First off, I have been a long time reader here and have learned a great deal from you guys. Thanks!! But I am a short time member and this is my first post. Second, I have been trying to improved my handloads the last couple years for distance shooting.
My problem Is weird concentricity results. I have spent several days trying to figure out what is happening. The equipment I used is
7x fired 6.5 CM Lapua In great condition, primer pockets are still tight, annealed at every reload etc.
MEC press
Redding Type S full length bushing die
Forster neck sizing/shoulder bump die
21st Century gauge, recently replacing a red gauge.
Runout is consistently at 0.0010 or less after firing. Irregardless of die, but runout becomes 0.0040 or worse after either die. I scoured the posts here and tried several things I picked up such as O-rings on the die, tightening locknut with a steel plate between shell holder and die, different amount of bushing ‘play’. Nothing helped. I should add that I clean my dies just before I use them so that I don’t have to remember wether or not I did clean them. I use lanolin lube and have thought I would try something else. I don’t use the dies‘ expander balls, they have been removed.
I had a crazy idea and didn’t tighten the lock nut leaving some ‘wobble’ in the die and runout was less <0.0020 with most being 0.0010 or better. I read in a post to mark the brass to determine if TIR was due to die or press. So I checked runout before sizing, but didn’t note the location on the brass because it was so small. Then I marked the brass for orientation in the press and ran the brass through the press. When I rechecked runout I marked the ‘high’ and ’low’ value locations on the brass and compared them with the orientation mark. After running 3 pieces at one die setting, I screwed the die in or out about 1/3 turn and ran 3 more cases. Much to my surprise the ‘high’ mark on every case was in the same relative location with respect to the orientation mark. I have done this with the Redding die only.
My conclusion is it isn’t a die problem although I haven’t tried the Forster die because I’m down to only 5 remaining fired cases. I really hate to think is is the press, but plan to call MEC this week. Has anyone experienced this? What elese can I try to either eliminate or evaluate the problem?
I have also thought I would trash these cases rather than wasting components and barrel to ’reform’ them, rather than deal with CBTO differences, After all I have 7 firings on them now. But maybe I could measure and group all the cases to load sets of representative cases to test for differences. Any thoughts?
Again, thanks for what I have already learned and am anxious for your for your thoughts/experiences/advice.
My problem Is weird concentricity results. I have spent several days trying to figure out what is happening. The equipment I used is
7x fired 6.5 CM Lapua In great condition, primer pockets are still tight, annealed at every reload etc.
MEC press
Redding Type S full length bushing die
Forster neck sizing/shoulder bump die
21st Century gauge, recently replacing a red gauge.
Runout is consistently at 0.0010 or less after firing. Irregardless of die, but runout becomes 0.0040 or worse after either die. I scoured the posts here and tried several things I picked up such as O-rings on the die, tightening locknut with a steel plate between shell holder and die, different amount of bushing ‘play’. Nothing helped. I should add that I clean my dies just before I use them so that I don’t have to remember wether or not I did clean them. I use lanolin lube and have thought I would try something else. I don’t use the dies‘ expander balls, they have been removed.
I had a crazy idea and didn’t tighten the lock nut leaving some ‘wobble’ in the die and runout was less <0.0020 with most being 0.0010 or better. I read in a post to mark the brass to determine if TIR was due to die or press. So I checked runout before sizing, but didn’t note the location on the brass because it was so small. Then I marked the brass for orientation in the press and ran the brass through the press. When I rechecked runout I marked the ‘high’ and ’low’ value locations on the brass and compared them with the orientation mark. After running 3 pieces at one die setting, I screwed the die in or out about 1/3 turn and ran 3 more cases. Much to my surprise the ‘high’ mark on every case was in the same relative location with respect to the orientation mark. I have done this with the Redding die only.
My conclusion is it isn’t a die problem although I haven’t tried the Forster die because I’m down to only 5 remaining fired cases. I really hate to think is is the press, but plan to call MEC this week. Has anyone experienced this? What elese can I try to either eliminate or evaluate the problem?
I have also thought I would trash these cases rather than wasting components and barrel to ’reform’ them, rather than deal with CBTO differences, After all I have 7 firings on them now. But maybe I could measure and group all the cases to load sets of representative cases to test for differences. Any thoughts?
Again, thanks for what I have already learned and am anxious for your for your thoughts/experiences/advice.