SAC Bushings—excellent quality, interesting results

[Ccrider]

I wonder if it matters. Did your targets look any better with the new bushings?

 

[powderbrake]

I bought a concentricity gauge, then I checked some 6BR loaded rounds. WOW, some were out by .004 to .006 Total Indicator Reading.

So having read about the SAC bushings, I bought a couple, and put them in my full length sizing die instead of the Redding TiN bushing I generally use. (die by a big name company that I will not name, more on that later)
Result was........... NO better concentricity.

Next step, I purchased a Redding FL bushing die. Tried it with my original Redding TiN bushing.
Result was...... all concentricities were below .001 TIR

I stopped there, I did not check with the SAC bushings, because I felt that it was good enough. I also believe it was my original sizing die that was not concentric, not the bushings. I will try the SAC again some day. I also plan, some day, on the offending die, to indicate the bushing end diameter and compare it's concentricity to the neck and body diameter concentricities.
What if that die shows "perfect, or very, very low concenticity numbers? Then I would have to conclude it was operator error, and I screwed up somehow.

I have seen in this thread some negative comments on name brand dies/bushings, including the Redding which I found to be excellent. I believe it is the individual part that may be bad, not the product line, or there is operator error, which is the reason I declined to name the die I felt was not concentric.

Did I waste my money on the SAC bushings? NO, I will use them some day.

Did I waste my money on the original sizing die? NO, I still need to prove it faulty or not.

Nobody said this hobby was cheap.

 

[Hohn]

As a person that has actually used a bushing in my Redding dies from SAC, let me clarify a couple of things.

I've spent a lot of time and $ in an effort to identify and reduce runout of loaded centerfire rifle rounds. I was appalled at the runout I experienced using Redding bushings in Redding dies. CRT bushings reduced the runout by over 50%. Eventually I started honing my FL die necks to the diameter I need them to be. But I would prefer to using bushings and not sacrifice runout.

So I watched a user review of the SAC bushings (not their entire die system as shown in post 3). The bushings have absolutely no taper in them. And my TIR using them is running is less than 0.001" (Redding was over 4- 0.006" generally). I was also experiencing with my 308 brass the phenomenon* where the case neck ends up about 0.004" under the bushing diameter. When using Redding bushings I had to size it down in two steps to avoid it from happening. Using the SAC bushing and a single step, my neck OD is the correct size.

I'm not declaring the SAC bushings the best thing since sliced bread, but this post seemed to cast doubt on them I haven't experienced.

(* per Redding)

I think the line between an inlet chamfer and a “taper” gets pretty blurry sometimes.

The SAC bushings have an inlet chamfer and do not achieve the stated diameter until well up into the bushing.

You are correct that there is a portion of constant diameter inside the bushing— I.e. no taper.

But there’s definitely a shallow angle chamfer leading up to that part.

Sorry I was sloppy in my terms. I should have said inlet chamfer to avoid suggesting they never achieve a constant diameter.

I like the SAC approach, especially the inlet chamfer which leaves the donut unsized. Some people say this would make donuts form. I tend to think they will form anyway and this just gets them farther away from your bullet and helps you manage them.

 

[JayHHI6818]

I wonder if it matters. Did your targets look any better with the new bushings?

I’m still new at shooting 600 and I’m struggling with one shot flyer. This ammo was resized with Whidden Full Length bushing die and SAC bushing. Smallest groups I have ever shot with this rifle. Used a Redding bushing before. Not knocking bushing just stating.