.002 is probably a minimum.
Don't be afraid to try a lot more, like .004-.005
Some guns really respond
Tell me about mandrels? Use of, pro & con
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Don't be afraid to try a lot more, like .004-.005
Some guns really respond
If you want .002 net, probably have to squeeze down to .003 then open back up with the mandrel that gets you there. Account for .0005 spring back usually.
You want the mandrel to have a definite working effect, for uniformity.
You want the mandrel to have a definite working effect, for uniformity.
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Alex Wheeler in his thread "Keeping it simple with reloading", Says he uses bushing dies not a mandrel to set neck tension.
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I guess there's many ways to skin a cat. But which is best?
Keeping it simple with reloading
I have been shooting 1k for a long time. There are so many rabbit holes you can go down. My opinion is that 99% of your rifles accuracy is the tune. Sorting and measuring help but not until your at a certain level. Glenn Kulzer shot 8 new records in 2021, no other feat has come close in...
I guess there's many ways to skin a cat. But which is best?
Yes I saw a video with Alex Wheeler talking about how one of his loads shot well at .005. Just another rabbit hole to go down lol. I think at some point I am going to do some testing and see how much difference it makes. Of course if you believe in statistics you probably need 25-30 data points to eliminate normal variation. Thats another rabbit hole.
When it does what I want about 3 times in a row over several days I call it statistically DONE.
Alex also doesn't put any lub inside the case neck. He thinks the powder residue is the best, most consistent?, inside neck lubricant there is. This gets confusing when experts seem to disagree.
Bear in mind that "good" brass behaves differently than cheap brass. So does once fired vs 5 times fired brass. So does annealed brass vs brass that hasn't been annealed. I use a .002 - .003 smaller bushing to start with. And that's where it usually ends up. If the brass sits for a while before I load it I'll run a pin gauge in the neck to check the ID. Sometimes I'll do that after I run a mandrel through it. I use an AMP press to seat bullets and that tells me a lot about how much neck tension there is and other things that make a round inconsistent. Do you have to do that with a hunting round? I don't know. I like the process.
Even the F Class guys have their own way to prep brass. I don't lube the inside of the neck unless it's new brass. The AMP tells me that it works.
Figure out who's winning and figure on not being able to afford all of that stuff
Figure out who's winning and figure on not being able to afford all of that stuff
Good Points Mike.
I use carbon residue for lube usually, unless I'm really doing a lot with a mandrel.
Like necking up in caliber maybe.
I also anneal every firing with ADG and Peterson brass. Good stuff in = Good stuff out.
I use carbon residue for lube usually, unless I'm really doing a lot with a mandrel.
Like necking up in caliber maybe.
I also anneal every firing with ADG and Peterson brass. Good stuff in = Good stuff out.
Well there is more than one way to skin a cat lol. My takeaway is let your targets tell you what works for you.
Alex doesn't anneal his brass either and says it lasts a long time. This to minimize vertical spread at 1,000 yards for competitive shooting.
I also was listening to a pod cast with Alex where he indicated he did not anneal. He said his rifle shot better without annealing. His theory is that annealing softens the brass and makes it harder for him to get the required neck tension or something to that effect. I found that really interesting.
Erik Cortina (stats from his FB page: 5X TSRA Champion, SWN Champion, South Africa Champion. 10X Natl. Team Champion, World Team Champion), F Class John, and other F Class shooters anneal. Idk. I anneal to improve brass life. One thing about this topic, you'll get a lot of opinions 
I can understand why a mandrel might be better than the ball you pull back through the neck after depriming and sizing. But why do you guys think a mandrel is better than bushing dies? One sets neck tension by outside compression and the other by inside expansion.
I'm trying to decide if I should upgrade from the way I learned 60 years ago.
I'm trying to decide if I should upgrade from the way I learned 60 years ago.
