I just want to make the best ammo I can.

[GW Hunter]

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.

I have only broken in the barrel. Took the new brass right out of the box, loaded surplus TSX and TTSX 140-160 grain bullets with light loads using RL 19, RL 22 and H4831SC and sent them done the barrel. I wasn't too concerned about case prep. I just wanted to break in the barrel. Even with that, I had some clover leaf groups with the RL22 and 150grains at around 3050'/sec. can't wait to get into serious load development for this gun. It's gonna be a pea shooter.

 

[jtbiv01]

+ 1 for Lee collet die. Went that route when I couldn't get whidden bushing dies at the time for 280ai. I've had great luck reducing runout with whidden dies with 6.5 creed. Single digit sd and decent speeds with H4350 and Hornady bullets. Concentricity measured on Hornady gauge.

 

[Bob Wright]

My 280AI using Nosler brass had developed a donut on first firing and resizing using a full length RCBS die. Had just received the Redding FL bushing die after second firing.
The sizing button was left in Redding die to push the donut out to the neck o.d.
Then, neck turned to get my wall thickness consistent.
After I fire these rounds I plan checking again to see if the problem goes away. Then, I should be able to just bushing neck size only.
The bullets seated great on this 3rd loading whereas before It was really sticky throughout the seating stroke. The donut was really bad since the lower bearing surface is seated just below the neck shoulder using a 143 Hammer mono.

 

[gator378]

I take my expander out of my Redding dies. I then size to bump shoulder slightly only if need and resize neck with Redding Competitiom shell holders. I then run them through a Wilson Madrel die with a Tin Neck Mandrel (.002) with some Redding Neck Lube.

Works great for me anyway. I'm sure some of the more experienced and better Reloader's will be alone shortly.

Good Luck,
Steve

Magic words Redding competition shell holders. those little puppies eliminated case separations in the 300 Weatherby and the 308 in the FAL.

 

[Steelflight]

I would like to comment on the concern made by the op that he did not want to deal with neck run out and tuning. It should go with out saying that your going to get this problem eventually. The case will stretch in time.

 

[RD57]

GW Hunter,
I've also had success with a few Forster FL resizing dies that I had the necks honed at the factory to specific diameter. Going this route does not give you the flexibility of selecting/using different size bushings that you would have with a FL bushing die. My honed dies work perfectly with neck turned brass with no expanders required, but if I desire to use un-turned brass I can but I have to use an expander or mandrel. Good thing with the honed Forster dies is the minimal amount of sizing done with the necks. With this hobby there are a lot of ways/techniques to get the job done successfully!

 

[GW Hunter]

GW Hunter,
I've also had success with a few Forster FL resizing dies that I had the necks honed at the factory to specific diameter. Going this route does not give you the flexibility of selecting/using different size bushings that you would have with a FL bushing die. My honed dies work perfectly with neck turned brass with no expanders required, but if I desire to use un-turned brass I can but I have to use an expander or mandrel. Good thing with the honed Forster dies is the minimal amount of sizing done with the necks. With this hobby there are a lot of ways/techniques to get the job done successfully!

If the O.D. my loaded neck is .309, then my sized neck should be .307. Which is what my die takes it down to. What am I missing regarding the honed die? wouldn't it need to be honed to the same dimension as the die I already have?

 

[pacowboy]

What is run out after bullet seating? Have you checked runout on the inside of your case as well as the outside?

 

[RD57]

Your die appears to be good to go. The only issue that could arise due to die selection is case neck runout like pacowboy alluded to. Seems to me if you're getting nice cloverleaf groups with barrel break in loads then you most probably will have a successful load development.