Guys I've been reloading and shooting for yrs but never stepped into neck turning. Is it worth the results ? I know there are applications where its necessary for case neck to chamber clearance but I'd like to hear opinions on its actual effect on moa and such. Experts please give your experiences
Thoughts on neck turning
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Varmint Hunter
Well-Known Member
It's a PITA and provides little tangible benefit IMO. However, If you have a tight neck rifle then turning is required. It's my understanding that many benchrest shooters use no-turn neck diameter barrels.
I have a few tight-neck or minimum spec chambers that need neck turned brass. I wish I hadn't gone in that direction.
I have a few tight-neck or minimum spec chambers that need neck turned brass. I wish I hadn't gone in that direction.
Truing necks is just one more step in the pursuit of absolutely best grouping/accuracy.
I personnaly turn my necks and know a lot of PRS shooters that don't. Most of them have their chamber reamer matched to the bullet & brass. The reason I turn my necks is to make sure that the neck brass is near perfect same thickness and concentric. Then running through macth dies with neck sizer die bushings. When loading and getting the bullet centered and same "Neck tension" for each cartridge gives me consistent velocity. It is another step in the reloading process, but after the process is done you don't have to do it again. I turn new brass and re-turn after two firings. I use K&M neck turner with a small electric screw driver. You have to make sure that you do the process correctly or you can damage the brass. Turning too fast and tight can "Gual" the brass and also don't want to cut into the shoulder and you can also end up getting "dounuts" inside the neck to shoulder. I turn to 0.013" thickness on most cases. I primarly use Lapua brass, which is very consistent to begin with.
Justice1327
Well-Known Member
Another thread that might help out.
www.longrangehunting.com
Neck Turning
Guys, thinking of getting into neck turning. Any advice on brands etc. K&M look good, but I know little about setup. Any help would be good.
Another thing on neck turning. You can turn the necks even using regular dies. If using match dies with neck sizer bushings use this formula depending on the caliber and thickness of brass turned: Bullet .264 + brass thickness (0.013 x 2 for both sides 0.026) = 0.290 - .002 or 0.003 (for tension reduce neck size)= 0.288 or 0.287 neck bushing size.
MagnumManiac
Well-Known Member
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Unless the rifle in question is an absolute tack driver with fully prepped brass ie, weight/volume sorted, flash holes deburred, necks have been mandreled etc, then the answer is yes to clean up the neck diameter to give uniform neck tension.
If the answer is a hunting rifle off the shelf that shoots well, say 1/2" or a little more, then neck turning is unlikely to make a difference or shrink groups. If it's the above and shoots 1/4" then it MAY shrink groups, but nothing is written in stone.
I only skim turn these days and do not use tight neck chambers, as thinning necks less than .0125" thickness causes LESS neck tension in my experience and I run .004"
clearance in my chamber necks on my reamers.
I don't even turn the entire neck length either, about 80-90% is sufficient with most case designs. However, with the 264WM and 300WM I turn to about .010" from the shoulder juncture as they have short necks which I do not trim back to the SAAMI trim to length, I allow them to grow to within .005" from the end of the chamber and trim back .005".
Cheers.
If the answer is a hunting rifle off the shelf that shoots well, say 1/2" or a little more, then neck turning is unlikely to make a difference or shrink groups. If it's the above and shoots 1/4" then it MAY shrink groups, but nothing is written in stone.
I only skim turn these days and do not use tight neck chambers, as thinning necks less than .0125" thickness causes LESS neck tension in my experience and I run .004"
clearance in my chamber necks on my reamers.
I don't even turn the entire neck length either, about 80-90% is sufficient with most case designs. However, with the 264WM and 300WM I turn to about .010" from the shoulder juncture as they have short necks which I do not trim back to the SAAMI trim to length, I allow them to grow to within .005" from the end of the chamber and trim back .005".
Cheers.
dok7mm
Well-Known Member
I turn necks for all my rifles, half are tight neck and the others are no-turn. I start with a large amount of quality brass and find the turn needed to clean them all up to 95%.
Then spec the reamer for .004" clearance. Some will be tight necked, some will be minimal standard necks.
The truth is I don't believe turning will make a mediocre rifle into a shooter. I don't even know if my turning has made any of my rifles shoot tighter groups because they have never shot anything but turned brass from the start.
They all shoot under 1/2 moa, but I give that credit to the rifle components, the smith and constant testing of my loading steps.
If you want to turn your brass, your rifle is not going to shoot worse if done correctly, unless you have too much chamber clearance. That really overworks your brass and splits the necks.
Just my 2 cents!
Then spec the reamer for .004" clearance. Some will be tight necked, some will be minimal standard necks.
The truth is I don't believe turning will make a mediocre rifle into a shooter. I don't even know if my turning has made any of my rifles shoot tighter groups because they have never shot anything but turned brass from the start.
They all shoot under 1/2 moa, but I give that credit to the rifle components, the smith and constant testing of my loading steps.
If you want to turn your brass, your rifle is not going to shoot worse if done correctly, unless you have too much chamber clearance. That really overworks your brass and splits the necks.
Just my 2 cents!
Not once in 46 years of loading have I done it.....however that doesn't imply that there is no benefit to it......just no benefit to me personally!
cetacea
Active Member
When sizing 284W brass to 6mm/284 the neck would grow to .022. I neck turned to .014 and groups dropped from about 1"moa to .2 moa. I neck turn most new brass (.204, 220S and 223) for consistant tension.
If you've got a custom turned barrel/chamber (even it's a SAAMI spec chamber), it's worth a go, to get that last bit of consistency, if it isn't there already.
If however you're working with an off the shelf rifle, that the accuracy is very good/great and consistent, keep doing what you do, and leave it at that. Neck turning for it most likely will be a futile endeaver.
Using well made brass and solid loading practices, will yield excellent accuracy by it's very nature. Unless absolutely necessary, I rarely need to neck turn and it's usually just a particular lot of brass, that the necks didn't measure out, consistent, with the ball micrometer. If not the first firing, they're measured and just that bit is taken off the high side, to make them concentric.
If however you're working with an off the shelf rifle, that the accuracy is very good/great and consistent, keep doing what you do, and leave it at that. Neck turning for it most likely will be a futile endeaver.
Using well made brass and solid loading practices, will yield excellent accuracy by it's very nature. Unless absolutely necessary, I rarely need to neck turn and it's usually just a particular lot of brass, that the necks didn't measure out, consistent, with the ball micrometer. If not the first firing, they're measured and just that bit is taken off the high side, to make them concentric.
