22BR Neck Down

[ASbobcat]

Just got my Redding 22BR Form/Trim die. Neck measures .248

Redding Body die reported to have .257 neck.

Loaded Lapua no-turn neck dia. reported to be .250-.251, so .248 should be perfect. Possible that F/T die could substitute for neck bushing.

Haven't had a chance yet to find actual result, but will update when able.

 

[mikecr]

Sounds like you'll have what you need initially, for fire forming.
I wouldn't FL size necks afterwards, so I'd go to a bushing after forming.

 

[ASbobcat]

Sounds like you'll have what you need initially, for fire forming.
I wouldn't FL size necks afterwards, so I'd go to a bushing after forming.

I have 6BR bushing F/L sizing die for shoulder bump.

Swapping dies takes 2 seconds in my beloved Forster Co-Ax.

 

[mikecr]

Probably work out well.

 

[JSH]

The bushing dies left an undesirable ring on my 20 and 22 BR.
That is why I went with a body die and use it to bump shoulders.
The form die did not work as I planned.

 

[AlNyhus]

Having shot 22BR's for a lot of years, the Redding Body Die is the best way I've found to do the neck down. My Redding 22BR Body Die #75316 measures .255 with a pin gauge. After running Lapua 6BR cases through that, I size them with a Wilson bushing die. With a flat based bullet seated, the neck O.D. of a Lapua case is right at .252 over the pressure ring.

For a true no-turn chamber for Lapua brass, a .255 chamber neck diameter is perfect. There's a lot of 'no turn' reamers out there with .252-.253 neck diameters...make sure you know exactly what neck dimension the reamer your going to use cuts.

Other brands of brass may of course end up thicker/thinner than the Lapua.

 

[ASbobcat]

Having shot 22BR's for a lot of years, the Redding Body Die is the best way I've found to do the neck down. My Redding 22BR Body Die #75316 measures .255 with a pin gauge. After running Lapua 6BR cases through that, I size them with a Wilson bushing die. With a flat based bullet seated, the neck O.D. of a Lapua case is right at .252 over the pressure ring.

For a true no-turn chamber for Lapua brass, a .255 chamber neck diameter is perfect. There's a lot of 'no turn' reamers out there with .252-.253 neck diameters...make sure you know exactly what neck dimension the reamer your going to use cuts.

Other brands of brass may of course end up thicker/thinner than the Lapua.

Thanks for the input. I'll see what I end up with. .252 seems fat. Is that blue box or gold?

 

[ASbobcat]

The bushing dies left an undesirable ring on my 20 and 22 BR.
That is why I went with a body die and use it to bump shoulders.
The form die did not work as I planned.

What exactly did you find wrong with the form die?

 

[AlNyhus]

Thanks for the input. I'll see what I end up with. .252 seems fat. Is that blue box or gold?

Blue box.

 

[JSH]

The form die did not bump the shoulder like the body die, it left a ring and rounded the shoulder.
QC was not on their game when they inspected this form die. It would tear up the neck something fierce if it was over sized in the neck. I ended up doing a lot of polishing on it, may have been made early on a Monday or late on a Friday lol.

This was blue box if it makes a difference to anyone.
I will add this.
1,Ran 6BR brass into a FL die with no expander

2, initially ran into a form die, didn’t like results so I went to the body die, which left the neck larger than the form die but angles and neck did not suffer scratches.

3, then into a bushing die

4, then over a mandrel

5, neck turn

6, anneal

7, back into correct size bushing and load


All input welcome if I am doing wrong or more than necessary. This is a no turn chamber, I just knocked off the high spots. 1/2-1/3 touch and cut the donut off. I don’t trim to length/square case mouth until fired at least once.

 

[wildcatter]

Is you neck die a bushing die? My experiance is never use a bushing die before neck turning.

It only sizes part of the neck. Since I turn slightly into the shoulder to eliminate dognuts, this would leave you with dual areas of neck thicknes.

 

[JSH]

I don’t have a FL for the 20BR. I didn’t see or notice anything at the neck body junction which I think is what you mean. The body die bumped the area. The mandrel rolled it back out.

 

[ASbobcat]

This was the easiest neck down I've ever done. Form/Trim die (#83316) did not touch anything but the neck. so only had to use Imperial sizing wax on the neck.

One pass, no doughnut. New blue box Lapua (lot #LPT03776). After neck down .2485 OD. With .2240 bullet loaded OD .251. Max runout .0003. Didn't even have to use an expander mandrel. Just annealed and lubed with Sinclair graphite dry powder.

FYI the new Lapua brass is really nice. The headstamp is very sharp. Much better than early blue box, and hard to tell apart from Gold box.
The shoulder is also wider (.457 VS .453 on older lots) so no fire-forming required.

 

[JSH]

So the ID of the neck is ok?
I would bet the donut is there somewhere. May not be as bad until fired and FL sized.

 

[ASbobcat]

So the ID of the neck is ok?
I would bet the donut is there somewhere. May not be as bad until fired and FL sized.

The ID is perfect. Gives .0015-.002 tension.

I was expecting a doughnut, but there isn't one either inside or outside.

Is you neck die a bushing die? My experiance is never use a bushing die before neck turning.

It only sizes part of the neck. Since I turn slightly into the shoulder to eliminate dognuts, this would leave you with dual areas of neck thicknes.

I agree. Non-virgin brass should always be run through a non-bushing F/L die with expander before turning.

My neck turning days are over.

 

[ASbobcat]

I found out why there is no doughnut.

The length increases .005. So rather than being pushed down to the neck/shoulder junction, the brass is squozed up out the top.

 

[JSH]

I have to look I may have a 22BR form die. If it does the same as the one you had I would think that would be the majority of brass moving from 6mm-22. I may have a generic 20 neck die, but I don’t know if a BR case will fit.
Good info to know for future projects, thanks.

 

[ASbobcat]

I have to look I may have a 22BR form die. If it does the same as the one you had I would think that would be the majority of brass moving from 6mm-22. I may have a generic 20 neck die, but I don’t know if a BR case will fit.
Good info to know for future projects, thanks.

Glad it was helpful. You're welcome.