Neck tension on hunting cartridges?

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Bustercluck

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Fort McMurray
What are you guys using for neck tension on hunting rounds in annealed brass? I only have a cheap fl die and I was thinking of getting a mandrel to open them up.

I’m think 0.002-0.003”? Maybe split the difference and go 0.0025”? .284 bullet so a .2815”?
 
Run a case in with your expander in, and check the OD vs a loaded round, then run one in without the expander. Then figure out what mandrels you may want, want more than one, as some brass springs back differently than you may think.
 
Depends on a number of factors (caliber, brass manufacturer, # of reloads, type of dies). I have experienced some bullet movement in the magazine of some calibers (300win and 325WSM) when using -.002”. So, I usually target sizing the necks -0.004”. I count on spring back of .001-.002” after resizing. Annealing the cases seems to reduce spring back effect.
Bottom line for me is to avoid a loose bullet seat. I have never had a need to open the case neck up on a hunting round.
 
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On hunting ammo- If I'm using boattail bullets (and mostly I do) I've pretty much given up on neck expander buttons. I will decap, resize and seat. That ensures good neck tension. Only time I expand the neck on a bottleneck case now is if I am using flat base bullets or if I am loading on a progressive press- and then I use a separate neck expander die like the Lyman M die or Mighty Armory neck expander.
 
Im not sure why a hunting round would be any different.
All my ammo gets FL sized with no expander ball and then a mandrel for .002 neck tension.
I use only one kind of brass and typically only one bullet for each calibre.
Works great for me.
 
Bustercluck said:
What are you guys using for neck tension on hunting rounds in annealed brass? I only have a cheap fl die and I was thinking of getting a mandrel to open them up.

I’m think 0.002-0.003”? Maybe split the difference and go 0.0025”? .284 bullet so a .2815”?
Click to expand...
As long as they're consistent, it really doesn't matter. Just make sure it's enough to hold tight, I prefer my hunting stuff a bit tighter because they can get treated a bit rougher than just target shooting.
 
I have never worried about neck tension on the hunting rounds for my main rifle , I just make sure I have enough , which is more than .002 for me, preferably .004
as long as the loaded round chambers and extracts easily , that is good for me.
I don't shoot past 400 yards with that rifle, and the longest shot has been just under that - a 372 yard heart shot on a white tail.
Cat
 
TJCote said:
Depends on a number of factors (caliber, brass manufacturer, # of reloads, type of dies). I have experienced some bullet movement in the magazine of some calibers (300win and 325WSM) when using -.002”. So, I usually target sizing the necks -0.004”. I count on spring back of .001-.002” after resizing. Annealing the cases seems to reduce spring back effect.
Bottom line for me is to avoid a loose bullet seat. I have never had a need to open the case neck up on a hunting round.
Click to expand...
100 percent caliber and system dependant, having a bullet like (just using it as an example) an Eldm or x, seated tight in a magazine will deform the tips from recoil If you don’t have enough neck tension it will affect seating depth as well. Best to check your system out once you’ve decided on a load to make sure it’s functional without negative effects
 
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