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Indeed. When you start taking all of these things into account, it can be overwhelming.
Tell me about mandrels? Use of, pro & con
- Thread starter tribb
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they're pricy, but I've started using the SAC modular sizing dies with the expander mandrel installed, and it has worked very well and minimized the number of steps for me.
shortactioncustoms.com
shortactioncustoms.com
Modular Sizing Dies – Short Action Customs, LLC.
Your Foundation For Precision
shortactioncustoms.com
Expander Mandrels
Expander Mandrels are ONLY compatible with Short Action Customs Modular Sizing Dies. NOTE: If you are not currently using a SAC Expander Mandrel in your Modular Sizing die, you will likely need to purchase a compatible ER11 Collet. Please see chart at bottom of page.
shortactioncustoms.com
I think I wrote RCBS earlier but, the die I use is (from the label on the box) a Redding Type S - Bushing Style Full Sizing die. Part number 77136 for the 7mm Remington Mag. The neck bushing goes in the die. You can change bushing size to minimize how much sizing you do. The mandrel die comes from 21st Century. Most of my mandrels come from them too. I also have Short Action Customs and Cortina Precision mandrels. The 21st Century mandrels are good enough for what I do.
Citified
Well-Known Member
I used full length and neck bushing dies for decades until a few years ago. Now I use full length dies with the expander ball removed, bump shoulders .002 and then expand with a
mandrel. A little graphite makes it work very easy and produces more consistent ammunition in my opinion. I also anneal every couple of firings to prolong the brass life. But I try to only use quality brass which is more expensive.
mandrel. A little graphite makes it work very easy and produces more consistent ammunition in my opinion. I also anneal every couple of firings to prolong the brass life. But I try to only use quality brass which is more expensive.
BrentM
Well-Known Member
It's an added step and I have learned to accept that for precision ammo. For plinking etc, I don't.
There is a lot to think about but in the end don't overthink it. The only real con is the extra time. Concentric necks. Uniform inside diameter. Consistent expansion on non turned necks. Better control of desired tension. All worth the little investment and time for me.
There is a lot to think about but in the end don't overthink it. The only real con is the extra time. Concentric necks. Uniform inside diameter. Consistent expansion on non turned necks. Better control of desired tension. All worth the little investment and time for me.
I full length resize for everything that I reload for. I use Sinclair mandrel die for everything that I reload for except the straight walled cartridges, I use the expander/bell mouth die for them. I remove the expander ball from the full-length resizing die, so this adds an additional two steps to the reloading process if you are reloading cases that have been fired. For depriming a use a Lee universal priming tool. When using a mandrel for neck sizing, the mandrel also removes the "donut" if the case has one. My thoughts on the donut are there are two ways to remove it, resize and ream the excess brass off, or expand the brass from the inside of the case outwards and turn the neck of the casing. I prefer turning the neck of the case to maintain concentricity of the brass on the case neck. I use a Foster, Original case with a neck turning attachment. I have found that with the Foster turning tool the neck also is getting trued up with the case body. I hope this helps.
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Nimrodmar10
Well-Known Member
These were reccomended by Pieter Milan of Impact Shooting. You might want to take a look at this set that I use. They are out of South Africa. It's great kit, the prices are very reasonable, shipping prices are reasonable and shipping time was great. You get the whole set, not one piece at a time.
www.axisprecisionworx.com
Expander Mandrel Set | Axis Precision Worx
The APW Expander Mandrel effectively smooths and gently expands the case neck, ensuring consistent neck tension. This method has proven to be the most straightforward approach to significantly reduce Extreme Spread (ES) and Standard Deviation (SD) figures. Commercial die manufacturers often...
I started using mandrel neck sizing last year when I started making wildcat cartridges. I went with Wilson from Creedmore Sports .
Adjusting the neck tension is a game changer, really need one if you are necking brass up or down.
Hope this helps.
Adjusting the neck tension is a game changer, really need one if you are necking brass up or down.
Hope this helps.
WOW, Do you get 12 exp.mandrel and the die for 130.00These were reccomended by Pieter Milan of Impact Shooting. You might want to take a look at this set that I use. They are out of South Africa. It's great kit, the prices are very reasonable, shipping prices are reasonable and shipping time was great. You get the whole set, not one piece at a time.
Expander Mandrel Set | Axis Precision Worx
The APW Expander Mandrel effectively smooths and gently expands the case neck, ensuring consistent neck tension. This method has proven to be the most straightforward approach to significantly reduce Extreme Spread (ES) and Standard Deviation (SD) figures. Commercial die manufacturers often...
Did I read that right.
Nimrodmar10
Well-Known Member
That's right. You even get the sexy holder to keep it all together.
Thats's a heck of a deal.These were reccomended by Pieter Milan of Impact Shooting. You might want to take a look at this set that I use. They are out of South Africa. It's great kit, the prices are very reasonable, shipping prices are reasonable and shipping time was great. You get the whole set, not one piece at a time.
Expander Mandrel Set | Axis Precision Worx
The APW Expander Mandrel effectively smooths and gently expands the case neck, ensuring consistent neck tension. This method has proven to be the most straightforward approach to significantly reduce Extreme Spread (ES) and Standard Deviation (SD) figures. Commercial die manufacturers often...
