Case neck tension ?

I think if I were to get into precise neck sizing I would get some pin/plug gauges and measure the neck ID and sort by diameter. Smaller diameter will produce more neck tension and lead to another "customizing" feature of your reloads; which neck tension as measured by neck ID produces the best preforming ammo for your particular gun.

I'm a big fan of measuring. Just about any trouble shooting can benefit by good accurate measuring. Chambering problem? Measure the finished cartridge, diameter and length. So-so accuracy and barrel leading? Measure bullet diameter, cylinder throats, chamber throats, and groove diameter. And so on...
 
"Provided its tight enough to hold your bullet in place, consistency from one round to the next is probably more important than the amount of it."

+1
 
That's the big question. How do I get consistency?

The next round of reloads I will measure ID and OD as well as bullet diameter and see if there is a correlation between what goes in smooth as butter and what requires a bit of force. It's at least cheaper than a new set of dies....
 
Decapping rod without expander.

Convert your current FL die, depending on brand? http://www.midwayusa.com/s?userSearchQuery=decapping+rod+ RCBS is one >
999221.jpg
Redding makes a type S bushing FL die that gives the choice of using or not using an expander.
 
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I'm not aware that there is a sizer/decapper without an expander, but if you don't need the expander at all, grind or file some off the circumference. I haven't come across a sizer that can tightly retain the decapping pin after removing the expander. But there may be such a thing. Or, from a same brand die or other sizing die with similar threads, but smaller caliber, substitute that decapping rod. For example, if the original die is a .308, a substitute .243 decapping rod should do the job. At the very worst, this might require getting a sizer die that you don't need just to get the decapping rod.
 
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You can as I did- Send your Die and 5 pcs of brass fired at least 4 times in your rifle into Redding and they will hone your die to any spec you request.
I had mine set to .002. Now what I do ( with my target brass only) Is FLS with the die, Take expander and decapper off and run through Die again. This gives me little to no run off, My case necks are perfect sized. My shoulder is sized perfect. It is a lot of extra work, but I only do it on my Match Cases.
 
The powders I am using are H335 and CFE223.
I remembered I bought a Lee decapping rod a while ago, so I am going to use it to remove the primer then take the decamping rod out of my die and size the cases and see if that helps. I can remove the primers while watching TV then throw the cases in the cleaner and then size without the rod pulling the case mouth on the way out.
 
Rebs- Read post 30. I have been told it will set your neck tension pretty tight. It is still workable if you are using BT bullets, but I would drop powder charge a few and work back up. I don't think it would be a very big issue as in reality it probably creates no more pressure then a good crimp does.
 
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Redding FL Bushing die

The bushing of the correct size is placed in the FL or neck sizing die. The bushing sizes only the neck area. Changing the bushing size, sizes more or less of the neck area and changes neck tension. The decapping stem can be uses with or without the expander. Mine in 243.
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[/URL][/IMG] Click photo for larger view.
 
Sizing the neck too small? I am the fan of all the bullet hold I can get. For me 35 to 45 pounds is just about right. Then there is the alignment between the case neck and bullet. Same thing, I want all the alignment I can get.

Then there is the difference between a good seating die and a seating did, I have seating dies and I have good seating die. Some of my good seating dies are 40 years old.

F. Guffey
 
A good thing is good until there's to much of it. If the bullets deforms or the case shaves the bullet when seated the neck is to tight. In the end it works out to what works best for your rifle.
 
Went down that road with bushing dies, what worked best for me was the standard RCBS F/L die, nothing fancy. I take time with preping my brass. Clean brass with a wet tumbler with SS pins, clean the necks inside & out with 0000 steel wool, when I seat the bullet, it seats as smooth as butter. Had my bushing die at .002 neck tension,didn't seat as smooth as my standard die.
 
If the bullets deforms or the case shaves the bullet when seated the neck is to tight.
Click to expand...

I will disagree, if that happens to me it would be caused by my failure to expand the neck of the case. If I fail to align the bullet with the neck I would think the case would crush and if I did not correctly adjust the die off the crimp portion of the case I would get a bulge at the shoulder/case body juncture.

F. Guffey
 
I just got a rude awakening with some of my 223 brass. II decapped and cleaned and sized a batch. The I decided to check the length and found them almost all over length some as much as 1.785, they should be 1.750. Some are as much as .030 over. I guess that is enough to effect accuracy.
 
I just got a rude awakening with some of my 223 brass. II decapped and cleaned and sized a batch. The I decided to check the length and found them almost all over length some as much as 1.785, they should be 1.750. Some are as much as .030 over. I guess that is enough to effect accuracy.

Your right .030" over will effect accuracy. They do need to be the same length. How are you trimming them?
 
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