Huge improvement

[Texas Solo]

I wasn't happy with my neck tensions being inconsistent. I was using RCBS std. die. I had to shave the shell holder to get .002 shoulder bump for a tight chamber. Then my brass chambered well, but my neck tension was too high.
ES was in the 20 - 30 range. I decided that sizing & neck tension should be 2 separate steps.
I bought a Redding body only die and a bushing neck die.
Same exact load, now getting ES of 5 - 10, SD of 4. Groups are better too. Not so much at 100, but a huge improvement in group size at 300 & 600.

 

[6Creed73]

Curious why sizing with a Redding body die and then neck bushing die in two steps would give better results vs a Redding FL bushing die in one step.

 

[joshb]

Curious why sizing with a Redding body die and then neck bushing die in two steps would give better results vs a Redding FL bushing die in one step.

He “decided”. Doesn’t make sense to me either but everybody makes their own choices.

 

[Texas Solo]

Not saying it gives "better" results.
It's just the way I want to do it. I have complete control.

 

[6Creed73]

Not saying it gives "better" results.
It's just the way I want to do it. I have complete control.

I'm not being critical, I'm genuinely curious on how you came to that conclusion. Reducing the ES/SD with a two-step process certainly is better results.

For what it's worth, I do something similar, but with a Lee collet die for the neck. Just trying to wrap my head around a two-step process with a bushing die when they make a single die to do it.

 

[kiwijohn]

In my mind it's just another tool in the toolbox. Texas solo is happy with the results, I have standard dies, body dies, collet dies and bushing dies. And mandrels, all get used at various times for different reasons, I would guess that I am not the only one nor is TS alone in his choice.

 

[6Creed73]

In my mind it's just another tool in the toolbox. Texas solo is happy with the results, I have standard dies, body dies, collet dies and bushing dies. And mandrels, all get used at various times for different reasons, I would guess that I am not the only one nor is TS alone in his choice.

I agree, I have so many different dies for the same calibers that it's borderline insane, lol (I have 7 different dies for 6CM not including mandrels). The quest for perfection in handloading is nothing new, we all do it.

But again, I was not being critical...I'm always open to learning new techniques, but I have to understand them first. I just wanted to know if there was more reasoning behind the process and if the same thing can be achieved with a single type s FL die. If you take the bushing out of the type s FL die, doesn't that essentially make it a body die? Maybe there is something about the body die that I don't know as I don't own one. I remove the bushing from my FL die to size the body then hit the neck the Lee collet die.

 

[Texas Solo]

"I remove the bushing from my FL die to size the body then hit the neck the Lee collet die."

Then aren't you doing a 2 step process like me?

 

[6Creed73]

"I remove the bushing from my FL die to size the body then hit the neck the Lee collet die."

Then aren't you doing a 2 step process like me?

Yes, that's what I said in my previous comment. I said I do something similar, but I use a Lee collet die for the neck rather than a bushing. If I wanted to use the bushing instead, I just put the bushing in and do it in one step. I have to do it in two steps because there is not a collet die that sizes the body, at least not that I know of.

 

[searcher]

I wasn't happy with my neck tensions being inconsistent. I was using RCBS std. die. I had to shave the shell holder to get .002 shoulder bump for a tight chamber. Then my brass chambered well, but my neck tension was too high.
ES was in the 20 - 30 range. I decided that sizing & neck tension should be 2 separate steps.
I bought a Redding body only die and a bushing neck die.
Same exact load, now getting ES of 5 - 10, SD of 4. Groups are better too. Not so much at 100, but a huge improvement in group size at 300 & 600.

Am wondering - did you get good ES's sizing and neck sizing together with the bushing neck die? I'm not sure how the extra step with the body die would improve anything (technically - it shouldn't). I think that is what some of the others alluded to. Not wanting you to change what works for you - but if you found the bushing die to do it all - it is one less step.

 

[Texas Solo]

Am wondering - did you get good ES's sizing and neck sizing together with the bushing neck die?

You can't size the body with a neck bushing die.
I was having headspace issues of tight bolt closure. That led to shoulder bumping, which is why I had neck issues begin.

I'm retired. No hurry.
I prep brass 50 at a time.
I don't care if my method takes longer.
It works for me.

 

[mikecr]

He said he was using an RCBS std. die.
That says FL die to me, which is NOT a body-bushing die, typically misnomered as a FL-bushing die.
FL dies size the FL of necks.
That massively increases bullet grip, and variance of that, plus it brings donut area into tension.

He fixed the problem that is FL sizing of necks.

 

[searcher]

You can't size the body with a neck bushing die.
I was having headspace issues of tight bolt closure. That led to shoulder bumping, which is why I had neck issues begin.

I'm retired. No hurry.
I prep brass 50 at a time.
I don't care if my method takes longer.
It works for me.

You didn't specify the bushing neck die was not a full-length or whether a neck only die- so I understand. Naturally - if it were a full-length die - that would have been duplication of effort.

 

[Texas Solo]

You didn't specify the bushing neck die was not a full-length or whether a neck only die- so I understand. Naturally - if it were a full-length die - that would have been duplication of effort.

Yes, I did.

"I decided that sizing & neck tension should be 2 separate steps.
I bought a Redding body only die and a bushing neck die."

 

[searcher]

Yes, I did.

"I decided that sizing & neck tension should be 2 separate steps.
I bought a Redding body only die and a bushing neck die."

Not arguing with you buddy - but they make Redding full-length sizing dies that have bushings. Some people call them "neck dies". Call it my misunderstanding.

 

[HuntClub]

I agree, I have so many different dies for the same calibers that it's borderline insane, lol (I have 7 different dies for 6CM not including mandrels). The quest for perfection in handloading is nothing new, we all do it.

But again, I was not being critical...I'm always open to learning new techniques, but I have to understand them first. I just wanted to know if there was more reasoning behind the process and if the same thing can be achieved with a single type s FL die. If you take the bushing out of the type s FL die, doesn't that essentially make it a body die? Maybe there is something about the body die that I don't know as I don't own one. I remove the bushing from my FL die to size the body then hit the neck the Lee collet die.

This is what I'm doing too! Must be a "great minds" thing!

 

[RCE1]

Would annealing help your consistency? Perhaps that's part of your program as well?

 

[6BRA]

stacked tolerances....

 

[grovey]

Not a bushing fan. On the cheap... I'd of turned the necks, and worked annealing into my program. That said, I wouldn't expect award winning success with a std RCBS FL die either.

 

[JFrank]

Here’s is my question for those that use a collet die to apply bullet hold.
How does one monitor and duplicate the same hold from session to session ?
From my seat in the bleachers my set up likes a particular amount and if I vary a thousandth's it will show negatively on the target.