What is neck turning. I use Lapua brass all trimed to 2.007 + or- .003. I shoot a Rem 700 with a Hart barrel in .308. I use Berger 168 VLD bullets and IMR 8208 with Fed 210M primers. I want to get my groups tighter and would like to know if there is anything that I can do to shoot better. I read about neck turning and would like to know if it is for me.
Neck Turning
- Thread starter Poconolg
- Start date
4runnerman
New member
Most times neck turning is not needed on Lapua brass. Off subject but I have a few ideas- Trash the Burgers and go with 168 Serria Match, switch to 4064 powder- And for all this info I will charge you only 100 GM210M primers
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I have put my 308 to bed for a while as I can not find those primers any where.
Where did you find them or did you already have them.
.I have put my 308 to bed for a while as I can not find those primers any where.
Where did you find them or did you already have them.
Here is a video I made of me trimmed brass that I necked down and is now to thick to fit in the chamber.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj-UZgqfCjg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj-UZgqfCjg
No one ever checks the outside diameter of the case neck and compares the measurement with the diameter of the neck in the chamber. If they did the question could be "How do I increase the outside diameter of the case neck?".
Then there all of those reloaders that have no clue about what I am talking about. A builder of bench rest type rifles called and said one of his new proud owners of one of his rifles claimed the neck in the chamber was too large in diameter. He wanted to know what he could do to tighten the case in the chamber. For me? Not a problem. Did that solve the problem? there was nothing I could do to improve on the accuracy of the rifle, I tightened the case neck in the chamber, the new proud owner was not complaining about accuracy, he read on the Internet the neck in the chamber was too loose in his new rifle.
F. Guffey
Some guys will turn case necks just enough to create a more uniform neck thickness. Don't know if this does much for them or not.
Aside from the above procedure, you are wasting your time turning necks unless you KNOW what your chamber neck dimension is. Casting your chamber is informative for this.
Some custom/benchrest chambers are cut tighter in the neck than standard, and once you know the dimension, you could turn your brass to create a particular clearance between loaded neck diameter and chamber neck.
I guess if a guy wanted to create closer tolerances in his standard neck clearance, he could form his cases from a larger caliber parent cartridge, say .243 from 308. Then your brass would have a thicker neck dimension which could be turned to fit your chamber dimension.
If that sounds like a lot of hassle to gain questionable benefits -- it's because it is. jd
Aside from the above procedure, you are wasting your time turning necks unless you KNOW what your chamber neck dimension is. Casting your chamber is informative for this.
Some custom/benchrest chambers are cut tighter in the neck than standard, and once you know the dimension, you could turn your brass to create a particular clearance between loaded neck diameter and chamber neck.
I guess if a guy wanted to create closer tolerances in his standard neck clearance, he could form his cases from a larger caliber parent cartridge, say .243 from 308. Then your brass would have a thicker neck dimension which could be turned to fit your chamber dimension.
If that sounds like a lot of hassle to gain questionable benefits -- it's because it is. jd
then there a few reloaders that turn the outside of the neck, not the whole neck, just part of it, just enough to make the neck diameter the same for 360 degree. Me? I use reamers. I ream the inside of the neck, when reaming the inside of the neck I like to hold the outside of the neck.
I do not spend a lot of time reaming necks, when required I must, because? I create problems when forming cases.
F. Guffey
schmellba99
New member
This.
There are many schools of thought as to whether it makes a difference or not. Not any different than a whole lot of other types of brass prep or reloading procedures out there.
I can tell you that when I've turned the outiside neck on rifle brass, I've been surprised more than once at how much material gets removed from one side of the neck versus the other.
You don't necessarily need to turn the neck to where the entire neck is of a uniform thickness - the theory is to remove any major high points on the outside of the neck to eliminate the round from being pushed off center in the chamber due to non-uniform contact with the chamber walls.
I like to do it, because it takes very little time, only needs to be done once, and at the very least does not have a negative effect on accuracy.
4runnerman
New member
Guffy- What is the purpose of inside neck turning?. Everything I have read,, they state outside neck turninng
Also- Does not neck turning also give more consistant neck tension?.
Also- Does not neck turning also give more consistant neck tension?.
Sometimes, the purpose of neck turning is absolutely to reduce the neck thickness so that it will safely fit the chamber with a bullet seated. When forming brass from larger calibers, you could end up with too thick necks that could cause catastrophic bullet crimping in the chamber. jd
oldmanFCSA
New member
Neck Turning, Annealing, Trimming to Length, VLD chamfer inside neck, Graphite in Neck, etc. = all tricks or techniques used to uniform the brass to be as consistent as possible upon seating a projectile and for release of projectile upon firing of cartridge.
For some of us, Neck Turning is a required process to enable correct, even safe, fit of cartridge into rifle chamber.
My example will be 50BMG, but technique applies to all cartridges.
A Mil-Spec 50BMG chamber has a 0.562-0.564" diameter neck specification, and almost all manufacturers of brass casings have no trouble with this specification. The thickest neck wall I have seen is 0.024" on a Bosnian case (IK-98).
0.024 X2 = 0.048 + 0.510 = 0.558" neck outside diameter of a loaded cartridge which leaves the recommended 0.004 to 0.006" clearance on the diameter (0.002/0.003" per side clearance).
On my MATCH chambered rifles with a 0.554" diameter inside the chamber neck area, I would have a very tight fit even if possible to get it in at all. Thus I turn the necks to 0.021"max wall thickness to obtain: 0.021 X 2 = 0.042" + 0.510 projectile diameter = 0.552" diameter of loaded round on neck. This also gives a tighter than normal fit in chamber which requires that concentricity of all case dimensions and placement of projectile become critical for a safe round to fire accurately.
Since there is NO SAAMI specification for this round, variances do occur in rifles and the reloader MUST do due diligence in manufacturing loaded rounds in a Match Chambered rifle.
Inside neck reaming will not remove the variance in neck wall thickness like outside neck turning operation does, UNLESS a very specialized jig is made for holding the inside reamer concentric with OD while "boring" instead of reaming. I know of only two sources for this type of equipment.
After neck turning, the case must be resized again to properly position the remaining brass to proper concentricity of all diameters.
YMMV.
For some of us, Neck Turning is a required process to enable correct, even safe, fit of cartridge into rifle chamber.
My example will be 50BMG, but technique applies to all cartridges.
A Mil-Spec 50BMG chamber has a 0.562-0.564" diameter neck specification, and almost all manufacturers of brass casings have no trouble with this specification. The thickest neck wall I have seen is 0.024" on a Bosnian case (IK-98).
0.024 X2 = 0.048 + 0.510 = 0.558" neck outside diameter of a loaded cartridge which leaves the recommended 0.004 to 0.006" clearance on the diameter (0.002/0.003" per side clearance).
On my MATCH chambered rifles with a 0.554" diameter inside the chamber neck area, I would have a very tight fit even if possible to get it in at all. Thus I turn the necks to 0.021"max wall thickness to obtain: 0.021 X 2 = 0.042" + 0.510 projectile diameter = 0.552" diameter of loaded round on neck. This also gives a tighter than normal fit in chamber which requires that concentricity of all case dimensions and placement of projectile become critical for a safe round to fire accurately.
Since there is NO SAAMI specification for this round, variances do occur in rifles and the reloader MUST do due diligence in manufacturing loaded rounds in a Match Chambered rifle.
Inside neck reaming will not remove the variance in neck wall thickness like outside neck turning operation does, UNLESS a very specialized jig is made for holding the inside reamer concentric with OD while "boring" instead of reaming. I know of only two sources for this type of equipment.
After neck turning, the case must be resized again to properly position the remaining brass to proper concentricity of all diameters.
YMMV.
Neck tension: I use bullet hold, I want all the bullet hold I can get. I have tension gages, none of my tension gages are related to reloading unless I want to measure the cases ability to resist sizing.
Reloaders are selective, then there is that part where they are conditioned to ignore. Then there is that part where they are good at 'pick me, pick me'. I do not believe I said turn the inside of the neck, I think I suggested reaming the inside of the neck. I have old home-made tools that were made to turn the outside diameter of 'things, but first, I had to ream the hole for the pilot with a reamer, nothing to do with reloading.
F. Guffey
schmellba99
New member
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All of that, and you failed to answer....well, anything really.
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All of that, and you failed to answer....well, anything really.
Not for me, I do not seat the bullets into the lands and I want the case neck to expand when the bullet is released.
Again a builder of bench rester type rifles called and said he was accused of building chambers with loose necks. I ask "How was accuracy?" the answer was "nothing suspect about accuracy!". I took a box 'half full' of dies and went for a visit. After forming a few hundred cases for future complaints I tightened the necks. Tightening the necks did nothing for improving accuracy.
F. Guffey
schmellba99
New member
Because, and this may come as a shock to you, I don't measure every single thing possible that could be measured and scoff at those that do not.
My assumption was that the neck wall in most rifle brass is relatively uniform in thickness. When I decided to turn the outside of the neck, I was surprised at the fact that most cases had neck thicknesses of rather large (relatively speaking) variances.
Because I like the idea of a uniform neck thickness for various reasons. None of which will probably meet your degree of approval, but it works for me.