Removing expander ball on dies

[bsumoba]

So I have a 7 Shehane from Whidden and its a bushing die and I am not sure if it makes sense to remove the expander ball from the die. When I am in my downstroke (upstroke with the forster co-ax) and the resized brass goes through the expander ball, I feel a good amount of contact and Im not sure if this negates what i just did with the resize.

Do any of you resize with no expander ball or replace with a carbide version?

I admittedly did not measure the diameter of the expander ball. I am resizing with a .311 bushing. I have a no neck turn setup and my loaded round at the neck measures .312

 

[CatShooter]

So I have a 7 Shehane from Whidden and its a bushing die and I am not sure if it makes sense to remove the expander ball from the die. When I am in my downstroke (upstroke with the forster co-ax) and the resized brass goes through the expander ball, I feel a good amount of contact and Im not sure if this negates what i just did with the resize.

Do any of you resize with no expander ball or replace with a carbide version?

I admittedly did not measure the diameter of the expander ball. I am resizing with a .311 bushing. I have a no neck turn setup and my loaded round at the neck measures .312

I remove the ball in ALL of my bushing dies. Why bother with the cost of a bushing die and bushings, if you are just going to wind up with the same sized neck that the ball will make in a standard die.

 

[Terry]

I remove it and use a bushing that gives the diameter I want.

 

[Corey Schwanz]

The expander ball is there in a standard die to set the tension for you. In a bushing die, the size bushing you select is doing that for you. Take out the ball

 

[bsumoba]

Great! Its coming off!

I had a feeling this was the answer.

 

[243winxb]

I admittedly did not measure the diameter of the expander ball.

Why?

 

[bigedp51]

The expander balls are included with the dies to straighten any damaged case mouths before sizing the necks.

 

[CatShooter]

The expander balls are included with the dies to straighten any damaged case mouths before sizing the necks.

The Hornady ball is pointed and will open a dented mouth - the rest of them will crush a dented mouth. The Redding is the worst.

They are designed to "expand" a neck that the die over-sized smaller than needed.

 

[artbosco]

So I have a 7 Shehane from Whidden and its a bushing die and I am not sure if it makes sense to remove the expander ball from the die. When I am in my downstroke (upstroke with the forster co-ax) and the resized brass goes through the expander ball, I feel a good amount of contact and Im not sure if this negates what i just did with the resize.

Do any of you resize with no expander ball or replace with a carbide version?

I admittedly did not measure the diameter of the expander ball. I am resizing with a .311 bushing. I have a no neck turn setup and my loaded round at the neck measures .312

I Never use an expander ball. Harrell's dies don't even come with an expander ball. On others I discard them - for good.

 

[savageshooter86]

I took mine off mine. Or can match expander size to just barely feel it kiss the case mouth when sizing. Several opinions. But his dies are awesome

 

[bsumoba]

I can see the use of an expander ball f you have D-shape dents on the case mouth. A bushing dies wont help with these, thus the need for an expander ball yea? am i missing something?

 

[Chappy]

I can see the use of an expander ball f you have D-shape dents on the case mouth. A bushing dies wont help with these, thus the need for an expander ball yea? am i missing something?

I use an expander die.

 

[bigedp51]

The expander balls are included with the dies to straighten any damaged case mouths before sizing the necks.

The Hornady ball is pointed and will open a dented mouth - the rest of them will crush a dented mouth. The Redding is the worst.

They are designed to "expand" a neck that the die over-sized smaller than needed.

Dear CatShooter

I was quoting the instructions that came with my bushing dies, so go back up and re-read your first post and your bushing die instructions, you are contradicting yourself. :

 

[CatShooter]

The expander balls are included with the dies to straighten any damaged case mouths before sizing the necks.

The Hornady ball is pointed and will open a dented mouth - the rest of them will crush a dented mouth. The Redding is the worst.

They are designed to "expand" a neck that the die over-sized smaller than needed.

Dear CatShooter

I was quoting the instructions that came with my bushing dies, so go back up and re-read your first post and your bushing die instructions, you are contradicting yourself. :

I don't fink so... I said what I meant and I meant what a said, so there!!

Many of the bushing dies don't even come with an expander ball.. and those that do, the ball is not in the die, but loose in the box.

If you have a fixed size expander, then no mater what bushing you use, the ball will always force the neck back up to the same size.

 

[dogdude]

Don't even remember what an expander ball looks like, I use a dedicated expander mandrel to give me the neck tension I want.