Loading process

[timmymic]

Seeing more people moving to the bushing dies and not using the expander ball. For those of you doing that, what is your process? My assumption below

1. RCBS Universal recapping die
2. Possible use of a mandrel to round the inside of the case mouth?
3.Bushing die with no decapper
4. Prime
5. Powder and bullet seating.

Thanks guys

 

[Rflamm250]

I switched a few years back. My process is as follows
1. Decap
2. Media tumble
3. Run through bushing die with no expander ball or as of late a FL die with no expander ball. I take the whole guts out a Whidden FL die.
4. Sinclair expander or neck turn mandrel.
5. tumble again(just to remove lube)
6. trim and load
Im actually having better results with the FL die without expander vs Bushing die without. If you use a FL die without expander ball you will have to run brass through a mandrel after sizing. If you use the bushing die with the correct bushing you do not have to use a mandrel. Most people using a bushing die without an expander ball are using a bushing .002 to .003 under loaded round measurement with no mandrel. If you are going to use a mandrel after sizing with a bushing die I use bushing size .003-.004 under loaded round measurement then run brass through the mandrel.

 

[Remmy700]

The above post is almost identical to my process.

1. Decap
2. Stainless tumble
3. Anneal
4. Drink a beer and mentally prepare for next step
5. Size with FL die with all the guts ripped out
6. Size with Sinclair NT mandrel
7. Drink a beer and think back on the days events
8. Trim on Wilson mic trimmer/debur
9. Dip into a little imperial dry neck lube
10. Prime on Co-ax
11. Drink a beer
12. weigh charge on A&D and pour into case
13. Drink a beer while seating all the bullets

Then go have fun!!!!

 

[timmymic]

The above post is almost identical to my process.

1. Decap
2. Stainless tumble
3. Anneal
4. Drink a beer and mentally prepare for next step
5. Size with FL die with all the guts ripped out
6. Size with Sinclair NT mandrel
7. Drink a beer and think back on the days events
8. Trim on Wilson mic trimmer/debur
9. Dip into a little imperial dry neck lube
10. Prime on Co-ax
11. Drink a beer
12. weigh charge on A&D and pour into case
13. Drink a beer while seating all the bullets

Then go have fun!!!!

Lmao I like this plan! So using a mandrel I can get the same results as the bushing?

 

[Remmy700]

Yes sir. Use mandrel to set neck tension.

 

[ar10ar15man]

a mandrel sets INSIDE dia, a bushing sets OUTSIDE dia.
where is the bullet, inside or outside ?

Lmao I like this plan! So using a mandrel I can get the same results as the bushing?

 

[Remmy700]

a mandrel sets INSIDE dia, a bushing sets OUTSIDE dia.
where is the bullet, inside or outside ?

I am not tracking

 

[timmymic]

Yes sir. Use mandrel to set neck tension.

If you pull the guts out of the die, is something still compressing the neck back down a little? Just thinking if when fired the case mouth expands how do we get it back to the correct size if its bigger than the mandrel.

 

[Remmy700]

None of the stuff inside the die compresses anything it opens it up via the expander. The die body itself is what compresses the case.

 

[Remmy700]

If u neck turn all your brass then cool u can rely on a bushing die to set your neck tension because all of your necks are the same, no strays. If u don't neck turn, despite how good of brass u use their is slight variance in neck wall thickness. I used to neck turn everything and use bushing dies and had very good results via groups and SDs. So then I dabbled with mandrels and got same results not neck turning and relying on the mandrel to set my neck tension. Despite slight variances in neck tension the mandrel sizes from the inside so those variances in necks thickness are pushed out instead of in using a bushing. Again this is just my opinion but I have tested it on several different cartridges and I have had very good results using mandrels to set my tension instead of bushings. However, there are a lot of ways to skin a cat lol.

 

[Barrelnut]

5. Size with FL die with all the guts ripped out

I think some are assuming that Remmy is using a FL "bushing" die with the guts ripped out. If so then the mandel could not expand the neck mouth to set tension as the mouth would be a bigger diameter than the mandrel. That's how I read it first too anyway! That strategic insertion of a beer timeout had my daydreaming I guess. LOL.
Now I can see that he is using a standard FL die with the expander removed. Now it all makes sense to me.

 

[Remmy700]

Good assumption brother lol. Mostly yes I do use FL non bushing dies but I got a lot of guns. I do run bushing dies also. When this is the case I try to choose bushing to give me around .004 neck tension and I still run my mandrel. This ensures my mandrel is doing work and uniforming all my necks to what I want.

 

[Remmy700]

When I refer to guts I am mainly referring to that evil expander that most dies come with!

 

[Deputy819]

Yep....the 2 aforementioned procedures nearly mirror mine also and have served me well. You're working the brass quite a bit using bushings .003-.004 under bullet diameter then punching them back out with an expander/turning mandrel so annealing (Remmy700's step#3) would greatly benefit your cases. I anneal after every firing....