Thread: Whats your neck turning process?

Hi GWH, yes, a donut or ring-bulge as Kimjon mentions, but if the chamber has a standard neck it all expands well out of the way on first firing and then subsequently only the sized portion is in contact with the bullet. I guess if the chamber had a tight neck clearance then this wouldn't work. It was a work-around for not wanting to buy an additional non-bushing die just for pre-turning prep. Almost certainly it would have been better to have done it properly and get a die that can size right down to the neck-shoulder and then use a profiled cutter, giving the option of gripping the bullet with all the available neck.

Thanks Puffin, that does make sense, cheers for clarifing that.

Some neck turning questions.

I'm currently borrowing a Sinclair 1000 from a mate. Using my Lee shell holder. Unless you tighten it down pretty hard, the case sometimes unscrews itself when the cutter takes the first bite. Anyone using a K&M case holder experiencing this ?

Also, is there really a benefit to having carbide cutter and carbide turner mandrel ? It's only cutting brass after all...

Lastly, I see the K&M has a cutter on the mandrel to deal with the "doughnut". I'm turning Lapua brass that has probably been fired 15 times after initialy been turned. Only taking a tiny bit (around 1mm) off near the neck shoulder junction. How real is the doughnut problem in non magnum calibers ?

I found that the cartridge neck tension on the neck turner spindle varied too much. So. now I anneal all of the cases before neck turning and the neck tension is now consistent, and, perhaps, the neck thickness is more consistent. I use a Makita battery drill on slow speed to hold the case base and I am sure that this makes the neck thickness more consistent.

Personally have never found any improvement in accuracy by neck turning cases for standard neck dimensions. Definitely in and also a necessity in a tight competition necked chamber. With your standard average factory chamber with usually fairly sloppy neck dimensions the brass will just expand out and have to be sized down more to grip the projectile. You may gain a small advantage in run out by only neck turning the brass on the high side. This is assuming you're using high quality brass to start with such as Lapua and high quality hand dies or Redding type bushing dies, which you appear to have.

Anyway, it's good to learn another reloading skill and you've got nothing to lose except time. You may even see an improvement in your rifles accuracy.

Originally Posted by ebf

Some neck turning questions.

I'm currently borrowing a Sinclair 1000 from a mate. Using my Lee shell holder. Unless you tighten it down pretty hard, the case sometimes unscrews itself when the cutter takes the first bite. Anyone using a K&M case holder experiencing this ?

Also, is there really a benefit to having carbide cutter and carbide turner mandrel ? It's only cutting brass after all...

Lastly, I see the K&M has a cutter on the mandrel to deal with the "doughnut". I'm turning Lapua brass that has probably been fired 15 times after initialy been turned. Only taking a tiny bit (around 1mm) off near the neck shoulder junction. How real is the doughnut problem in non magnum calibers ?

Yep, I am using a K&M neck turning tool for lapua .308 brass once it is sized down to .260. I don't have any issues with the case holder though it needs to be more than finger tight - I lightly tighten it with a spanner to ensure it holds the cases firmly. Can't comment on the carbide cutter - a smoother cutter would have to be an advantage. I definitely get a donut forming .308 to .260, way back when I was only cutting the outside of the neck you could feel the donut when seating projectiles. Now I use the K&M tool with the cutter on the mandrel. Now have nice consistent neck with consistent neck tension. I suppose I should be annealing now...

For what it is worth anneal before you turn because otherwise you are shaving hardened brass. Use the K&M turners.Now we skim our necks just to clean them up.