Concentricity Tool Use
- Thread starter Fotheringill
- Start date
I am sorry but I have to laugh looking at this ad. So the claim to fame of what he is selling is that it just taps but the Hornady tool bends - REALLY. What exactly is preventing you from just tapping with the Hornady tool? NOTHING folks, nothing....
Folks, always remember before you buy into this stuff is this is ADVERTISMENT and as such buyers beware....
Having said so, I do have to give him extra credit for the most accurate description of what these tools are doing to get the bullet back in line - he is absolutely right on that point and about the only person I have heard describe this accurately.
Ned Ludd
Silver $$ Contributor
FWIW - the simplest way to determine the bushing you need is to measure the outside neck diameter of one of your loaded rounds, then subtract .002". That will be the bushing that you will most likely use. On every brass prep, I always measure the OD of 10 sized necks, before and after seating bullets (same 10 cases) and determine the average so I can record the values. I typically buy two or three bushings (one on either side of what I think will give me ~.002" neck tension) of the relatively inexpensive steel type. Sometimes they seem to be "in-between" by about half a thousandth, so this will generally get you one that will work. I'm sure the titanium nitride bushings are great, but they're pretty pricey. I have yet to wear out a steel bushing or notice any issues with them, so I'm satisfied at this point.
The Hornady tool was designed to be used with factory loaded ammunition and works well for that purpose. For reloading purposes the Sinclair , PMA or 21ST Century tools ( I am sure i have missed others) are the ones to use. They enable you to check a FIRED piece of brass from the chamber to the seating die. By checking the cartridge case run-out at each stage you can find IF you have a die problem and WHICH die it is. In some cases fixing a die that's causing the run-out can be as easy as loosening up the set screw in the lock ring to let the die float in the press threads and self center itself as the case goes up into the die Like the FORSTER press does. Off center decapping/ expander ball assemblies, off set seater stems , "captured" neck sizing bushings, are other things to check. Glen Zediker's book HANDLOADING FOR COMPETITION has some simple hardware store fixes you can do also. DO NOT run unfired brass over your concentricity gauge! The last step in the formation of a brass cartridge case is when it is fired in your rifles chamber where it will/should expand and straighten. Before you start ANY concentricity checking or checking anything else that involves a dial indicator make sure you have pre-loaded the dial indicator at least .005-.010 in the item to be measures so you dont lose contact with the item being measured. Re-zero the dial face after doing this. When you are measuring bullet run-out on a loaded cartridge make sure the dial indicators probe is as close to the bullet/case mouth junction without touching the case mouth as you can get it. HTH
Take care!
Take care!
Just an update-
Returned the Hornady to Brownell's and received the complete 21st Century gauge with the wheel and the dial indicator that flips up and down. I don't know the actual name of the instrument. I have a steep learning curve with all things mechanical, but eventually figured it out after trial and error and a You Tube Video and reading the instructions.
1. It is more accurate and easier to use than the Hornady.
2. I did about 300 rounds over the weekend and observed/discovered the following;
a. There were basically two groups, those with 1-2/1000 variance and those with 3-5/1000 runout on the cases after neck sizing with Redding Competition die with about 80% in the lower runout category.
Still segregated, I seated bullets with a Redding Competition seating die and remeasured the bullets for runout. The higher runout cases averaged about 1/1000 less after bullet seating.
3. The tool is much easier to use than the Hornady because of the flippy needle on the gauge as compared with the straight down needle on Hornady. Just set the flippy needle to the middle of its range and there will be accurate and repeatable readings throughout. The wheel makes the whole operation easier and much faster.
4. I am happy I made the swap and thank those who recommended I do so.
Returned the Hornady to Brownell's and received the complete 21st Century gauge with the wheel and the dial indicator that flips up and down. I don't know the actual name of the instrument. I have a steep learning curve with all things mechanical, but eventually figured it out after trial and error and a You Tube Video and reading the instructions.
1. It is more accurate and easier to use than the Hornady.
2. I did about 300 rounds over the weekend and observed/discovered the following;
a. There were basically two groups, those with 1-2/1000 variance and those with 3-5/1000 runout on the cases after neck sizing with Redding Competition die with about 80% in the lower runout category.
Still segregated, I seated bullets with a Redding Competition seating die and remeasured the bullets for runout. The higher runout cases averaged about 1/1000 less after bullet seating.
3. The tool is much easier to use than the Hornady because of the flippy needle on the gauge as compared with the straight down needle on Hornady. Just set the flippy needle to the middle of its range and there will be accurate and repeatable readings throughout. The wheel makes the whole operation easier and much faster.
4. I am happy I made the swap and thank those who recommended I do so.
Nice work. That is EXACTLY what I am incapable of doing among many other things.
I am sorry but I have to laugh looking at this ad. So the claim to fame of what he is selling is that it just taps but the Hornady tool bends - REALLY. What exactly is preventing you from just tapping with the Hornady tool? NOTHING folks, nothing....
Folks, always remember before you buy into this stuff is this is ADVERTISMENT and as such buyers beware....
Having said so, I do have to give him extra credit for the most accurate description of what these tools are doing to get the bullet back in line - he is absolutely right on that point and about the only person I have heard describe this accurately.
If I had a choice, I think I would prefer to push in a controled manner with the Hornady tool, as compared to tapping with that tool, which might be at best, a semi-sketchy/uncontroled method. Preferably, I would want to figure out what was going wrong with the reloading process, then fix that, eliminating the issue.
Danny
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