Thread: Neck turning...is it worth doing ?

Originally Posted by Ftx325

I think the thing is I have always used my rifles for hunting/shooting at live targets. From possum shooting and paid pest controller at a nursery nailing rabbits and hares , often with on the run headshots , but never been one to go to the range and just shoot except for sighting in a scope.
I find hunting to be my natural environment for shooting and I think instincts take over when you take a shot under that kind of situation. And I don't shoot unless I am confident of a good hit and very rarely have I lost a wounded animal.
Now I know I am pretty good shot with a 22 from my pest control days but I took the lad to an indoor 22 rifle club for a play and I was taking my time with the shots as the gentleman was suggesting and was shooting decidedly averagely. Then I just completely ignored the fact I was at a range and stopped thinking about what I was doing and second guessing every shot and just shot the rifle and started shooting 9 and 10 every shot until my eyes started crapping out. I got told off for not taking my time and shooting to fast but showed I am more accurate if I just point and pull the trigger than spend all day thinking about it. And I believe it is more natural for me that way as that is how i've always shot.
Does that make sense to anyone ?

It is exactly the same for me, could be a reactive-muscle-memory thing maybe ? Moment I over-think it, it turns to custard

Anybody that neck turns a hunting rifle is either a F class shooter that can't help themselves or a hunter that reads just enough information to be dangerous.
Do not neck turn a hunting rifle period!

Agree. Unless your a highly competitive benchrest shoot why bother

Why bother cleaning cases, uniforming flash holes, trimming necks, sizing cases, accurately measuring powder, precisely seating primers, selecting a primer, powder, projectile combo your rifle likes, etc, etc? Because they all add up to more accurate shooting.

Aside from the the basics, I feel there is no better way to improve accuracy and consistency than neck turning and bushing dies. Yes, possibly only small improvements, but if someone wants to do it and feels it’s worth the minimal effort, good luck to them.

Originally Posted by Taupohunter

Anybody that neck turns a hunting rifle is either a F class shooter that can't help themselves or a hunter that reads just enough information to be dangerous.
Do not neck turn a hunting rifle period!

It doesn't hurt to clean up the necks. It improves accuracy and maybe only removes .001-2" off the fat side of the case. If you continue loading lopsided cases you introduce more and more runout. So It still applies to hunting rifles imo.

Ive never met an actual benchrest shooter but shooting beyond 700m at an NRA club your ammo has to be as consistant as you can make it.

Originally Posted by Taupohunter

Anybody that neck turns a hunting rifle is either a F class shooter that can't help themselves or a hunter that reads just enough information to be dangerous.
Do not neck turn a hunting rifle period!

Well my mentor is both of those.
He has explained the reason for turning which makes sense to me and as my rifle is for long range hunting and he has the gear to do it I have done all but thirty rounds. The last thirty I have left unturned as an experiment to see if it does have a noticable impact on accuracy at longer ranges and it will be interesting to see just how much effect it has. Probably no more than any inherent variation from my shooting but only one way to find out....
Very interesting comments on here though , and if it was for short range bush rifle I agree there wouldn't be much point in doing it . But for longer ranges I guess every little thing that you can do is worth doing as it must all add up in the end to make a difference , otherwise why not just use factory rounds full stop and save all the time and expense making your own....?

All depends how addicted to shooting you've become. If the shelves are bare then you're down to making 'pew pew' noises. Im now shooting bullets i had my nose turned up at 6 months ago

No. Not worth it. I have a Hornady concentricity tool to make sure the bullets are centered - I don't think that makes much difference either.

Correct name should be Concentricity Tool And Consistant Neck Tension Destroyer

I considered outside neck turning but realised that unless your chamber was of tight minimum dimensions, it would be pointless because the shoulder bumped / resised cartridge would be centered off the shoulder anyway. I went the route of inside neck reaming only if a donut developed but in addition and / or regardless of that; now always ensure consistent neck alignment and internal even diameter by use of Lee collet neck dies. Annealing will add a little more consistency to neck "tension" on the projectile as well and I anneal brass after around 7th reload.

Annealing did more for accuracy than neck turning in my experience.

if its a factory chambering...NO

if its tight neck custom chambering, you are best to

I neck turned because I had to, used mil surp .308 and necked it to .260 but I ended up with 16 1/2 thou neck walls and the loaded rounds wouldnt fit my hunting rifle. Dont bother neck turning my TR rifle yet ( notice the yet) dont think I will.

Originally Posted by Tikka7mm08

Annealing did more for accuracy than neck turning in my experience.

+1

I have been annealing all except the thirty rounds also .
I have gone whole hog on all except the thirty rounds which have just had the primer flash hole cleaned up internally and a shoulder bump. Again just to see if there is any measurable difference in accuracy with identical loads over the full treatment cases.