It's a growing glow but just starting to run down the case neck. I can still grab the base and toss it in the metal bowl, but I hafta be "spritely" or I'll get that singe-ing sensation.
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Variances in shoulder bump?
- Thread starter HawgBonz
- Start date
That is way inconsistent... I get only around 0.001 variance without trying hard at all. As long as: same brass lot, same load previously fired, and my press cams over. Using a thin layer of that Hornady mink oil stuff, and annealing 'when I think of it'.
Are your bases flat and even? Any ejector swipes? Rotate the case to settle it into the comparator? Maybe it's a measurement error...
I am not clear on if you are camming over, or using Jackie's suggestion of stopping with contact shell holder to die?
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Bases are flat. Always rotate the cases to get "settled" in the comparator until I get a steady reading.
I set up the press for a light "bump" at the bottom where it lightly cams.
are your calipers reading correctly? a good set or a cheap set? something to check.
It's not a premium brand of caliper. But it holds zero very well, the measurements are repeatable and I haven't noticed any flakiness with it. Without fail if it measures 1.655 (375) the case is very snug. I have not seen any fired cases that went longer than that and anything just under that fits much better.
I'm gonna check with the proper 400 comparator insert this morning and see what the numbers look like.
I got some variance with several lubes. I went back to Lee and bump was perfection everytime. I put my cases in a plastic bowl and put pea sized dollop of Lee lube in there, cap the bowl and shake up 20-30 seconds to get the perfect amount of lube on all cases. Let it dry 30 seconds or so. I let the cases dwell in the die for 5 seconds. Perfect bumps everytime on my Norma, Lapua, Alpha, and Starline brass
The comparator size doesn’t matter that much, it’s just a different datum.
Inconsistent annealing and dwell time would be a more likely direction to search for answers.
I have separated the cases into two groups. The reasonably GTG and the "shorties". The shorts are ~10% of the lot. Just measured a sample of the cases with the 400 comparator insert and they measured ~1.622 for the GTGs and 1.619/1.618 for the shorts. The shorter cases are in a separate container to be seated a lil long to the lands and re-fireformed. On the next sizing I'll try some of the suggestions from this thread and see what happens..
I did not remember my chrony results from the last trip correctly and it was actually 52fps ES over 40 rounds fired from morning thru mid afternoon. From 2581- 2633fps.
I was trying slightly crunchy 43gr Varget under a 178gr ELD-x. Previously I was running a compressed 43.3gr, but would get occasional light swipes and a sticky bolt. But I remember the ES not being great, but better with velocity in the 2630ish range from my 22" barrel.
I did not remember my chrony results from the last trip correctly and it was actually 52fps ES over 40 rounds fired from morning thru mid afternoon. From 2581- 2633fps.
I was trying slightly crunchy 43gr Varget under a 178gr ELD-x. Previously I was running a compressed 43.3gr, but would get occasional light swipes and a sticky bolt. But I remember the ES not being great, but better with velocity in the 2630ish range from my 22" barrel.
If you're adjusting bump by backing the die off that's the problem. You must have contact with shell holder. Use Redding competition shell holder set.
Your gonna get wild length to shoulder by the heat variation on the shoulder when the case is getting made. Whether its in a furnace or body anneal. Id quit measuring so much and shoot them. Sometimes we would get wild variation on taper at lake city couldnt do anything about it. Heat changes the structure of the brass. hot soft cold hard. Good luck. Doug
The only "issue" with the Redding Competition shell-holder is that, from press manufacturer to manufacturer, the tolerances of the press-ram:shell-holder slots vary widely!
Some brands will accommodate contact between the bottom face of the shell-holder body, causing a GAP between the ram-face and the head-space face of the shell-holder - make certain that when the shell-holder is installed, there is NO GAP between the ram-face and the shell-holder bottom rim.
If/when a GAP is present, the Redding Comp. shell-holders will NOT[necessarily] deliver the 0.002" difference in head-space, as the tolerance(s) for the shell-holder body and ram slots are not tightly held!!
When the correct surfaces mate, the 0.002" difference between shell-holders is pretty close. With the contact on the S-H body face, the difference my be anywhere from equal to, or, many 1/thousandths of an inch off.
For predictable/reliable shoulder-bump, of 0.002" form S-H to S-H is desired, lose the gap and assure enough contact to use-up any/all "slop" in the press linkages. If you simply use a single S-H and use firm contact, should achieve uniform bump - you'll need to adjust the die to achieve differing shoulder set-back.
If there is a visible, or, measurable gap, simply grind off the very bottom face of the shell-holders: couple of pics. RG
P.S. edited for clarity.
Some brands will accommodate contact between the bottom face of the shell-holder body, causing a GAP between the ram-face and the head-space face of the shell-holder - make certain that when the shell-holder is installed, there is NO GAP between the ram-face and the shell-holder bottom rim.
If/when a GAP is present, the Redding Comp. shell-holders will NOT[necessarily] deliver the 0.002" difference in head-space, as the tolerance(s) for the shell-holder body and ram slots are not tightly held!!
When the correct surfaces mate, the 0.002" difference between shell-holders is pretty close. With the contact on the S-H body face, the difference my be anywhere from equal to, or, many 1/thousandths of an inch off.
For predictable/reliable shoulder-bump, of 0.002" form S-H to S-H is desired, lose the gap and assure enough contact to use-up any/all "slop" in the press linkages. If you simply use a single S-H and use firm contact, should achieve uniform bump - you'll need to adjust the die to achieve differing shoulder set-back.
If there is a visible, or, measurable gap, simply grind off the very bottom face of the shell-holders: couple of pics. RG
P.S. edited for clarity.
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47WillysGuy
Gold $$ Contributor
Pick one comparator or the other, it does not matter. Continuity> If there's any clearance between the ram and the shell holder, a strong piece of brass will win. good luck! Figure one problem at a time.
Best tip of the week.
Don't use an expander ball.
I don't. Never have liked those.
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