• This Forum is for adults 18 years of age or over. By continuing to use this Forum you are confirming that you are 18 or older. No content shall be viewed by any person under 18 in California.

Formula for loaded round chamber clearance

halfmoanut

Silver $$ Contributor
Necks need to be turned to ???? Per side. What is the formula. .262 neck chamber, bullets .2435 pressure ring. Using .256 .257 bushing . What do the necks get turned to?
 
.2435 + .0080 + .0080 = .2595 for loaded round outside diameter.

.2620 - .2595 = .0025 clearance
 
Last edited:
For the neck tension formula, you have to run a case through your sizing die with whatever bushing you choose and measure the OD of the neck prior to seating a bullet.

For the example above, lets say you are using a .256 bushing. You run a case through your sizing die then measure the neck OD of the case with a micrometer. Lets say it measures out at .2555 after sizing.

You seat a bullet and the neck OD of the finished round comes out to .2595. You then take:

.2595 - .2555 = .004, so your neck tension in this example is .004. Does that help you?

As a side note in regards to neck wall thickness, you don't have to use .0080. You can use a thicker wall thickness like .0085, but just be aware that things can get tight in a hurry between your chamber and your case neck.

Run the math for yourself, but make sure you measure everything with the appropriate micrometer for the job. This isn't a job for a caliper.
 
Last edited:
The formula is chamber diameter minus the clearance you wish to start at. So lets say you start at .003" clearance. Subtract .003" from .262" and you get .259". Then subtract the bullet diameter .2435" from .259"=.0155" or 16 thousandths divided by two is a neck turn thickness of .008" for a loaded diameter of .259" and a sizing die bushing of .257". I always do just enough clearance to fireform and after fireforming twice I make a final cut of .001-.002". It seems fireform sometimes will make brass flow more to one side of the neck or the other and the final cut cleans up this runout. The amount of final neck clearance will be determined by how much bullet grip I have after firing. If you can seat a bullet in a case without sizing after firing, you don't have enough clearance in my opinion. Brass springback will determine this and every lot or brand will be different. I have however seen many competition loads that never get sized!
 
The formula is chamber diameter minus the clearance you wish to start at. So lets say you start at .003" clearance. Subtract .003" from .262" and you get .259". Then subtract the bullet diameter .2435" from .259"=.0155" or 16 thousandths divided by two is a neck turn thickness of .008" for a loaded diameter of .259" and a sizing die bushing of .257". I always do just enough clearance to fireform and after fireforming twice I make a final cut of .001-.002". It seems fireform sometimes will make brass flow more to one side of the neck or the other and the final cut cleans up this runout. The amount of final neck clearance will be determined by how much bullet grip I have after firing. If you can seat a bullet in a case without sizing after firing, you don't have enough clearance in my opinion. Brass springback will determine this and every lot or brand will be different. I have however seen many competition loads that never get sized!

Excuse me if I am missing your point but did you mean "If you CAN'T seat a bullet in a case without sizing......."
 
Excuse me if I am missing your point but did you mean "If you CAN'T seat a bullet in a case without sizing......."
It's can not can't. Brass springback figures into the equation but if you still have enough grip where you can seat a bullet without sizing the neck then you don't have enough clearance to release the bullet cleanly. And if you can't seat a bullet in the fired case, you really have a problem!!
 
It's can not can't. Brass springback figures into the equation but if you still have enough grip where you can seat a bullet without sizing the neck then you don't have enough clearance to release the bullet cleanly. And if you can't seat a bullet in the fired case, you really have a problem!!

Thanks, what I read was "If you can enter a bullet not what you actually said seat a bullet. My mistake, thanks.
 
The formula is chamber diameter minus the clearance you wish to start at. So lets say you start at .003" clearance. Subtract .003" from .262" and you get .259".
I'm confused. Doesn't that make .003" clearance only opposite the side of the case neck that's touching the chamber neck?

Is "clearance" the even space all around the case neck to the chamber neck? If so, then to have .003" all around, you have to subtract .006" from .262" which is .256".

Subtracting .003" from .262" makes the bulleted case neck have .0015" clearance all around it when centered in the chamber neck. The diameter difference is .003"
 
Last edited:
Oh ye' lack of math who talketh circles around your own question, LOL!! That's exactly what I'm saying, a clearance of .003" is .0015 on each side of the neck!!
 
To some, there's a difference between .003 clearance and .003 difference. To others, there's none at all.

Reminds me of the centuries old disagreement the Vatican had with Copernicus and Gallieo about earth. In the early 1990's(?), the Vatican admitted those two were right.
 
I hope the OP got what he needed out of this. It's pretty critical if running chambers that require turned necks.
 

Upgrades & Donations

This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.


Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.

You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.


To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.

Forum statistics

Threads
166,813
Messages
2,223,893
Members
79,867
Latest member
Steve1984
Back
Top