To use, or not to use the expander ball in a Redding bushing die

[Jarhead6870]

I do not turn my necks but do anneal after each firing. I use Lapua brass (6.5x47) and have tested my loads with and without the Redding carbide expander ball and saw no appreciable difference on the target or in my SDs, which are between 5 and 8. Either method has been quite acceptable for my needs of shooting steel out to 1200 yards...YMMV

 

[stifffingers]

It seems that you are agreeing with something that I did not say.
I have never seen the need to turn necks for my field (varmint rifles) and I have been able to get them to shoot just fine thank you. I reserve neck turning for tight neck chambers. Another way to go with unturned necks, that works very well, is a two step process using a collet die and doing the bump and body with a body die or a bushing FL die with the bushing removed. Neck tension is adjusted by reducing the size of the mandrel, or ordering smaller ones. Generally for varmint calibers I want five shots that are comfortably below a half inch, a little smaller with the smaller cases, like the .222. Given the limitations of the bullets that I use, I think that asking more is just wearing out your barrel. One of the best moves that I made, a long time back, was to have separate rifles for the field and for target shooting.

I am so very sorry, I don't know how to just put my two cents in without replying to someone's post. I was trying to say something I read on this forum, months ago. It wasn't aimed at you.

 

[BoydAllen]

No need to be sorry. I was not offended. Keep posting. The more the merrier.

 

[6MMsteve]

I use standard dies with expander Forster dies, I also polish the button and get it as far in the case as I can without crunchin the necks,,,, they make pretty good ammo for me, I get a good group when the moon is full

 

[JFrank]

So to sum it up,
most quality Dies do a good job unless they don't, expander balls are ok if the Die has a honed neck and some work fine they way they are.
Bushing dies with the expander ball is not necessary if you use a Mandrel step after sizing .

 

[hogpatrol]

Regardless of which brand or type of die used, try sizing with and without the ball on NEW brass. Do ten rounds and check the o.d of the neck with a zero to 1" micrometer that reads in tenths. Throw out the high and low and take an average of the remaining eight. Do the same thing only with the ball. You will get a relatively good measurement of how much you are working the brass.
Disclaimer. I do not use the expander ball.

 

[fatelvis]

So to sum it up,
most quality Dies do a good job unless they don't, expander balls are ok if the Die has a honed neck and some work fine they way they are.
Bushing dies with the expander ball is not necessary if you use a Mandrel step after sizing .

Also, if you neck turn and use the appropriate bushing or a honed sizer die neck, it makes expander ball use unnecessary.

 

[Baer45]

Hi all

On a very recent thread someone mentioned that he did not use the expander ball on his Redding bushing die. (I don't want to go off-topic on that thread, so I am posting this)

My natural inclination has been to use the expander ball in order to uniform the neck size by using internal and external forces (opposing forces). (I hope I am making sense?) Whereas only using the bushing is relying solely on external force to resize.

Please will you explain to me the possible benefit(s) of not using the expander ball.

Many thanks

Cam

To save a lot of time explaining: go to the 6.t Guys site and read their expander sizing and loading match ammo on a progressive. I full length size with a bushing die w/no interior expander ball and in the next ster use a Sinclair Eexpander mandrel to totally straighten case and create perfect tension. It has cut my concentricity in half (run out”)....

 

[Campbell]

Many thanks for all of your help (again)

I have removed my expander assembly so I am now using a .335 Nitride bushing to size my .0135 neck wall thickness cases.

@ Baer45: I understand that the Expander Mandrel straitens the case? But surely it upsets the "setting" created by the bushing?

 

[Martin52]

Many thanks for all of your help (again)

I have removed my expander assembly so I am now using a .335 Nitride bushing to size my .0135 neck wall thickness cases.

Might be worth re-checking the neck wall measurement as 0.335 - 0.027 = 0.308 so there will be no bullet hold.

If correct, a bushing size 0.333 will leave an i/d of 0.306, maybe 0.3065 depending on springback.

 

[Campbell]

Might be worth re-checking the neck wall measurement as 0.335 - 0.027 = 0.308 so there will be no bullet hold.

If correct, a bushing size 0.333 will leave an i/d of 0.306, maybe 0.3065 depending on springback.

Hi Martin

Thanks

Bullet hold seems OK.

 

[David101]

The expander ball is the first thing in through the neck and the last thing out. So why even go to the effort of using a bushing inside the die. If you keep the large expander on it will be what sizes the neck and that is not what you want. you pay to have a variable size neck bushing dont stuff it up with the expander.