chambers. So, I have to turn them before I ever shoot them. I resize the case first, knowing that the die will probably not touch the shoulder, then I trim them to the same length, then I expand the necks with the correct mandrel and then I turn them.
I have neck turned in the past, my 260rem barrel the Win 7-08/243 brass lasted a very long time, 50 plus reloads, then I switched to 6.5 creed, H brass basically sucks, so I stopped neck turning, now I use expander mandrels to set neck tension/push concentricity issue to the outside, I am not emotionally attached to the brass, so if I don't pick up every piece no big deal.
