Sizing the neck on a 6.5x47 Lapua

[MartyK2500]

What do you guys use for this?
A specific neck sizer with different bushings?
A FLS and be done with it in 1 pass?

I have seen Forster FLS and Forster neck bushing die,
Seen plenty of complaints with the Redding S die,

My objective is low run out, i have a neck turner and will anneal every firing.

At first i was thinking Redding body die + Lee collet die,
Redding is on the way but Lee doesn’t make their collet for this caliber.
They need a fired case and a crap load of time, i will be reloading way before then.
Down the road I’ll get one (or not), but i need something to start me off with.

 

[Longboat]

I would be willing to bet it will drive tacks still with the cheapest FL die you can find to get you buy for now.

I'm not sure that you can make a bad load if you tried within reason.

 

[rgv]

I use a Forster FL die with the expander removed combined with Redding Competition shellholders to control shoulder bump, then expand the necks with a Sinclair 0.263" mandrel.

I get nothing over 0.002" runout as measured on a Hornady concentricity gauge.

My die measures 0.284" at the neck. One day I'll send it back to Forster and have them hone the neck to 0.288" but realistically since I anneal regularly, the extra 0.004" doesn't make a difference in case life.

Using the expander in the die as opposed to the mandrels gives only slightly worse runout, but the bullet seating effort (by feel, not measured) is slightly less consistent. I have not measured actual difference in precision or SD/ES between the two methods.

 

[Longboat]

I do know some pretty good shooters and reloaders that use the expander mandrel method and their stuff is on point and highly competitive.

Plus its readily available. I have the Sinclair expander mandrel setup with mandrels for all my rifle calibers. X Reload stocks them.

I was waiting for a 338LM neck collet die for awhile. I just used a full length die with the expander removed, and bumped .002 then used the Sinclair expander mandrel to size the necks. After 1 or 2 reloads the concentricity was still less than .002, well within reason as mentioned by rvg.

No noticable accuracy loss.

 

[MartyK2500]

I use a Forster FL die with the expander removed combined with Redding Competition shellholders to control shoulder bump, then expand the necks with a Sinclair 0.263" mandrel.

I get nothing over 0.002" runout as measured on a Hornady concentricity gauge.

My die measures 0.284" at the neck. One day I'll send it back to Forster and have them hone the neck to 0.288" but realistically since I anneal regularly, the extra 0.004" doesn't make a difference in case life.

Using the expander in the die as opposed to the mandrels gives only slightly worse runout, but the bullet seating effort (by feel, not measured) is slightly less consistent. I have not measured actual difference in precision or SD/ES between the two methods.

Thank you very much,
I have just read on this method and i believe you have just given me the solution to my problem!

Do 6.5 bullets really measure 264?
Are you only having 1 thou neck tension?
Edit , I just saw that Sinclairs only sells the 263 mandrel, in either SS or Carbide.
Then if I want different tensions i'd have to use neck turning mandrels, but don't know why i'd want to do that if everyone uses the 263

I do know some pretty good shooters and reloaders that use the expander mandrel method and their stuff is on point and highly competitive.

Plus its readily available. I have the Sinclair expander mandrel setup with mandrels for all my rifle calibers. X Reload stocks them.

I was waiting for a 338LM neck collet die for awhile. I just used a full length die with the expander removed, and bumped .002 then used the Sinclair expander mandrel to size the necks. After 1 or 2 reloads the concentricity was still less than .002, well within reason as mentioned by rvg.

No noticable accuracy loss.

In the calibers that you now have both setups (mandrel and collet) which one do you prefer?

 

[bigedp51]

None of my Forster full length dies have a honed neck, but they produce the least amount of neck runout of any other type or make die.

And the reason so many reloader use a Lee collet die with a Redding body die is because they get less runout than with a bushing die.

Watch the video below, he tell you the Forster full length benchrest die produces "LESS" runout than a Redding bushing die.

Just remember that a honed Forster die will restrict you to one brand of case or neck turned brass. Below this reloader had three honed dies which to me is not needed for the average off the shelf factory rifle. Also note in the photo below the expanders are still being used to uniform the neck diameter. In the Redding bushing FAQ they tell you if you do not neck turn to reduce the neck .004 more than the loaded diameter and use their expander to push the neck thickness variations to the outside of the neck.

FL Bushing Dies vs. Honed FL Dies
https://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/reloading/fl-bushing-dies-vs-honed-fl-dies/

Forster FL dies, necks honed to .265″, .266″, and .267″.

 

[rgv]

Thank you very much,
I have just read on this method and i believe you have just given me the solution to my problem!

Do 6.5 bullets really measure 264?
Are you only having 1 thou neck tension?
Edit , I just saw that Sinclairs only sells the 263 mandrel, in either SS or Carbide.
Then if I want different tensions i'd have to use neck turning mandrels, but don't know why i'd want to do that if everyone uses the 263

The 6.5 bullets are 0.264”. The 0.263” mandrel (expander balls are also 0.263) yields ~0.002” tension due to springback. I have not had any reason to experiment with neck tension.

 

[MartyK2500]

The 6.5 bullets are 0.264”. The 0.263” mandrel (expander balls are also 0.263) yields ~0.002” tension due to springback. I have not had any reason to experiment with neck tension.

I just ordered the Sinclair expander die with .263 Mandrel from Xreload,
Thanks again for putting me on to this, i seriously did not know what to do since all my rifle calibers i ressing body size plus lee collet neck size.
Do you turn your necks?

Biged
Good learning stuff i went through it all,
Eventually i can see getting myself a honed die.
If i keep my necks turned to the same thickness everytime i wouldn’t see the need for a full set.

Edit : once rifle is complete and ammo is being built, i will send forster a request for a honed die,
I like the idea of less working the brass if i can save it, even if i anneal every firing

 

[Longboat]

Thank you very much,
I have just read on this method and i believe you have just given me the solution to my problem!

Do 6.5 bullets really measure 264?
Are you only having 1 thou neck tension?
Edit , I just saw that Sinclairs only sells the 263 mandrel, in either SS or Carbide.
Then if I want different tensions i'd have to use neck turning mandrels, but don't know why i'd want to do that if everyone uses the 263






In the calibers that you now have both setups (mandrel and collet) which one do you prefer?

I cant say for sure what I prefer. I have only done it when forced into it so far. But for the first 2 firings of that brass it was still on point with the Lee neck die method.

 

[chrismc]

I have the Forster FL sizer - minimal runout, works great
Also have a x47 Lee collet special order die, works great too (261, 262 and 263 mandrels), also works well!
I couldn't pick one with less runout - but - the FL die gives much easier chambering with a 1-2 thou bump.

 

[MartyK2500]

With the Lee collet die if you always using the Redding body die in conjunction with it, it will always easy chamber.

Did you send your brass and bullet to Lee for the die?
Just in a sealed padded envelope and it crossed the border without any problems?

 

[chrismc]

No probs shipping from USA - dies are not on the 'bad' list. Yes shipped fired brass and bullet to them, $75 USD
I FL resize after 3 firings, no issues but certainly a snug fit with the collet on the third firing - when FL sizing its 2 thou max bump, mostly 1 thou, so not much leeway for anything but snug. Rifle likes it, so i stick with it!
My x47 originally had a 0.080 freebore, just had it changed to 0.120 for the bullets i am using (130 Hybrids) - that miniscule change took away the Varget crunch and groups are wicked - now ing to try H4350 again and see if its results have changed