Need a hand!!

[thebigbully]

Just received my new Redding compition die set in the mail for my .338 Lapua.

Set came with 3 bushings (friend in the states bought me the set) and they read 364 365 and 368. I understand they are for sizing the case neck for tension on the bullet. 300gr sierra match.

I have inserted the springs on both the deprimer and bullet seating dies but am not sure where to insert these bushings. It has been explained to me that I should start with the 368 and work down after checking my overall length in my rifle. I'm feeling pretty confident that they go into the deprimer die, but there doesn't seem to be a place to fit them in or do they go onto the case itself and then into the die????

As I have used Lee and RCBS dies and are familiar with them, these Reddings are new and I would rather have some help and not be in the know or worse yet break something.

Hoping one of you grizzled old grey haired loading gods can spare a few minutes and pass some hard earned knowlage upon an up and coming reloader. (no bag licking at all )

Thanks in advance and if you spend the time to write it down I will take the time to read it!!

Pete

 

[knockknock]

The bushings are to size the neck, only. They have nothing to do with OAL. You need to have about .002 neck tension on the bullet to hold it in the casing.
The easiest way to get it right is to mic the outside of your neck on a FIRED casing, for sake of example say your casing is .370 at the neck very near the mouth of the casing. In this case the .368 bushing is the right 1 to use.
Take the decapping rod out of the size die, you will find a knuled round lock nut on the stem above the expander ball. This is to adjust the depth that the stem goes into the case for deprimimg. Drop the bushing inside the die and carefully reinstall the decapping rod. You want the bushing to have a little bit of movement when the decapping rod is locked down, shake the die and you should hear the bushing move inside, if not loosen the decapping rod until you can hear the bushing rattle inside.
You only want to have the bushing size about .125" down from the mouth of the casing, there is no need for more than that, so adjust the die height to suit.
If they are gold colored bushing they are Titanium oxide coated, which means no lube is required , if they are black they are steel and white graphite or Imperial size wax is needed to lube the necks only.
The springs go inside the dies, 1 in each die to push the guide back down.
If you want I would be happy to send you the instruction sheet from 1 of my sets as that is the only type of dies I use now.
Once you get to use them you will never use anything else.
If you are wanting total precision these dies deliver, now all you may want to compliment them with is the Acculab scale, which measures to the 1 /100 th of a grain.
KK

 

[mouse]

You unscrew the depriming/neck sizer die apart on the thread below the micrometer barrel, and then take the depriming rod and assembly out. It consists of the top knurled end and the large rod with a black washer on it. you plunk the bushing of your choice in with the numbers facing up and then put the washer and rod/assembly back in. You use the bushings to make .002-.003 interferance fit. So if your bullet is .338" then idealy you want .015-.016" thick walls of your brass. So to get .002" interferance fit you need to use .366" bushing. You take the bullet .338" then add 2xthickness of your brass (to give you total diameter with bullet) and subrackt .002-.003" to give your bullet in interferance fit. End of story. No grey hairs, and I am new to this reloading scene but love my Redding comp dies.

 

[Splatter]

To figure out the size of bushing you want, take a fully prepped case (sized and neck-turned if you are going to do that) seat a bullet and measure that.
Then decide how much grip you want, 0.001" or 0.002" for a fairly soft seating
0.003" or 0.004" for something that will reliably feed through the mag and extract without leaving the bullet behind.
And that is the end of the story, no need to measure or guess (like using a 6" caliper) at your neck thickness. Measure once and decide.

 

[thebigbully]

thanks guys, helped a bunch!!!