No neck tension?

[SamGoldstein]

I am full-length resizing some 8mm Mauser. I am using the Lee die set and prvi partisan .323 bullets. When I seat the bullets into the neck I noticed that some cases have no neck tension to securely hold the bullet. I am seating the bullet up to the canalure (crimp groove). Is this normal?

Of course after crimping, the bullet is securely held in place. But isn't neck tension suppose to be enough?

Thanks for any tips or help!

Sam

['ol shooter]

Measure the bullets you are using, and measure the expander on the Lee die. There should be at least a .002" difference between the expander O.D. and the bullet O.D., so you get tension. If the bullet you are using is the one you will be loading a lot of, and the expander is too big, simply chuck it in a drill and carefully remove material until you get the desired dimension, then polish it.

[SamGoldstein]

Measure the bullets you are using, and measure the expander on the Lee die. There should be at least a .002" difference between the expander O.D. and the bullet O.D., so you get tension. If the bullet you are using is the one you will be loading a lot of, and the expander is too big, simply chuck it in a drill and carefully remove material until you get the desired dimension, then polish it.

Expander=.3215"
Bullet=.323"

Is it possible that the bullets are inconsistent in diameter? I only measured a few.

[huckberry668]

maybe the brass has inconsistent neck thickness.

[someoneeasy]

maybe the brass has inconsistent neck thickness.

Even if that were the case, wouldn't the expander still determine the inside diameter?

[huckberry668]

sizing die sizes the OD of the neck. so the OD of your sized brass would be the same but ID would vary if the neck thickness are different. I don't think the expander ball even touched the necks. the expander ball didn't even make contact if after 'proper sizing' the neck ID is barely the size of the bullet.

I've done this myself. I turned the necks too thin and couldn't get them to hold a bullet after 2nd sizing.

Here is the solution, buy a Lee Collet Neck sizing die and use it as a second sizing step. It sizes the ID of the neck onto the mandrel. Or... buy good brass. Crimping isn't the way to solve neck tension issues. You'll still have ES and precision issues.

[someoneeasy]

sizing die sizes the OD of the neck. so the OD of your sized brass would be the same but ID would vary if the neck thickness are different. I don't think the expander ball even touched the necks. the expander ball didn't even make contact if after 'proper sizing' the neck ID is barely the size of the bullet.

I've done this myself. I turned the necks too thin and couldn't get them to hold a bullet after 2nd sizing.

Here is the solution, buy a Lee Collet Neck sizing die and use it as a second sizing step. It sizes the ID of the neck onto the mandrel. Or... buy good brass. Crimping isn't the way to solve neck tension issues. You'll still have ES and precision issues.

interesting, I thought the expander did so when being pulled out of the brass. As you were then.

[arrowshooter]

Not to ask a silly question, but do you have the die turned down far enough?

[savagemann]

How many times have the cases been fired?

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[SamGoldstein]

Not to ask a silly question, but do you have the die turned down far enough?

Yes. Per instructions.

[SamGoldstein]

How many times have the cases been fired?

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Once. But, some are S&B, Wolf, and PPU. So the brass varies.

[ar15barrels]

Once. But, some are S&B, Wolf, and PPU. So the brass varies.

Is there a pattern in that only ONE specific type of brass has the loose bullet fit problem?

[SamGoldstein]

maybe the brass has inconsistent neck thickness.

That may be. I'm reloading brass from: S&B, Wolf, and PPU. I wasn't smart enough to write down which brass had the problem. I'm also out of projectiles too. But I can measure the thickness as I have some cases leftover. I will post values after I measure.

[SamGoldstein]

Is there a pattern in that only ONE specific type of brass has the loose bullet fit problem?

Unfortunately I was too stupid to note that. This is my first time I ever reloaded rifle cases.

[SamGoldstein]

The S&B cases have a neck wall thickness of .015 - .016.
The PPU cases have a neck wall thickness of .0125 - .0145.
No Wolf ammo cases left to measure.

Looks like I know which cases may have the problem. But I can't be sure.