Advantages of Neck Turning?

[PatMiles]

I am fairly clear on one advantage of neck turning brass to consistent thickness, that being a more consistent release form shot to shot. Are there other advantages?
I have a Ruger Precision Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor that I want to shoot the best it can within reason.Within reason being that I don't want to spend big $$$'s on a modification that will return a minute improvement.
Needless to say, the Ruger barrel will not have a chamber as tight as a custom barrel, that being said what are the opinions of the learned folks here on my going down the neck turning path.
As a side note, I do intend to replace the factory barrel with an aftermarket barrel at some point.
Thanks in Advance,
Pat

 

[rkittine]

As a Newbie, I can not truly answer this question, but last year I had three custom rifles built and all have been set up with No Turn Necks and in Calibers that have Lapua Brass available for without fireforming etc. I wanted to cut down on the work load.

Then I went to the Williamsport 1,000 yard shooting school and with what I am now doing to prep-brass, I wish I had not jumped the gun on the No Turn Neck issue. One more step in what I was taught to do is nothing and the cost of a hand neck turning lathe is very low compared to most of the other stuff that I needed to buy.

Bob

 

[GSPV]

With good brass, you are unlikely to see any benefit from uniforming necks in a factory chamber.

 

[PatMiles]

Using Hornady brass at this point. If Lapua ever produces 6.5 Creedmoor brass I'll jump on that wagon.
I have .223 Lapua brass for my Bartlein barreled Remington 700.

 

[Brians356]

With good brass, you are unlikely to see any benefit from uniforming necks in a factory chamber.

I agree. It's not worth the expense, time, and learning curve.

I see Hornady 6.5 Creedmore brass on sale at MidwayUSA for $0.68 the copy. That will probably be sufficient. There's also Nosler and Norma readily available, but I'm not sure those will have any better neck wall consistency than Hornady. (Some new Hornady 270 Win brass I just got is within ~.001".)
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[Brians356]

Using Hornady brass at this point. If Lapua ever produces 6.5 Creedmoor brass I'll jump on that wagon.
I have .223 Lapua brass for my Bartlein barreled Remington 700.

Have you measured the neck walls of that Hornady brass? Unless it's pretty inconsistent there's no guarantee Lapua would be an improvement. There's more to brass than just neck concentricity, but quantifying anything on the target is fraught with peril, conventional wisdom notwithstanding.
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[Pappy42]

I neck turn because I want to remove as many variables as possible. YMMV

 

[Brians356]

I neck turn because I want to remove as many variables as possible. YMMV

For a mass production rifle that is not going to disappoint much if it shoots ~3/4 MOA, neck turning is unlikely to pay dividends which can be pointed out on the target.
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[Pappy42]

For a mass production rifle that is not going to disappoint much if it shoots ~3/4 MOA, neck turning is unlikely to pay dividends which can be pointed out on the target.
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Didn't say it would; just said why I do.

 

[Brians356]

Didn't say it would; just said why I do.

I understood you perfectly. Since my comment was intended for the OP, I shouldn't have replied to your comment. Mea culpa.
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[Pappy42]

I understood you perfectly. Since my comment was intended for the OP, I shouldn't have replied to your comment. Mea culpa.
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Not a problem; I agree with you.

 

[PatMiles]

Okay gents let me ask a question and I'm asking this just out of curiosity, why won't I see some advantage out of a factory rifle? If the reason behind neck turning is to help with a more consistent release of the bullet why does it take a custom chambered barrel to take advantage of turning?
Again, I'm asking to learn the reason(s) why.

 

[Brians356]

why won't I see some advantage out of a factory rifle?

You might think you see some improvement in group sizes, but the improvement is likely to be small enough to be "lost in the noise" with a 3/4 MOA rifle.

I can tell already you will be getting a neck turner, and that's fine (I myself turn necks, but don't really need to for my hunting, it's almost like a side hobby.) But out of curiosity (and since you have an inquiring mind) just how would you go about proving to your own satisfaction that your groups after neck turning are significantly smaller?
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[PatMiles]

I'm not set on buying a neck turner. I'm exploring the various facets of precision rifle shooting. I've been around enough to know that it's the indian not necessarily the arrow. Trying to do my homework.

 

[Pappy42]

Okay gents let me ask a question and I'm asking this just out of curiosity, why won't I see some advantage out of a factory rifle? If the reason behind neck turning is to help with a more consistent release of the bullet why does it take a custom chambered barrel to take advantage of turning?
Again, I'm asking to learn the reason(s) why.

I suspect, like many experienced shooters have noted, that a factory chamber generally has greater chamber dimensions than a custom chamber; therefore, the difference in accuracy may not be discernible between turned and unturned case necks in a factory rifle.

 

[Raythemanroe]

Maybe start with a primer pocket uniformer and measure your primer seating depth.. Ignition can aid accuracy.. A factory gun can see gains from turning necks, just don't turn more then what is needed to clean them up.. Throw out the die with the expander and get a bushing die.. Brass life will diminish if you are moving the brass to much...Maybe look at annealing

Ray

 

[Greyfox]

Don't waste your time on neck turning or anything to do with primers and primer pockets. On a 3/4 MOA factory rifle/chamber you will never see the difference. If you want to reduce the size of your groups your $$ will be better spent on 3-4 good wind flags and practice with them. You will see an improvement.

Rick

 

[Brians356]

I suspect, like many experienced shooters have noted, that a factory chamber generally has greater chamber dimensions than a custom chamber; therefore, the difference in accuracy may not be discernible between turned and unturned case necks in a factory rifle.

I'm coming at it more from the statistical side. The typical review of this RPR (there are many online) reports something like: smallest 100-yd 5-shot group: 0.67"; largest 5-shot group: 1.20", 5-group average: 0.75" - 0.87". Just doesn't feel to me like neck turning is the low-hanging fruit to improving accuracy in such a rifle. But there's only one way for the OP to find out for himself.
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[PatMiles]

Maybe start with a primer pocket uniformer and measure your primer seating depth.. Ignition can aid accuracy.. A factory gun can see gains from turning necks, just don't turn more then what is needed to clean them up.. Throw out the die with the expander and get a bushing die.. Brass life will diminish if you are moving the brass to much...Maybe look at annealing

Ray

Ray,
The primer pockets have been uniformed, flash holes were deburred, case mouths deburred inside and out. I have removed the expander button from my Whidden neck sizer and full length sizer dies. Both are bushing dies (.288").
Just trying to gain some knowledge.


This is the first 10 with some of my reloads at 100 yards. Yeah, it's good but I'm looking for good groups at 600, 800, 1000 yards, that's why I bought the Creedmoor.

 

[JamesnTN]

Using Hornady brass at this point. If Lapua ever produces 6.5 Creedmoor brass I'll jump on that wagon.
I have .223 Lapua brass for my Bartlein barreled Remington 700.

Pat,

Buy Lapua 308 brass neck it down and run it thru the FL sizer trim it then turn the necks and you have 6.5 CM brass.