Best bullet release/neck tension?

[DUSTY NOGGIN]

I have thought about this but in reality would it actually? I don't know for sure myself but when I apply it I go back through every case with a q-tip to wipe out any excess so it's a very minute fine layer left. I would think the tiny amount there would burn off if anything.

im not sure you have enough time to burn it off or out completely. im guessing and only guessing that it may burn some, but only enough to just create a soot

how dirty are your fired brass at the necks ??? , that should tell the story,

i just know that turning works and will get you to your low ES goals. If, you start with thick enough brass so you can trim em all equal without creating too much neck clearance -

i noticed alot of difference just by trying one of these
http://kmshooting.com/flash-hole-uniformers/uniformers/professional-flash-hole-builder.html

when you see how big of burrs are on the inside blocking half the primer ignition , and for the price it really a inexpensive tool -- id bet a coke that someone that didnt use this tool that had a load they considered "done" would see improvement to that same load with no other changes

 

[Remmy700]

I stainless wet tumble all my brass, anneal every firing on magnums and every two firings for non magnums. Once tumble is done I then inside and outside neck chamfer. Here lately I have been using FL non bushing dies mostly forster BR dies with all the guts removed (expander, decapper). My final step after all is said and done is running a brass brush on a drill through all the necks which has a little bit of steel wool strands entangled in the brass bristles and then passing a Sinclair NT mandrel in all the necks to set my neck tension. I have found that even with cleaned up necks (neck turned) that with no expander in die it roughly sizes the brass down to around .004 - .005 below bullet diameter. The mandrel is .002 below bullet diameter so opens all the necks up to the exact same dimension. I have no issue at all keeping my SD to 1 or 2 and normally if my ES is above 6 I keep tweaking load. This can only be accomplished though if all the other variables (powder charge, quality seating die, uniform primer pockets etc.) is in check. Using the mandrels and quality scale has been my biggest finding to consistently controlling and producing concentric ammo.

 

[Lonewolf74]

I do debur flash holes and uniform primer pockets on all my brass. It seems I never really have a burr or take any material off the flash hole on my Norma brass but it definitely shows on other brands I use.

 

[Lonewolf74]

Remmy700 do you feel using the mandrel to expand necks gives measurably better results then using Forster's expander ball?

I use all Forster die sets for my reloading with the expander ball but I do adjust the ball so it's up as far as possible and I leave it loose so it can float.

I don't know how my run out is but I have a gauge on the way to start checking.

 

[Remmy700]

In my experience brother absolutely. I have not used an expander ball in any die for years. However there are people that use them all the time with no issues. To me it comes down to I seen concrete results with SD and ES numbers consistently being lower when I started using mandrels. Best of luck brother.

 

[bigedp51]

I wet tumble most of my brass and it does remove all the carbon from inside the case necks.
You can replace the carbon by dipping the case necks in Imperial dry neck lube. The graphite in the Imperial dry neck lube is nothing more than fine powdered carbon. And the expander will smear a new coating of carbon inside of the case neck.

Just remember new cases and factory ammunition will not have a coating of carbon in the case necks. And many competitive shooters prefer leaving the carbon inside the case necks to keep the bullet from bonding to the inside of the case neck. Other shooters seat their bullets long and just before a match they reseat the bullets to break any bonding for a uniform bullet release.

graph·ite
noun: graphite; plural noun: graphites

1. a gray, crystalline, allotropic form of carbon that occurs as a mineral in some rocks and can be made from coke. It is used as a solid lubricant, in pencils, and as a moderator in nuclear reactors.

 

[Lonewolf74]

Thanks for all the input so far guy's, keep it coming

 

[bigedp51]

Remmy700 do you feel using the mandrel to expand necks gives measurably better results then using Forster's expander ball?

I use all Forster die sets for my reloading with the expander ball but I do adjust the ball so it's up as far as possible and I leave it loose so it can float.

I don't know how my run out is but I have a gauge on the way to start checking.

The biggest cause of case neck runout is caused if the expander is locked down off center.

With the Forster die and its high mounted "floating" expander the case neck is held and centered in the neck of the die when the expander enters the case neck. And the expander can not pull the case neck off center.

Below the Co-Ax Washer (W-10) is a rubber washer that allows the expander spindle to move and float and self center in the case neck.

Below I ordered Forster expander and spindle assemblies for all my older RCBS dies. The RCBS expander on the left is raised as high as it will move.

Below I modified a Forster expander assembly to fit on my Redding .243 full length dies. The Forster spindle was cut to the correct length for proper expander height and a rubber o-ring was added under the lock ring. I can see why so many reloaders do not like expanders. I do not understand why Redding makes oblong expanders with their added drag but also sells round carbide expanders.

NOTE, Redding includes expanders with their bushing dies for people who do not turn their case necks. Redding also recommends to size the neck with a bushing .002 smaller than expander diameter. And this will push the neck irregularities to the outside of the case neck.

Below a Lyman type "M" expander for a .223, many AR15 reloaders use this expander for its increased bullet grip and do not crimp. The main part of the expander is .003 smaller than bullet diameter and the case mouth is just bumped onto the .226 step of the expander. This helps with straight in line bullet seating and reduces bullet runout.

 

[DUSTY NOGGIN]

I use all Forster die sets for my reloading with the expander ball but I do adjust the ball so it's up as far as possible and I leave it loose so it can float.

too far up could/can create alot of friction by grabbing the neck and the expander at the same time and could be pulling your shoulder up defeating the sized shoulder

if you can feel a gap between neck in the die body and the expander , the expander ball is not high enough ... try to drop it until you can feel that gap between touching both the die body neck and the start over the expander ball, then adjust that gap out plus half to one full turn.

on all busing dies , i use the mandrel