Bushing selection (very newbie)

[Medicucho]

Hello everybody, I´ve just bought the redding competition dies but I havent decided yet which bushing I should buy. I read redding recommendation that you have to measure neck diameter of a loaded cartridge and sustract 1 thou but my big problem is, where do I have to do the measurement? at the top of the neck or where the shoulder starts? I ask this because I found very different values ( from .328 to .334 more or less) from one to the other. Did I mention that I want to use my dies on remington cases?

Thank you!!

 

[Gene]

The case headstamp is not important. With a micrometer, measure the diameter of the neck area of a loaded round. From this, deduct .002" or .003" and that is diameter of the bushing you can use. I usually order two bushings to begin. One of that size, and another smaller. Sometimes, the larger bushings do not afford good neck tension. Neck tension is very important. You may want to order other bushings a thou apart and try them.

 

[Forester]

I don't do the measure a loaded round thing because that requires you to actually load a round first... I use a ball mic and do this: Neck thickness x 2 + bullet diameter - Grip = Bushing diameter. Bushing dies are a gateway drug to neck turning, as soon as you have complete control over neck tension, those inconsistent neck thicknesses will start to drive you nuts.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

Hello everybody, I´ve just bought the redding competition dies but I havent decided yet which bushing I should buy. I read redding recommendation that you have to measure neck diameter of a loaded cartridge and sustract 1 thou but my big problem is, where do I have to do the measurement? at the top of the neck or where the shoulder starts? I ask this because I found very different values ( from .328 to .334 more or less) from one to the other. Did I mention that I want to use my dies on remington cases?

Thank you!!

Hello Medicucho, and welcome to LRH!

Your measurements sound very unusual to me. Are these bullets that you have seated or are they factory bullets? You may have variations in your neck thickeness which is causing the variations in your measurements? For bushing sizing, I recommend turning your necks for consistant neck thickenss. Then seat a bullet, measure it, and subract .002-.003 as already stated.

Hope that helps,

Mark