Flare for rifle cartridges?

[Shadow9mm]

So... I have only loaded handgun cartridges with cast bullets up to now. I was planning to have my first go at loading 30-06 with cast bullets tomorrow and something struck me. I have always flared my case mouths when loading cast bullets to keep from shaving lead or powder coat off.

Will I need to flare to 30-06 cases so I don't shave lead or powder coat as well? Or will the chamfer from deburring the case be enough?

 

[44 AMP]

Will I need to flare to 30-06 cases so I don't shave lead or powder coat as well?

Yes, you should. don't know about powder coat bullets, I don't use them, but regular cast lubricated bullets do best when the case mouth is slightly flared allowing you to start the bullet base in the case.

A VERY "generous" chamber may produce acceptable results with mininal shaving, or not, it all depends on the details.

The best way to load cast rifle bullets is exactly the same way you load cast pistol bullets. Belling or flaring the case mouth slightly to allow the bullet to start into the case straight and without the case mouth shaving anything off the bullet.

For cast in the .30-06 the best thing I can recommend is the Lyman "M" die and a .30 expander stem for it.

The Lyman expander plug is very good, because it is a two level thing. The lower part is sized to ensure the case neck inside is the right diameter, and the upper part is a "step" larger made to flare the case mouth/

Proper adjustment is needed. The die can be set to flare way too much, and even crack the case mouth from overexpansion. SO, read and follow the instructions, its not difficult but you DO need to start with less and do test runs as you adjust.

If you have Lyman 3 die pistol set, you already have an "M" die ("M" is the Lyman designation for an open die body, it does not touch the case, it just holds the expander stem), so all you will need is the .30 cal expander then swap the pistol expander for the .30 one install in your press and adjust with a sized case.

If you use other brands I can't help you with the details, I use Lyman, mostly. I do know some other brands use an expander with a constant taper, while Lyman's have a clear "step".

Get an M die and the right caliber expander for what you're going to load, you won't regret it.

 

[stagpanther]

I'd say it really depends. I personally almost never flare any of my rifle cases, but instead like to find the right neck tension for my chamber and bullet, which can vary depending on thickness of brass and chamber dimensions. Downward pressure on a rifle case's neck can distort the brass in the shoulder easily in my experience, if it gets that bad I'd look at turning the neck. However, since you're using lead maybe it's unavoidable. I don't have much fun cleaning lead from my rimfires, levers and revolvers--not brave enough to use them in higher pressure bottleneck cartridges.

 

[akinswi]

44 amp is correct, The Lyman M die is perfect for your application it is designed especially for what your trying to do. It has steps on the stem.

It works perfectly for me in my 30-06 for seating Flatbased and boat tail bullets, and I use it in an M1 garand so it will not hurt neck tension. If your worried about to much flare you can adjust the stem where it opens up the case neck to same diameter of the bullet in the first couple thousandths of the case neck . You can slowly adjust the stem and use a bullet to check your progress,

or you can adjust the stem down further where it will flare the case neck like a pistol cartridge and you can use a taper crimp die or FCD and just remove the flare.

I did extensive testing with and without it and I got my best accuracy and runnout using this die.

I have a spare one if you want to borrow one without buying it to try it out

 

[gwpercle]

Lyman M-Die is good for one caliber ... but if you want to load more than one ... Check out the NOE expander plug system used with a Lee Universal Neck Expanding Die ... now that's a cool set up that gives you Lyman M-Die plugs at a fraction of the cost and they come in a wide range of sizes for any cast bullet size .
Check them out at NOE site www.noebulletmoulds.com
look in neck expanding section .
Gary

 

[44 AMP]

Lyman M-Die is good for one caliber ...

The "M" die is good for all calibers. You just need the correct size expander for the bullet size you are using. In the pistol die sets it comes with the expander for that caliber.

I've never ordered one separately, don't know if it comes with an expander plug or if you need to order them separately, sorry.

I looked at the NOE stuff you linked to. Same exact idea as the Lyman, just a slightly different mechanical construction. You get a Lee die body and then need to buy a separate expander for each caliber, same as the Lyman.

Do note how the NOE site says their expander turns the Lee into a true expander JUST LIKE THE LYMAN...

I've had Lyman dies since the 70s and would get what ever new size expander I needed for them, before buying anything else. But that's just me...