L.E. Wilson 30br FLS bushing die

[LCazador]

Don't know why you would want the bushing rattling or loose in the die? Best to have a firm abutment of the die stem with the bushing. My Redding does not size the full length of the neck but my bullet is not seated past the sized portion of the neck. I think the unsized neck portion actually helps align the case. This has never been an on "target issue" for me. By the way my 30BR has just passed 4K rounds and still shooting great. Just won for me in 30 UBR.

 

[rrwildlife]

Don't know why you would want the bushing rattling or loose in the die? Best to have a firm abutment of the die stem with the bushing. My Redding does not size the full length of the neck but my bullet is not seated past the sized portion of the neck. I think the unsized neck portion actually helps align the case. This has never been an on "target issue" for me. By the way my 30BR has just passed 4K rounds and still shooting great. Just won for me in 30 UBR.

The Redding die instructions are as follows:

"Bushing Installation• Drop a bushing of the desired size into the die body.• Insert the decapping rod until you feel it contact the bushing.• Back it away from the bushing by 1/16 of a turn and lock in place.Note: This last step is very important. It gives the bushing .003” - .004” clearance allowing it to self-center onyour case necks."

On my die if I back it off 1/16 of a turn from touch, as the instruction say, the bushing just barely rattles in the die. I'm not sure if there is a better way to do this, if there is I'm all ears. Have you tested the firm vs 1/16 off? I'd be interested in hearing about your results.

Since the bushing style die is based off @speedygonzalez design, maybe he will jump in with some insight. I'm sure he tested the heck out of it.

Cheers,

Ryan

 

[LCazador]

The Redding die instructions are as follows:

"Bushing Installation• Drop a bushing of the desired size into the die body.• Insert the decapping rod until you feel it contact the bushing.• Back it away from the bushing by 1/16 of a turn and lock in place.Note: This last step is very important. It gives the bushing .003” - .004” clearance allowing it to self-center onyour case necks."

On my die if I back it off 1/16 of a turn from touch, as the instruction say, the bushing just barely rattles in the die. I'm not sure if there is a better way to do this, if there is I'm all ears. Have you tested the firm vs 1/16 off? I'd be interested in hearing about your results.

Since the bushing style die is based off @speedygonzalez design, maybe he will jump in with some insight. I'm sure he tested the heck out of it.

Cheers,

Ryan

Yes I have tried both ways locking it place works best. If your type S die has that much play that you have to let the bushing float, I'd send it back. I have almost 0 run out on my cases after full length sizing. Real simple check your runnout with bushing tight and bushing loose. One thing I will add is that it is best to let your shell holder float with a rubber o'ring holding instead of that steel spring ring that comes with the press. And use only Redding die wax.

 

[rrwildlife]

Yes I have tried both ways locking it place works best. If your type S die has that much play that you have to let the bushing float, I'd send it back. I have almost 0 run out on my cases after full length sizing. Real simple check your runnout with bushing tight and bushing loose.

I'll give it a try. As you said, super simple to test. I was following the instructions and the note saying that it was very important to leave the clearance made me feel like it was a solved issue.

Thanks for contributing to the discussion. I appreciate it!

Ryan

 

[Bill Norris]

Yes I have tried both ways locking it place works best. If your type S die has that much play that you have to let the bushing float, I'd send it back. I have almost 0 run out on my cases after full length sizing. Real simple check your runnout with bushing tight and bushing loose. One thing I will add is that it is best to let your shell holder float with a rubber o'ring holding instead of that steel spring ring that comes with the press. And use only Redding die wax.

Totally agree with floating shell holder. One of the things I did when lamenting over runout. If it bothers you to re-align the shell holder after every case removal the simple easy fix is to place a magnet closely just behind the top of the ram so that once the down travel stops it can pull the shell holder back in the slot.

 

[rrwildlife]

Totally agree with floating shell holder. One of the things I did when lamenting over runout. If it bothers you to re-align the shell holder after every case removal the simple easy fix is to place a magnet closely just behind the top of the ram so that once the down travel stops it can pull the shell holder back in the slot.

Great idea.

 

[LCazador]

Thanks Bill. I found out about the magnet trick many years ago by accident. I had a magnet floating around my bench and one day it wound up behind the ram on the press. I've used it ever since. I forget it's there.

 

[RGRobinett]

Yes I have tried both ways locking it place works best. If your type S die has that much play that you have to let the bushing float, I'd send it back. I have almost 0 run out on my cases after full length sizing. Real simple check your runnout with bushing tight and bushing loose. One thing I will add is that it is best to let your shell holder float with a rubber o'ring holding instead of that steel spring ring that comes with the press. And use only Redding die wax.

I will add that, "back-in-the-day" allowing the bushings to 'float' was THE correct method, however, as pointed out by LCazador here, you may well find that capturing the bushing delivers comparatively less
loaded-round run-out.

Several years ago, 'Humble Henry' Rivers advised me to try this method (I was a skeptic, who had NEVER measured loaded-round eccentricity). Humble had been struggling with a new die set and we discussed possible run-out solutions at length - so often that I purchased a tool to measure the fired-case:loaded-round concentricity. The best stuff I had was/is re-sized via FL dies featuring specifically dimension-ed lapped necks - dead-nutz . . . and almost all of my dies produced very good concentricity - however, none were a good as the lapped FL dies.

Following thorough testing and confirming, here's what 'Humble' suggested/insisted I try":

"1) with no bushing installed, adjust the Redding Type 'S' FL/Nk die for the desired shoulder set-back ('bump').

2) run another case into the die, drop the desired bushing (always gauge-pin your bushing - occasionally the stamped diameter is correct) into the die, screw the stem down, pressing the bushing
onto the case-neck until snug against the top-face of the bushing (this may require the judicious use of pliers!) . The bushing is captive, and is dead-centered. You'll have zero - less than 0.0005" of run-out."

Damned if he wasn't correct! I was surprised at how much run-out ammo loaded with most of the NK bushing dies exhibited! As noted above, in red. The BIG issue: can we shoot (dope) the difference? Probably not, but concentric never hurts.

I have a pair of JLC converted dies which require no such set-up they work perfectly.
The issue with those: assuring that the bushing ARE what you want/need the to be; often, the bushing diameters are +/- 0.001" different than the marking. RG

P.S. This presumes a round chamber with concentric neck/shoulder/body.