Neck tension confused on what I need to get???

[Dr. Vette]

Found body die on sin Clair in stock. What neck die should i get for this process?

Some here will think this is nuts, but I'd send 2 once-fired pieces of brass to Lee for a custom neck collet die:

Collet Necksizing Dies - Lee Precision

I have turned out my straightest ammo using Lee collet dies. Yes, they may need a polish inside to avoid striations on the brass but they do a heck of a job.

 

[rcoody]

No lapua wsm brass. Have to bump shoulder after 2nd or 3rd reload or I will get resistance when chambering.

B

Norma brass is almost as good. Have to neck down 300 wsm brass to do it though. A minor fireforming project.

Norma Reloading Brass 300 Winchester Short Mag (WSM)

lee will make you a collet neck sizer Collet Necksizing Dies - Lee Precision

I looked at the forster neck sizer/shoulder bump die but no 7mm wsm

guess your only choice is to either full length resize every three loadings or buy the shoulder bump body die and use it every 3 firings.

 

[elktaker]

Hello elktaker,

I've shot 7 wsm since it came out in 2002. I've burned up four barrels on mine, and I'm shooting fairly consistently with it. I've reloaded it and worn out 300 rounds of ammo shooting it. All that to say I have lots of experience with shooting it, and loading for it.

May I suggest something that might help. Take a flashlight, or other strong light... shine it into the necks... check out to see if the brass is marked by vertical streaks. This is especially evident after a clean case comes out of the sizing die. I found that my Winchester brass had numerous imperfections inside the neck that could be measured with a very, very sensitive ball micrometer. I took the path of least resistance, literally. I use two electric drills, one with a worn bore brass brush coated with brass wool (available at furniture refinishing locations) and the other drill has a Sinclair Driver (#749-003-251sy) and Caseholder (#749-002-490sy). Put driver in its drill, put a case in it, put the brass brush in the other drill, put the brush in the neck, turn on both drills and polish the inside of the necks for 15 seconds or so. The idea of two drills opposing each other is that the even-ness of the case neck thickness is not compromised that way. No polishing more on one side than on the other in other words.

Question... have you measured your neck dimensions after coming out of an "expanderless" sizing die? It could be that your full length die neck dimension is squeezing your neck dimension way too small. That happened to me with RCBS dies, but was quickly "fixed" by going to Forster dies. Forster bullet seater is great by the way.

These two simple techniques have been key parts of my reloading for the 7wsm. Hope this helps, and if interested in more, send me a pm.

Good shooting.

Coach

Thanks, I am looking in to getting an inside reamer set up for my trimmer and finish similar to how u described. I have to get new dies and brass.

Unforantely, I will have to manage the donut to use 168 vld in my mag and in this case my barrel. Hoping inside reaming and neck turning will work only cost me a reamer to try the inside. I was not interested in single loading in any hunting situation mostly in because if I am in a none prone position it's too time consuming.


I also got a bid on some brass paying 2.5times more than normal but maybe I will get lucky. I can only find expense bowler 300 or 270 wsm in stock.

 

[elktaker]

Norma brass is almost as good. Have to neck down 300 wsm brass to do it though. A minor fireforming project.

Norma Reloading Brass 300 Winchester Short Mag (WSM)

lee will make you a collet neck sizer Collet Necksizing Dies - Lee Precision

I looked at the forster neck sizer/shoulder bump die but no 7mm wsm

guess your only choice is to either full length resize every three loadings or buy the shoulder bump body die and use it every 3 firings.

I have been using Norma 270wsm. Tried 300 but without a neck turn currently neck were way too thick and split quite a few.

Was looking as redding s bushing fl die? Reviews seem good. Or will go with a body die and neck only. Seems s bushing die does same in one run and can be used as just a body die.

I have checked my brass and can feel a lip in the neck with a needle and some of brass fired brass will not fit a bullet back in without resistance. Bullet seats about an 1/16" below the shoulder not including the boat tail.

 

[rcoody]

I have been using Norma 270wsm. Tried 300 but without a neck turn currently neck were way too thick and split quite a few.

Was looking as redding s bushing fl die? Reviews seem good. Or will go with a body die and neck only. Seems s bushing die does same in one run and can be used as just a body die.

I have checked my brass and can feel a lip in the neck with a needle and some of brass fired brass will not fit a bullet back in without resistance. Bullet seats about an 1/16" below the shoulder not including the boat tail.

just remember any bushing neck sizing die is going to leave a donut. The lee collet neck sizing die does not. Some use a neck expanding mandrel to size their necks. Here is a little link to a bunch of different ideas on how to solve your problem

Neck sizing, mandrels and donuts a conversation. >> CartridgeLoaders.com Reloading Supplies and Reloading Data in Canada and US| information and supplies

 

[Mikecr]

just remember any bushing neck sizing die is going to leave a donut. The lee collet neck sizing die does not.

This at least sounds wrong.
Donuts amount to thicker brass near case shoulders than at mouths. They're inherent to case manufacture to begin. They're created further with necking up of brass, which makes thicker shoulder brass part of the new neck. They're created further with heavy body sizing, which moves brass thick toward thin(up the case), where you eventually trim it away at case mouths. If you have to trim here & there, you're moving brass up into necks.

Sizing necks down does not cause donuts, but leaves existing thicker brass into play(as implied). But this is why most neck size systems include expansion. That is, pre-expansion before bullet seating. All bushing neck dies include expansion, and you should use this, or better, Sinclair's neck expander mandrels.

There is nothing 'wrong' with the collet system. But with it you lose the ability to swap bushings and dial in your tension with both downsizing amount and length.
Believe me, if the collet system was actually better than bushings I would be using it.