Bushing Size for 223 Neck Bushing Die

[15thaf5thbw]

If you use a Neck Busing Die (like a RCBS Gold Medal Match Series Bushing Die) for 223 AR rounds, what bushing size are you using to get a decent amount of tightness when seating?

[Ahhnother8]

If you use a Neck Busing Die (like a RCBS Gold Medal Match Series Bushing Die) for 223 AR rounds, what bushing size are you using to get a decent amount of tightness when seating?

With Winchester brass and Redding dies I use a .244" bushing.

[kmullins]

OP,

I just went through this myself. Winchester and Remington seem to be thinner in the neck and a .244"-.246" bushing seems to work ok. I'm using Lapua brass which runs thicker than Remington and Winchester and chose to do a .248" bushing (I prefer less neck tension as well, .001" to .002") but since your running this ammo in an AR-15 I think you'd want more neck tension in the .003" to .004" range.

Good luck!

[damndave]

What kind of weapon is it being shot out of? Out of a bolt gun I would go back -.002 and -.004 for an AR.

Comes down to what brass you are using. Different brass has different wall thickness.

Easy way to check what it should be at is to get the same ammo that is loaded and measure around the neck with your caliper. Then subtract -.004 or -.008 from .224 and you should have your bushing size.

[BAGunner]

Redding's latest manual recommends -0.001 from the loaded neck.

I have 244, 245 and 246 bushings. I used 246 bushing for thick brass, and 245 for less think ones. So far I haven't used the 244 bushing.

[15thaf5thbw]

Gentlemen, thank you.

This is the info that I needed. I am loading for an AR. I am using a mixture of 1x-fired brass which inlcudes: PMC, RP, AP, FC, HSM, a ton of LC Nato, and few others I cannot remember.

I think I will go with both a 244, 245 and 246 just to cover the bases.

Thank you again.

[15thaf5thbw]

One other question ...

For those of you using the neck busing sizing die ... Do you also crimp while/after seating?

I do this with my .308 loads that I create for Win 308 and 30-06 using a separate Lee Factory Crimp Die in a final step.

Am wondering if with a 245 or 244 bushing for the 223/5.56mm round you'd need to even bother with a crimp.

What say yee.