Years ago when I started LR BR no one could tell me that no turn was as accuarate as turned necks. So I opted for a .268 neck reamer for my 6BR. At that time some of the best 600 and 1000 yard shooters were shooting no turn .272 Dashers, BRX’s, and BR’s. Those shooters included some record holders including Richard Schatz, Mike Davis, Rodney Wagner, Mark Shronce and some others. A few years after doing well with the BR I decided to play with the Dasher and BRX. The BRX was a .272 neck. Even though it was a no turn chamber, I still turned the necks just enough to make the necks completely concentric. That barrel shot well and did it’s share of winning. After listening to Mike Davis who chambered the barrel, he and I argued about the no turn debate several times, I decided to do an experiment. I took my best turned neck brass and shot it against no turn brass(necks I had not touched). I prepped the brass of both batches, only difference is I did not touch the necks except to inside and outside chamfer. This was the same lot of brass in both batches. I did everthing in both batches exactly the same! Same fireforming, same number of rounds on brass, loaded at the same time with exact same components. I shot in the same rifle on a morning at my 600 yard range just after daylight in as near of perfect conditions as posssible- and it was perfect that day. I shot 8, 5 shot groups. Just like a match agg. Four, 5 shot targets with each. I would alternate targets also, one with turned necks, then one with no turned. After I was done, by looking at the targets, I could not tell the difference in groups(verticle, horizontal, etc.) or size of groups. I put the calipers to the groups and measured carefully. As it turned out the two 4 target aggs were with in thousands of each other! The best I can remember it was like 15 thousands difference - IN FAVOR OF THE NO TURN ROUNDS! Now if I repeated this experiment, the turned rounds may have slightly beat the no turn. But this experiment told me there is no difference in the two. I never bought a turn neck reamer after that. Lapua 6BR brass is excellent brass, most all lots are less than one thousand total difference in neck thickness. My opinion is if you run enough clearance in the neck (2-3 thou) no turn necks are just as accurate as turned. Now if I shot a PPC at short range I would opt for a turn neck, basically because everything and everybody is set up for turn necks of .262 to .269. All equipment and data has followed this. Years and years ago, from what I have heard and read, the brass was not as good and concentric as it is today. Turning necks then surely helped. Today, IMO, brass quality has come a long way, just like most all of our components and epuipment has. Do what makes you feel good, but as for me, I am not going to spend all that time turning necks anymore! Samuel Hall
Neck clearance is .007
