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30br question

I was debating on if I should send the smaller or larger bullet between the Barts and Hottenstiens for my neck turning.

If I send Barts bullet in, and ask for .003 then hottenstien’s bullet would only have .0022 clearance With the measurement above . If I send Hottensteins bullet in and ask for .003 clearance with that measurement above, I’d be looking at .0038 for Barts, which is what I think I will do.

Does this sound like a good idea?

I now realize Al’s comment, about clearance differences. A lot more difference than I thought!
Kevin, for what it's worth...I've tested neck clearance out to .005 in multiple 30BR barrels with no loss of accuracy from .003 to .005. In fact, the 200 yd accuracy picked up when it got to .003. -Al
 
Kevin, for what it's worth...I've tested neck clearance out to .005 in multiple 30BR barrels with no loss of accuracy from .003 to .005. In fact, the 200 yd accuracy picked up when it got to .003. -Al
That’s what I was hoping to hear! I’ve scoured the forums looking for any real experience with neck clearance in excess of .003. Thanks! I’ll go forward with confidence.
 
Kevin, freshly turned necks on virgin brass will generally tend to thicken after being fired a bit....not a lot, but a few tenths. Then they seem to settle down and stabilize, for lack of a better term. When splitting differences over neck clearance with different bullets, this trait can actually be useful.

You can also start out on the snuggish side, get a baseline and then take 5 cases and take .0005 off at a time and shoot them to see where things get happier...then turn the rest to match your 5 test cases. That's how I ended up using more than the traditional neck clearances I started with.

Testing for your own results is always the best approach. Over wind flags, of course. ;)

Good shootin' -Al
 
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Kevin, freshly turned necks on virgin brass will generally tend to thicken after being fired a bit....not a lot, but a few tenths. Then they seem to settle down and stabilize, for lack of a better term. When splitting differences over neck clearance with different bullets, this trait can actually be useful.

You can also start out on the snuggish side, get a baseline and then take 5 cases and take .0005 off at a time and shoot them to see where things get happier...then turn the rest to match your 5 test cases. That's how I ended up using more than the traditional neck clearances I started with.

Testing for your own results is always the best approach. Over wind flags, of course. ;)

Good shootin' -Al
Careful Al, I have been chastised on here for stating necks can thicken after firing. You and I know better.
 
I have run .004" for quite a long time. I went to setting neck tension with a mandrel the past two seasons and really like the accuracy and consistency. I'm running .002".
Pete, I've been thinking about switching to the mandrel process myself. If I understand it correctly, your sizing (shrinking) the neck with a bushing first then opening it back up with the mandrel to final size. Have you noticed any degradation in brass life since your basically working it twice with each cycle?

As "spring back" seems to occur in both directions, is your .002" tension gross or net? IE; using a .306" mandrel for a 30BR?
 
Kevin, freshly turned necks on virgin brass will generally tend to thicken after being fired a bit....not a lot, but a few tenths. Then they seem to settle down and stabilize, for lack of a better term. When splitting differences over neck clearance with different bullets, this trait can actually be useful.

You can also start out on the snuggish side, get a baseline and then take 5 cases and take .0005 off at a time and shoot them to see where things get happier...then turn the rest to match your 5 test cases. That's how I ended up using more than the traditional neck clearances I started with.

Testing for your own results is always the best approach. Over wind flags, of course. ;)

Good shootin' -Al
Hey Al, I’m curious. When they thicken on you a bit, and this happens, do you turn the neck again to clean them up, or do you leave well enough alone?
 
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Pete, I've been thinking about switching to the mandrel process myself. If I understand it correctly, your sizing (shrinking) the neck with a bushing first then opening it back up with the mandrel to final size. Have you noticed any degradation in brass life since your basically working it twice with each cycle?

As "spring back" seems to occur in both directions, is your .002" tension gross or net? IE; using a .306" mandrel for a 30BR?
I bought one of them there Annealing made easy machines last spring with some of the Nursing Home's money so "Spring Back" is no longer an issue :).

Yes, I size the necks so that I can run the .002" mandrill in without expanding the necks much. Adds one step but so what? I quit Cable TV so freed up a lot of time for more enjoyable things. I pre-load at home, 100 rds for each rifle, per yardage. I have around 900 prepped cases so I don't have any issues.

I also bought a V-4 measure with that same pool of money last spring as well. Sure made the whole process MUCH, MUCH easier. 9 hole turret press as well; life is good.
 

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