Tuning Neck Clearance Levels

[RegionRat]

@Flirtinwithdisaster
Bruce, are the rest of your YT videos still up, or did they give you grief like the others?
I tried to see if I could post one of yours the other day and didn't find them quickly, and was surprised by that. I didn't have the time to dig deeper at that moment so I just shared the interview piece with EC.

ETA:
Never mind Bruce, it was a security thing on my side, I see them now. My fault for trying to run too fast...
https://www.youtube.com/@bruceteel7/videos

 

[Webster]

I’ve watched a YouTube video by Bruce Teal several times where he insists tuning clearance, stepped levels of clearance when turning brass. Bruce speaks of it in a Cortina interview. He shoots 5 shot test groups at difference thickness and swears he sees differences. Anyway I can’t find anything else on the topic. Bruce is a champion so I’m listening as I note / plan my steps to take in tuning…. I’m new to all this and appreciate helpful commentary.

Remember these experts have the best rifles a gunsmith can make plus extrodinary skill. You cannot buy a decent rifle and expect to shoot in the 1's or low 2's because you do all the things you read about on this website. I have a decent rifle with what seems to be a decent Kreiger 6BR barrel. I have been shooting the rifle for ten years and I have decided to be very happy if I can average round 400" groups. I have shot a few groups in the 1's and maybe 1 out of 25 below .250". Probably 80% of my groups are .350". I don't shoot the best bullets. You have to decide what you want to use the rifle for and how much money and testing is worth doing. My rifle will drop any GH out to about 400 yards no problem. I Don't have opportunities to shoot much beyond 350 yards.

It's a pain in the butt to read all the post to make sure your reply makes sense.

Just read some of the other posts and saw you want to shoot FTR. Cortina says only 3 things important, ignition, powder and good bullets. Also a great barrel. You can expand each of these areas and make them bigger. Many shooters give you a list of things they do and the order they do them with a new gun. I think many top shooters adjust neck tension last. Bullet jump I guess comes under ignition and the pressure time curve.

A real problem is how many different bullets do want to try looking for something your barrel preferes. It gets very expensive. Talk to some of the better FTR shooters at your range. I'm sure they would be glad to help you with powder and bullet selection.

 

[gmr4]

Hi Guys, I see lots of questions regarding neck tension, along with clearance. I try to keep each test separate. So when trying to find the proper clearance, I attempt to keep neck tension the same. So yes, I adjust bushings and mandrels to try to keep neck tension the same.
Bruce

Woo hoo there’s Bruce! Ive missed your content and happy to see you are doing ok. My whole hang up was the neck tension as the neck is cut smaller. Im going to try it soon. Thanks

 

[gmr4]

Remember these experts have the best rifles a gunsmith can make plus extrodinary skill. You cannot buy a decent rifle and expect to shoot in the 1's or low 2's because you do all the things you read about on this website. I have a decent rifle with what seems to be a decent Kreiger 6BR barrel. I have been shooting the rifle for ten years and I have decided to be very happy if I can average round 400" groups. I have shot a few groups in the 1's and maybe 1 out of 25 below .250". Probably 80% of my groups are .350". I don't shoot the best bullets. You have to decide what you want to use the rifle for and how much money and testing is worth doing. My rifle will drop any GH out to about 400 yards no problem. I Don't have opportunities to shoot much beyond 350 yards.

It's a pain in the butt to read all the post to make sure your reply makes sense.

Just read some of the other posts and saw you want to shoot FTR. Cortina says only 3 things important, ignition, powder and good bullets. Also a great barrel. You can expand each of these areas and make them bigger. Many shooters give you a list of things they do and the order they do them with a new gun. I think many top shooters adjust neck tension last. Bullet jump I guess comes under ignition and the pressure time curve.

A real problem is how many different bullets do want to try looking for something your barrel preferes. It gets very expensive. Talk to some of the better FTR shooters at your range. I'm sure they would be glad to help you with powder and bullet selection.

I’ll be shooting F-Open. Shot my first two matches here in TN and had a blast. Now Im headed down the rabbit hole

 

[Flirtinwithdisaster]

Well guys I'm fine, I took a year off, been shooting a little, hope the videos help, let me know if your interested in any other topics?
Bruce

 

[rr1220]

just for clarification , when you test in your video you tested .002 thru .006 , .005 grouped the best , my question is .005 total clearance .0025 per side 0r .005 per side

 

[D-4297]

Pretty sure it would be .0025 per side , making total neck clearance at about .005 , which is normal . Many TR shooters have chambers that are called "No Turn" that are .0025 to .003 . Standard "No Turn" for a .308 is .343 as a norm . . Because of the amount of rounds they fire , they don't turn their brass , and still manage some very high scores .

 

[AlNyhus]

Having tested neck clearance on the 30BR's from .0015 to .005, there's definitely something there. You need to test at 200 yds. as it didn't really show up at 100.

Good shootin' -Al

 

[JFrank]

Having tested neck clearance on the 30BR's from .0015 to .005, there's definitely something there. You need to test at 200 yds. as it didn't really show up at 100.

Good shootin' -Al

Where did you end up Al ?

 

[Sandstorm]

Ive found .005 to .006 to be optimum in my 7 mm rifles in F-Open.
I shoot a No Turn so you gotta have the right Reamer.
P.s.. My last one i turned all the brass and could not really shoot the difference at distance and its
probly the shooter not the process.

 

[AlNyhus]

Where did you end up Al ?

Things got better after .0025. I tested all the way to .005 with no loss of accuracy. I've since settled on .003 across the pressure ring of the largest bullets I use (.3088 & .3090). The necks seem to pick up about .0003 (total) after being fired 5-7 times. At that point, they settle down.

As a side note, at .004 I could start to see a bit more runout on the necks after sizing. At .005, the runout was definitely more. No change in the accuracy, though.

Good shootin' -Al

 

[JFrank]

@AlNyhus
I’m at .003 without testing’ just reading the carbon ring at and around the lugs I figure I’m in a no harm node, and it shoots pretty good.

Jim

 

[AlNyhus]

@AlNyhus
I’m at .003 without testing’ just reading the carbon ring at and around the lugs I figure I’m in a no harm node, and it shoots pretty good.

Jim

Jim, the wave form can tell us a lot, can't it? -Al