Neck tension control- turning vs expander mandrel

[47WillysGuy]

If a .014 thickness setting doesn't remove any brass do you scrap the cases or adjust the cutter to give a thinner neck like say .012?

I have some PPU cases where brass removal was small even at about a .012 setting.

The casenecks are normally 0.0145 to 0.015 inches thick. There are casenecks though when cut are not touched by the cutter on one side. After cutting the necks, I measure all case walls with a tubing mic and cull those cases out that are undesirable.

 

[fatelvis]

Reading all these responses is increasing my neck tension! Lol

 

[Steve Donlon]

I am shooting the best groups in my life now. I got a new rifle 8 months ago in 30-06 with a .337 Serengeti chamber. I have never had to turn brass but a lot of people here walked me through the process. I have found for me all I have to do is first size the brass with a regular Redding sizing die. I bump the shoulder just a little then finish with the Redding body die to set the bump 2 off.Then I trim the necks. After that I run them through the PMA mandrel and turn the necks. This gives me .002 tension. Then I seat the Sierra 210 gr. MK bullets to 3.3380" with a Redding Competition Die. Almost no run-out. This is 10-15 off the lands. The bottom of the bearing surface of the bullet is even with the bottom of the neck shoulder junction. The bottom of the boat tail on the bullet is even with the bottom of the shoulder case junction. this is also at the top of the powder column with 52.3grs of IMR 4350. When SSA sold out to Nosler I bought 1000 unprepared 30-06 brass pieces for $.25 a piece. So I do not know about brass life, but I have never shot better and did not think it was posable for a rifle to shoot this good. I have read about all the different methods to make the very best round you can, so I feel lucky I can get these results, but so far this bullet works better than any other for me. Maybe the 30-06 is a forgiving round. That's the only caliber I turn necks on so I don't know if more effort is required with newer modern rounds. I hope you find the magic recipe for your gun. Just keep at it. Good luck.

 

[Baer45]

I learned a lot on this subject in Glen Zediker’s book: Loading For Competition FWIW

 

[338 dude]

Assuming proper annealing every firing, what works better for controlling neck tension uniformity when processing brass?

Neck turning and using a bushing sizing die

or

Using an expander mandrel step after the re-sizing step

In my processes I anneal after every firing and size with the bushing of the proper size but my final step is to run a mandrel through the neck to achieve the exact tension I want every time If you have at least three or 4000 clearance to your chamber outside the neck that would not matter any variance in neck thickness however would create a different tension on the bullet on the inside diameter If just sized with a bushing

 

[338 dude]

I am shooting the best groups in my life now. I got a new rifle 8 months ago in 30-06 with a .337 Serengeti chamber. I have never had to turn brass but a lot of people here walked me through the process. I have found for me all I have to do is first size the brass with a regular Redding sizing die. I bump the shoulder just a little then finish with the Redding body die to set the bump 2 off.Then I trim the necks. After that I run them through the PMA mandrel and turn the necks. This gives me .002 tension. Ten I seat the Sierra 210 gr. MK bullets to 3.3380" with a RCBS Competition Die. Almost no run-out. This is 10-15 off the lands. The bottom of the bearing surface of the bullet is even with the bottom of the neck shoulder junction. The bottom of the boat tail on the bullet is even with the bottom of the shoulder case junction. this is also at the top of the powder column with 52.3grs of IMR 4350. When SSA sold out to Nosler I bought 1000 unprepared 30-06 brass pieces for $.25 a piece. So I do not know about brass life, but I have never shot better and did not think it was posable for a rifle to shoot this good. I have read about all the different methods to make the very best round you can, so I feel lucky I can get these results, but so far this bullet works better than any other for me. Maybe the 30-06 is a forgiving round. That's the only caliber I turn necks on so I don't know if more effort is required with newer modern rounds. I hope you find the magic recipe for your gun. Just keep at it. Good luck.

Your processes seems sound to me and are very close to exactly what I try to do although after years of experience with RCBS dies I have gone to Redding and I’m happier

 

[Steve Donlon]

Your processes seems sound to me and are very close to exactly what I try to do although after years of experience with RCBS dies I have gone to Redding and I’m happier

I screwed up when I said RCBS Competition die, it is a Redding Competition die in a RCBS box. I knew that but was not thinking. Thanks for the support. Yes the Redding dies are much better with the sliding sleeve. Since I wrote that I have been doing a lot of shooting at 1000 yards and even though the 210 Sierra shoot best at 500 yards the Berger 200-20x shoot better at 1000 yards. I think I need more powder, velocity, in the 210 case to get that bullet to shoot as good at 1000. I don't think it's going fast enough. I'll try 53grs up from 52.3 and see. Need more R&D.​

 

[338 dude]

I screwed up when I said RCBS Competition die, it is a Redding Competition die in a RCBS box. I knew that but was not thinking. Thanks for the support. Yes the Redding dies are much better with the sliding sleeve.​

I know you did not say RCBS now but my experience with my RCBS gold-medal match Seaters in both 6.5x 284 Norma and 338 lapua if you watched very closely when the bullet was seated the micrometer would slightly move and It affected my overall length it would take two or three pumps where I would seat long checked length adjust re seat sometimes even three times to be correct I switch to Redding I sort all my bullets by weight and also By length which is very important to consistency in doing this I set my seater once to that length and load and All are within 1/2 of 1000th of an inch or 5/10000

 

[G7BC]

I don’t think those choices are mutually exclusive. What are your exact case prep steps now and what are your ES and SD results?

I agree with David in that doing one does not make the other unnecessary. Doing both can be beneficial. Even with a no-turn chamber I believe neck turning to make the neck wall thickness more consistent from case to case will in turn make the spring-back after sizing and bullet release when firing more consistent.
After firing, size it however you like and enjoy the extra consistency. I like to bushing down then mandrel back up slightly to the desired diameter, determined by testing.