Neck tension on Dasher

[Wolfdawg]

How do you maintain, measure, or otherwise ensure consistent neck tension on a Dasher? Especially if you don't have a K&M arbor press with force measurement guage.

I tumble my brass with the SS tumbler, aneal, then get into the process of prepping the brass.
1) Run necks through K&M expand iron (supposed to make the necks round, doesn't do very well)
2) Run into Wilson neck bushing die (makes them a little better and takes the outside burr and flattens it)
3) Run necks through K&M expand iron (again). Now they are round.
4) FL size in Redding die
5) neck size in Wilson bushing die (again)
6) use Necos ball bearing moly dry lube.
7) primer, powder, then bullet. **Some bullets go in easy, some have more resistance**

I seem to have caught the "Flyer" virus.... I keep 8 shots in less than 4", then 2 decide to find a different zip code... Other shooters talk about neck tension causing flyers.

Any advice???? ???

Wolfdawg

 

[LCazador]

You're missing one of the most important steps to consistent neck tension, neck turning. Even the best brass will have inconsistencies. Measure your neck thickness at three different points on the neck and cull any cases that have more than .002" difference in neck thickness. Another issue is not all of your brass is going to have the same amount of springback. So as you seat your bullets, cull out cases that appear to have more tension. Don't let any sizing lubricant get into your case neck or on the bullets you are seating. Eventually you will deal with the donut if the throat in your rifle is not set up to avoid this area. Lastly if you're shooting a 600 yards or more there's also the possibility that you're not reading that wind as well as you think you are, another reason for those flyers ;D.

 

[mr45man]

"2) Run into Wilson neck bushing die (makes them a little better and takes the outside burr and flattens it)"

This dos not seem right, The burr needs to be trimmed off.

A light clean up cut with your neck turner might help with the tension.
John H.

 

[3dogs]

The SS tumbler is a little hard on case necks, try cleaning them with 0000 steel wool or a gray (ultra fine) Scotchbrite pad,
Jim

 

[Wolfdawg]

I do neck turn, I forgot to add that to the list. I trim them to 0.011" thickness.

after Full length trim, I debur, but there always seems to leave a small "lip" on the outside that the angle of the deburring tool doesn't trim or pushes down. By running it in the bushing die, it seems to push the bur back in line and a little 0000 steel wool polishes the rest.

I do feel some resistance on some near the shoulder/neck junction which is probably the "donut". Are there good .243 reamers that will remove it or is this yet another "custom" item that I need to find somewhere?

I just wondered how others deal with neck tension consistency. Is it just a "by feel" thing?

Wolfdawg

 

[ShootDots]

You're missing one of the most important steps to consistent neck tension, neck turning. Even the best brass will have inconsistencies. Measure your neck thickness at three different points on the neck and cull any cases that have more than .002" difference in neck thickness. Another issue is not all of your brass is going to have the same amount of springback. So as you seat your bullets, cull out cases that appear to have more tension. Don't let any sizing lubricant get into your case neck or on the bullets you are seating. Eventually you will deal with the donut if the throat in your rifle is not set up to avoid this area. Lastly if you're shooting a 600 yards or more there's also the possibility that you're not reading that wind as well as you think you are, another reason for those flyers ;D.

What LCazador stated is SPOT ON CORRECT! Listen to this response!

 

[Alex Wheeler]

You seem to be doing a lot of work to the cases. Try this.
Clean outside of neck with steel wool like Jim says
anneal
size in a FL Harrell's bushing die with the bushing the gun likes
run an iosso 6.5mm nylon brush in the neck
Load.
Anything I have done to the inside of the neck other than a nylon brush gave me vertical.
If you can feel an increase in seating force by the neck/shoulder junction that is a major problem. Once you are only sizing with a bushing that will go away. Also with a bushing you will not size the whole neck, you must keep the bullet in the sized part of the neck if it has a pressure ring. If it goes below the sized part of the neck, throat out you chamber,or find a lot without a pressure ring.
Alex

 

[Wolfdawg]

All great advice, I REALLY appreciate the input!!!

How do you all start when your recently fired brass ends up like the picture below??? Either dented on one end or worse....

Wolfdawg

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Why is it getting dinged up? The neck is the most important part of the case. Find a way to stop beating them up. Lay a towel down or something. If this is new brass than just shooting the first time.

 

[Mega]

Yep, how do you get case necks that look like that...??

I'm imagine stepping on them or they fly 6' in the air and hit a concrete floor.... ???

 

[jrm850]

Ejector deforming necks?

 

[Wolfdawg]

Not sure how that happens. They don't eject erratically. They come out of the chamber and fall on the bench.

I may need to lighten the ejector spring a little. Sometimes they hit the Sure Feed that I have close to the chamber during a match. It is a Remington Actioned rifle.

Regardless of that issue, what methods do you use to get them right and round?

Wolfdawg

 

[L-46]

Ejector spring too strong?
As they come free from the chamber they hit the action, on the inside before getting to the port?
try removing the ejector and see?
L-46

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Yes, you probably need to clip a coil or two off you ejector spring. he best way to make them round is to fix that problem. Anything you do to the inside of the neck degrades accuracy in my experience. I'd probably let the bullet round them out rather than running an expander in there.

 

[Wolfdawg]

I ended up cutting 4 coils from the ejector spring and I got nice round necks after the last match.

Also, I bought a new outside neck chamfer tool. I didnt realize you could dull a steel tool on brass. But, i have used the old tool for about 30 years, 10 years in benchrest reloading and it must have dulled... The new one is much better!!!

Everyday is a lesson...

Wolfdawg

 

[Steve Ladino]

As to the donut removal at the case shoulder neck junction..... Sinch up a letter C drill bit horizontally in a vice with most of it extending to the right uncinched by the jaws. Adjust a drill bit flute to face you or slightly toward verticle, slip the fired case over the drill bit with your right hand and exert pressure with your left hand thumbnail right at the neck shoulder junction, rotate the case, check the unsized fired case for easy passage of the bullets pressure ring as it passes by the donut area. Depending on the case neck expansion after firing a different drill bit size might be needed but the procedure would be the same.