OleFreak said:
CatShooter – Are you expanding the necks post having sized down the outside neck wall, or are you using brass that was either neck turned to or existence began having a consistent neck wall thickness all around? Which first, body size/shoulder bump die or neck bushing die? Are you also using their Competition seaters?
'Freak
I use a bushing to give me the finished size I need and load the case from the bushing. In the beginning, I used an expander - but after trying to fool with it, it dawned on me, why have eleventy kajilion bushings if, no matter which one you use, the expander brings the necks all back to one same size?? That was a "Duh" moment for me...
So when I get dies, the expander is the first thing to go - I have a box of them somewhere.
On calibers that I can't get bushing dies for, or just don't have one, and have to use standard dies for - I use a Lyman "M" die to expand. That way, all my mechanical efforts are "Down" and I am not pulling anything "up" through the neck. I'm not sure it makes any difference, but it makes me comfortable, plus the "M" die has other advantages too.
My most preferred die set-up is a Redding comp bushing neck die, and a Redding (or Forster Ultra) comp seater.
If it is a caliber or chamber that needs a bump from time to time, I will get a Forster Bump die - if one is not available, then I have used a body or FL die, but I am looking into converting bushing neck dies into bump dies - it should work if done carefully, and the quality of the shoulder in the die is good.
When possible, I set all of my dies to hit the shell holder, and then use Redding comp shell holders to control headspace ("clearance" for guffy and BigEd).
I like a slight amount (3 to 5 thou) of crush - the cases last forever. If I shot short range BR, I would use 1 or 2 thou of crush... but I don't shoot short range bench anymore.
