07-08-2020, 02:44 AM
What A5B said. To not use the mandrel you need to go to a bushing style reloading die.
Another factor affecting neck tension is the hardness of the brass in the case neck, and how much undersize the I.D. of the neck is relative to the bullet diameter.
For consistent neck tension, you're also going to have to consider neck annealing to make sure that all the brass you run has the same state of hardness in the necks. And then there's neck turning to make sure all the necks are of a uniform thickness.
The F-Classers i know chase uniform neck tension. And a host of other minutia in search of that last x for score.
if you Pareto all the factors in rifle accuracy, though, good bullets and good barrels are up near the top. things like uniform neck tension do count, but the effect is not nearly as dramatic as the difference between a so-so barrel and a "hummer".
so like A5B recommended, put the mandrel back in the die and just use it.
if you want to chase the ultimate accuracy, make sure you, your barrel, your bullet are up to the requirements, as well as many other details. it's all fun. but time consuming. Neck annealing will be a required tool to help you get to more consistent neck tension, as well as other things. If you are after these incremental improvements, I'm sure you're using Lapua brass already, right? weigh powder t o the kernel, run custom match bullets in Krieger, Bartlien, or other premium barrels, etc.
the whole purpose of uniform neck tension is to aid in getting as small an extreme spread in muzzle velocity as possible. This shows up as vertical dispersion, but is only point worthy when going very long. like Palma or something. Besides neck tension, there are a host of other ammo variables that need attention to reduce extreme spread in muzzle velocities.
Have fun with producing great target ammo, it's all good learning. But if the rifle & shooter are not up to snuff, you may not see any difference in your group size between an ES of 10fps vs 100fps.
I fall into that later camp, unfortunately. I am the weak link in accuracy for me. My gear is better than I am. I still strive to produce good ammo, but when I lose points, it's all me.
-tdbru
Another factor affecting neck tension is the hardness of the brass in the case neck, and how much undersize the I.D. of the neck is relative to the bullet diameter.
For consistent neck tension, you're also going to have to consider neck annealing to make sure that all the brass you run has the same state of hardness in the necks. And then there's neck turning to make sure all the necks are of a uniform thickness.
The F-Classers i know chase uniform neck tension. And a host of other minutia in search of that last x for score.
if you Pareto all the factors in rifle accuracy, though, good bullets and good barrels are up near the top. things like uniform neck tension do count, but the effect is not nearly as dramatic as the difference between a so-so barrel and a "hummer".
so like A5B recommended, put the mandrel back in the die and just use it.
if you want to chase the ultimate accuracy, make sure you, your barrel, your bullet are up to the requirements, as well as many other details. it's all fun. but time consuming. Neck annealing will be a required tool to help you get to more consistent neck tension, as well as other things. If you are after these incremental improvements, I'm sure you're using Lapua brass already, right? weigh powder t o the kernel, run custom match bullets in Krieger, Bartlien, or other premium barrels, etc.
the whole purpose of uniform neck tension is to aid in getting as small an extreme spread in muzzle velocity as possible. This shows up as vertical dispersion, but is only point worthy when going very long. like Palma or something. Besides neck tension, there are a host of other ammo variables that need attention to reduce extreme spread in muzzle velocities.
Have fun with producing great target ammo, it's all good learning. But if the rifle & shooter are not up to snuff, you may not see any difference in your group size between an ES of 10fps vs 100fps.
I fall into that later camp, unfortunately. I am the weak link in accuracy for me. My gear is better than I am. I still strive to produce good ammo, but when I lose points, it's all me.
-tdbru