neck bushing

[sevenfal]

Hello,
I'm going to try this again and hope i get it right this time. I have a custom 6br rifle with a 265 chamber i am using new Lapua brass turned to 262 then i run the case through a redding full length bushing die with a 261 bushing. My question is can i go to a 260 bushing and not be to tight to cause preasure signs?

thanks sevenfal

 

[olehunter]

imho you should fire form then neck size only. from then on size the neck to grip bullet with a light press fit ,15 to 20# and outside diameter to fit chamber as closely as possible and still chamber with finger pressure.
the less you work wour brass the longer it will last.

 

[artbosco]

I have a custom 6br rifle with a 265 chamber i am using new Lapua brass turned to 262 then i run the case through a redding full length bushing die with a 261 bushing. My question is can i go to a 260 bushing and not be to tight to cause preasure signs?

Using a .261, a .260, and a .259 bushing on a neck turned to .262 [with a seated bullet] will give you versatility in working up an accurate load, just the same as trying different seating depths is used, as part of the "fine tuning" process.

Full length size each and every time. Full Length sizing will not over work brass. You actually work it less because you're "minutely" pushing everything back to it's original shape and many times not even that, if it's a tight chamber. It's not an issue of the number of times the brass is reformed, it's an issue of having to push back hardening brass a larger distance. When neck sizing only, the base/body keeps expanding till you cannot chamber the round. It requires more effort and more distance to get it back to the base or original formation.

 

[RonAKA]

The missing number is the thickness of your brass. What do the necks measure after turning and with a bullet seated? You want a bushing size 0.002" smaller than that number.

 

[DCRYDER]

You will probably have very little to no neck tension with the 261 bushing. Brass will spring back .0005 to .001 after sizing neck. A 259-260 should work much better. IMO

 

[BoydAllen]

Although neck tension is a tool that you can use to tune, I have not seen it, by itself, cause pressure issues. When you say that you have turned your necks to .262, do you mean that the loaded round measures .262? Do you have a 1" micrometer that reads to .0001? I think that everyone that reloads should have one. If your loaded necks measure .262, depending on what kind of powder you are shooting and what it "likes", as was said above, you will probably want to start with a .260, but also may want to experiment with .259. While on the subject of sizing, I should mention that if you are loading to the pressure potential of this cartridge, a bushing FL die that is a close fit to your chamber is a good thing to have. Short range BR shooters have gone to this almost exclusively, Harrell's being a good source.

 

[lightman]

I use the guidelines that Redding recommends that are posted in their catalog and in the Sinclair catalog.You can play with different bushings to see what your rifle likes.The only harm you are likely to see is excessive runout,if you start reducing the neck diameter more than .003 or so.You might see some pressure change,but I've never noticed anything serious.There seems to be a little difference in neck tension between different brands of brass and even different lots.I'm guessing this is due to different hardness of the brass.
I guess thie was a longwinded way to answer your question,but yes you can go .260 safely. Lightman