Neck-Turning - What order to do?

[Reloader222]

I intend to neck turn all my rifle's cases. My question is - do I first fire-form the cases, then necksize and then neck turn the cases, then neck-size again? Would it give different results if I necksize first and then fire-form and then necksize again?

 

[Gene]

To do it properly on fired brass: first, you need to reduce the neck size by sizing. Then open the necks up with an expander. Virgin cases need to be opened with the expander first.

Expand necks to all be the same diameter before you begin turning.

 

[Mikecr]

I turn new necks, up onto shoulders, to head-off donuts.
If you fireform first, you've missed this donut addressing, and you might struggle to get full length of necks sized and expanded for good turning mandrel fit.

New brass is ready for expansion and perfect fit, right out of the box.
Now if you're forming a new cartridge, things need to be planned out & may change.

 

[Reloader222]

I have both reloaded cases and new cases and appreciate your distinction in the process. I am using the Foster Neck Turning tool and a Sinclair expander die. My main purpose is to uniform neck as to help me getting accurate groups. I belief by using the expander it would pop the high points on the neck of the brass to the outside and thereby making it easier to cut the high spots.

 

[Truc]

I've expanded before turning new brass for yrs, Most guys now are blowing the cases out first using pistol powder and cream of wheat to cap the powder, Supposedly it keeps the necks straighter. This is for Benchrest where .001" makes a difference. No one would ever consider using used brass especially if from another rifle. Be careful how much you take off or you will be needing a bushing die. If you start with good brass like Lapau or Norma, neck turning isn't needed in my opinion for hunting.

 

[Mikecr]

If skim turning, mandrel fit becomes even more critical than full turn. If loose, the cutter will pull in the brass and cut more than you want. If tight, things will heat up and change.

Won't hurt anymore than loss of a few pieces to trial & error. Good luck in it.

 

[rjmarine]

why are you neck turning all your brass in the 1st place ?
if you do not have a custom chamber with a tighter neck area then by turning your necks with a stock factory chamber all you are doing is making your brass even looser in the neck area. this is not a good idea at all. you would turn your neckes to clean them up and end up with all nice even necks but you need a nice chamber for them to fit into now that you have made them thinner
this is true for say 308 brass neck turbing for a 308 chamber. but if you have a factory chamber say in 308 you could use 358 brass . when you size the 358 brass down to your 308 you end up with a thicker neck and then you could size this neck to be say .001 - .0015 smaller then the chamber neck.
i hope this helps lol

 

[Gene]

rj - I just finished skim turning 120 .223 Lapua brass for a factory Savage chamber. I took off .0002" each side. Not quite half a thou difference will mean little in a factory chamber. By skimming these necks, I expect to have very consistent neck tension and improved ES and SD.
That is a big advantage.

 

[AKGuide]

rj - I just finished skim turning 120 .223 Lapua brass for a factory Savage chamber. I took off .0002" each side. Not quite half a thou difference will mean little in a factory chamber. By skimming these necks, I expect to have very consistent neck tension and improved ES and SD.
That is a big advantage.

X2 on there being an advantage. I clean a no-turn chamber's brass to about 60% for consistency. The more consistence in our reloading techniques the more accurate we can become. Concentricity is key.

Reuben

 

[rjmarine]

i think it would be a good time for somebody to start a threat on how well there groups are before this and just how much better there group sizes are after this
skim coat neck turning .

i think it will turn out a lot like how much flatter boattail bullets fly and how well the really buck the wind

 

[Mikecr]

There is great balance, and bad balance, and a chasm between them.
Single things aren't usually enough to put you at either extreme of the scale

 

[Jcub]

There is great balance, and bad balance, and a chasm between them.
Single things aren't usually enough to put you at either extreme of the scale

Well said.

 

[Canadian Bushman]

i think it would be a good time for somebody to start a threat on how well there groups are before this and just how much better there group sizes are after this
skim coat neck turning .

i think it will turn out a lot like how much flatter boattail bullets fly and how well the really buck the wind

I just skim turned three hundred win cases for a factory 308 chamber. I cant make claims as to an increase in accuracy but i did notice more consistent grouping and my small groups are smaller.

Now my "feel" at the press during sizing and seating is a great deal more consistent!
If i would of started out with brass like this for load development i cant help but think it might of shown better results. I also neck turned 300 lapua cases and although the necks were far more concentric than the win brass i did see a bunch of bad apples get cleaned up.

 

[Pdvdh]

... but if you have a factory chamber say in 308 you could use 358 brass . when you size the 358 brass down to your 308 you end up with a thicker neck and then you could size this neck to be say .001 - .0015 smaller then the chamber neck.
i hope this helps lol

I've done this with my 7mm RM, shooting in factory Tikka T3 rifles. My brass is head stamped 338 Win Mag. Necked it down and then outside neck turned to clean up about 90% of the case necks. It did help remove some excess clearance between the chamber neck and the outside of the case neck, because the case necks are now a little thicker. Don't gain as much neck thickness as you'd imagine. Seem to recall that neck thickness increased enough that I use a 1 or 2 thou larger diameter neck bushing with the Redding Neck Bushing resizing die.

Dunno if it was a good idea or not. Seems like I've read where some don't think this is a good idea, but it seems to have gone will for me. I annealed the case necks after sizing down. I can say that the seated bullets in these cases are very concentric. Using K&M neck turning tool and mandrels.