I just want to make the best ammo I can.

[GW Hunter]

I'll check again. Unfortunately 21st century is not up and running right now.

 

[GW Hunter]

Ahh... the neck turning mandrel is .002 under..... Thanks for the input

 

[Jud96]

@GW Hunter the Sinclair "neck" mandrels are .002 under and their "expander" mandrels are .001 under. Sorry I forgot that's how they have them separated. I just looked. I ordered the neck mandrels to get .002 under bullet diameter.

 

[sedancowboy]

The Sinclair Expander mandrel is .001 under caliber, the Turning Mandrel is .002 under Caliber.

 

[7stw]

7stw

how would a standard RCBS die ever not touch the neck when sizing a case? The neck hits far before the die contacts the case shoulder?

I'm confused?

Please explain.

Steve

If you resize it with the neck sizer first, the contact is minimal. When I run Lapua brass through it AFTER neck sizing, the outer neck portion barely touches. When I run Hornady brass, there usually isnt ANY CONTACT.
Because it was shrunk in the neck sizer. Some guys drill it out a shade over. That's my best explanation.

 

[ButterBean]

I've beat myself half stupid, and been in your shoes. This is what I've turned to, it works, run out is very good, and accuracy is much more consistent, and tension on bullet is way better, less growth.
I removed expander ball on rcbs die.
First step. Run brass through Lee collet neck sizer. Adjusted to the John Valentine method. (Google it).
Then, run it through the full length die, to correct body, and bump. Depending on the brass, the die might contact the neck, but usually not, remember, it was just neck sized. The neck sizer will take care of decapping. You can adjust neck tension if need be, by polishing mandrel, or buying undersize one from Lee.
It works for me, and I've always struggled with this
Also, consider annealing.
Take care, All, be safe!
Note. If too much contact with neck, in full length die, it can be drilled out. In my cases, contact was minimal.
There's afew other well known members here that share this practice. That's where I got it from. Good luck!

7STW is spot on, this is the process I use as well

 

[Savage 12BVSS]

I've beat myself half stupid, and been in your shoes. This is what I've turned to, it works, run out is very good, and accuracy is much more consistent, and tension on bullet is way better, less growth.
I removed expander ball on rcbs die.
First step. Run brass through Lee collet neck sizer. Adjusted to the John Valentine method. (Google it).
Then, run it through the full length die, to correct body, and bump. Depending on the brass, the die might contact the neck, but usually not, remember, it was just neck sized. The neck sizer will take care of decapping. You can adjust neck tension if need be, by polishing mandrel, or buying undersize one from Lee.
It works for me, and I've always struggled with this
Also, consider annealing.
Take care, All, be safe!
Note. If too much contact with neck, in full length die, it can be drilled out. In my cases, contact was minimal.
There's afew other well known members here that share this practice. That's where I got it from. Good luck!

I use a decapper die on another press first to deprime, than duplicate the post quoted above with the exception I use forster benchrest sizer dies less spindle and expander ball. Seat bullets with a forster benchrest seater die (best there is). No lube with lee neck collet die and use the Valentine adjustment method, not Lee's! Rounds average .001 or less TIR.

 

[sedancowboy]

I use a decapper die on another press first to deprime

The single best advice I have learned. All the crap from depriming falling down around your press ram is really hard on it. I use a cheap press to deprime with a universal decapping die.

 

[bramlett9]

I used to remove the ball from my Forster dies, but have since tested put it back in. No appreciable difference in runout, group size, es, etc. that I could notice. I run Forster dies for as many of my calibers as they make em for.

 

[liv4thehunt]

Defensive Edge makes one of the most complete reloading videos out there. Shawn covers everything you need to reload for the long range hunting rifle. I have been reloading since 1990 and I learned a lot. He uses Redding fl dies with no expander ball, and 99 percent of his guns shoot single digit extreme spreads. His video covers the stuff you need to do, and leaves out several of the steps bench rest shooters swear by.

 

[RD57]

I use a few mandrels for expanding certain calibers with turned necks, and other calibers such as the 30-30 and 22 hornet with thin brass I quit using mandrels. My reason for abandoning the mandrels with the thin brass necks was because the mandrels expanded the weaker side of the brass introducing very bad neck concentricity, this concentricity issue also appeared when using only a bushing die. Using polished or carbide neck balls/expanders moved up so that they expand the neck when the neck is still slightly supported by the sizing die solved the neck concentricity problem. All my resizing dies that I use the expander balls are set up this way and I do not use them for de-priming my cases preferring to use a universal de-primer for the operation.

 

[6.5-300 BEE]

The OP said he was not a 1000 yd shooter. I'd be curious how well his rifle grouped as is ?

My 280 AI Encore with standard Lee dies will shoot sub MOA to 500.

BTW as Zeglin has said, there is only one 280AI chamber. Another myth to be buried.

 

[redneckdan]

If not going full gonzo, I've had the best luck bumping shoulders with a body die then using a lee collet neck sizer. I found annealing to be quite helpful for consistent shoulder bump.

 

[misterc01]

First, I appreciate all the many ways to skin a cat that we get from this site! I learn something new each time I sign in.
My process: New to me brass - I FL resize with a lee Ultimate sizing die, finish round. Once fired brass: Deprime and clean. Measure Headspace (RCBS Precision mic) and neck size with Hornady Match neck bushing die. Finish round.