Help solve a mystery

O

oneshotonemiss

Guest
I'm really hoping that some will read this post and once they stop laughing will clear up a mystery for me. You may just solve my sanity!

W-W Brass for .223 Remington
Case Wall thickness: .012"-.013"

I'm trying to get .003" neck tension for an AR. (Don't shudder benchresters, please!)

Ran a batch through a Redding FL bushing die with a .246 bushing.

When I went to seat the bullets, most case necks were tight but a few the bullet just slipped right through with no grip at all.

I then re-checked case wall thickness, id and od and using my gauges found no difference between the cases that were snug and the ones that the bullets slipped through.

Head scratching began.

I then ran the troublesome cases through a set of Lee dies that I know have a very small expander and now all the necks were snug when I placed a bullet into them.

Ok that made sense...sort of.

I then ran these cases back through the Redding die with no adjustments made whatsoever, other than removing and putting back the die itself.

Lo and behold the necks now don't let a bullet slip through!

Real head scratching began!

I measured once again and could tell no difference from what they were the first time.

I'm using a tube micrometer and a combo gauge set up from RCBS.

All help appreciated.

Thanks!
 
Bullets too small. :p
There was no mention of checking bullet diameter. That would be the problem, then????????
The standard .223 Rem. Lee decapping stem is at SAAMI spec.
The die moves the brass around to SAAMI spec.
Bullets are at SAAMI spec.......
Bushing die only sizes OD of neck. ID is irrelevant. Bullets too small.....:eek:
 
Well the bullets were 52 gr SMK's.

I don't understand how I could reduce the OD without it having an effect on the ID. Can someone explain that?
 
I would be thinkin about the variances in the hardness of the brass. Annealing.
 
brass/neck tension

Yes, I would also go with differences in brass/neck tension, could be due to how many times each were reloaded. One of the reasons I like to keep my brass in the same "lots", or times reloaded. If one or several out of 20, or 50, etc were new, or once fired, and they are mixed-in with others that have been loaded 12, 13, etc. times I would expect seating resistance to vary. When seating, if I feel one that seats with abnormal pressure, it is marked (magic marker) and kept for first round fouling, basic scope adjust, etc. All brass is not created equal, so it can also be a problem with any "batch", new or old.
 
You did not mention if you use an expander ball with the bushing dies. Sounds like you are, cause how esle can you take a case that works (problem case run through your Lee die) then when run through the bushing die it became larger. If you are using an expander with the bushing die there is a point where a smaller bushing will not give a smaller ID since the expander will open it.

Jim
 
Sounds like Jim is on to it.
The expander ball. There should have been another Decapper rod in the Redding die set. Without the expander ball. Use this.
Sierra makes a very nice bullet. Have shot a lot of them.
Guess, you don't like jokes.
If you are using the expander ball. You got lucky. I have heard that when using this and a bushing. They usually get jammed together. :eek:
 
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Just remember springback.

The brass will always spring back a thou at least so's you gotta' go PAST your target.... and let 'er bounce back.

kapische?

al
 
I love jokes but sometimes I'm too dense to get the punchline either that or.... :rolleyes:
 
Just checked my Redding .223 FL die, and I use a .245 bushing for my bolt action .223 Rem, and a .243 bushing for my AR. Since I don't enjoy turning case necks all that much, and find turning necks for SAAMI chambers a waste of time I use Redding's carbide expander that floats on the decapping pin. Seems to work well since both rifles shoot as well as I can shoot them.

If you don't keep your cases sorted by number of firings that's likely a part of your problem too. Buy some MTM boxes and keep the same cases in the same boxes. Makes keeping them segregated easy.
 
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