Modifying Wilson Neck Dies

[Donkey]

I am planning on modifying the Wilson neck bushing dies to make them seat all the way to the shoulder. My reasons for wanting to do this are two fold:

-So that I can neck turn after fire forming.
-So that I can run compressed loads with out bullet creep. (Yes the boat tail is just below the neck)

I am assuming that there is not really any benefit in low neck tensions only in even neck tensions. Also that the longer the neck contact the better the chances are of having and maintaining concentricity.

I'm running 308Win with 155grn projectiles. Is this making sense? Am I on the right track? Is there a better way I could be approaching compressed loads, (deeper throat for instance?) neck turning (Hydraulic forming into a custom chambered die with a tight throat for instance?) and concentricity?


Many thanks in advance
Jason

 

[357Mag]

Donkey -

Howdy !

IMHO..... I'm not sure you'd have to take the effort to mod
a Wilson NS die.

Lot's of folks have been successful w/ the " part way down "
neck sizing you mention.

As regards neck tension's contribution to accuracy:
Get the neck concentricity right, neck thickness right, and seating depth right; then the remaining contributor is neck tension. Yes I know, neck length is in the mix, too.....
however, all sorts of varying neck calibres/neck lengths have been winners. And this includes some comparatively short necks.

The neck doesn't HAVE TO BE long, necessarily.
While at the same time, a simple .001" change to neck bushing inner diam can make all the difference; when the other factors have been addressed.

For compressed loads, you'll need to play your powder selection/powder charges like Stradavarious.
You'll benefit from a " compression friendly " powder, especially one that is not likley to fracture individual kernels easily; as a result of the compression process. For example... it is reported reduced loads assembled w/ "Trailboss" can peak on pressure rapidly, when/if the loads are compressed too much; and individual powder " kernels" facture.


With regards,
357Mag

 

[digrazir]

Jason, the Wison neck bushings are tappered. In fact if you turn them bushing size down, that will add a little more tension. The Wilson bushings are not designed to size the entire neck. I have both the Wilson and the Redding neck sizing dies because there bushings are interchangeable in the dies.
If I am am going to soft seat the bullet, I will use the Wilson die. If I need more tension for a different application I will use the Redding dies.

Hope this helps, Ray

 

[Preacher]

I'll wonder how you'll hold the bushing in place if you make it go clean to the N/S junction ??

 

[Donkey]

Thanks Guys.

So Wilson bushes are tapered and the Redding's are not? It sounds like to achieve a full neck length size I'll need to use a modified Wilson die with Redding bushes.

Sound plausible?

 

[lurcher]

I remember reading something about this over at the riflemans journal. It was argued that to neck turn fired brass you could not use a bushing die as they always have a slight chamfer on the edge so you can never get a dead sharp neck shoulder junction. The recommendation was to use a non bushing die (Hornady was suggested). I took this approach pulled the expander ball from a Hornady FL die. Sized the cases, then expanded the necks with a K&M expander mandrel (to avoid the expander ball working/bending the necks) and then neck turned.

 

[Donkey]

Good point lurcher.
I guess you could also flip the Redding bushes upside down for a second pass.