Product Review by F-Class John
Case preparation is critical for precision reloading. One must trim cases, debur/chamfer case mouths, clean necks, spruce up primer pockets and do other important tasks. Complete case prep can involve many separate processes, each requiring its own tools. With each of those tools comes additional cost as well as the need for more storage and bench space. To make case prep easier, faster, and more convenient Lyman created the Case Prep Xpress (#ad). The Case Prep Xpress, introduced a few years back, combines up to five prep stages into one well-built, stable, versatile unit. Watch this video to see the machine in action:
The Case Prep Xpress features five (5) independently-turning spindles all with the common 8/32 thread. This allows you to attach multiple tools supplied with the unit PLUS many other screw-on prep tools. For our testing we started out using a variety of the 12 included tools and found they cover the majority of case prep tasks. Lyman supplies deburr and chamfer tools, pocket uniformers, reamers and cleaners, as well as an assortment of neck brushes.
The deburr and chamfer tools worked really well, creating beautiful bevels all while leaving a nice flat edge across the top of the neck which is critical for accuracy and brass life. We found the primer pocket cleaning tool did a good job, but for truly clean pockets we recommend using the primer pocket uniforming tool, which very efficiently removes even hard residues.
The benefit of having interchangeable heads is that you can add your own accessories. We like to use a bore brush with bronze wool wrapped around it for use inside our necks. This worked perfectly once we screwed it in. In fact, we couldn’t think of any 8/32-threaded accessory that wouldn’t work well on this machine. Another great design feature is how all the accessories are oriented straight up. This allows for perfect visual alignment of your cases onto the tools which is critical — especially when performing cutting operations such as primer pocket uniforming.
Along with the five power stations there are six female-threaded storage spots on the sides where tools can be placed to ensure they don’t get lost. We like this feature since there will be more than five accessories you want to use and having them easily available is a great feature. You can keep 11 tools right on the machine (5 on top, 6 on the sides). That way you don’t have to dig through storage bins.
The Case Prep Xpress has a removable front bin to hold brass shavings, and there are two circular trays on either side of the bin. In front is a long tray that holds the provided brush. This makes it relatively easy to clean off brass shavings and other debris from case prep processes.
SUMMARY — Versatile Case Prep Xpress Is A Good Value
For the money, Lyman’s Case Prep Xpress is tough to beat. It performs multiple tasks well while being stable and easy-to-use. Yes there are some multi-spindle prep centers that offer variable or fast/slow RPM spindles while the Lyman’s spindles are all fixed RPM. (See, e.g. the RCBS Brass Boss). However those other systems don’t include all the convenient on-board storage of the Case Prep Xpress, and are typically more expensive. The Lyman Case Prep Xpress sells for about $170-$190 “street price”. It’s currently on sale for $179.99 on Amazon (#ad). This makes the Lyman Case Prep Xpress a fine value — it offers great versatility while saving space and saving money compared to buying five or more separate, powered tools.
As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.
With the huge popularity of NRL22 and PRS rimfire matches, along with the growth of rimfire benchrest events, and local rimfire fun matches, we’ve seen heightened demand for all types of .22 LR ammunition. Plus the high cost of centerfire bullets and limited availability of powders and primers has pushed many centerfire shooters into the rimfire fold. Accordingly, quality .22 LR ammunition has been harder to find this year, and prices have been escalating. Thankfully, if you use Ammoseek.com, you can still find most types of .22 LR ammunition, from bulk-pack plinking fodder to high-end Lapua, ELEY, RWS, SK, and Norma.
Find Rimfire Ammunition Fast with AmmoSeek.com
Here’s a great search service that can help you locate hard-to-find ammunition and reloading components — while saving money in the process. AmmoSeek.com monitors scores of online vendors — checking current pricing and available inventory, for pistol, rifle, and shotgun ammunition. Looking for .22 LR ammo for your rimfire trainer or NRL22 rifle? Just select “.22LR” from AmmoSeek’s “Quick Seek” menu. NOTE: In mobile view type “22LR” in the “Search Ammo by Caliber” field top center.
And here are the 7/27/2023 search results for .22 LR ammunition. These are six of the 1000+ entries, starting with the least expensive, just 4.5 cents ($0.045) per round:
How to Search by Manufacturer and Bullet Weight
You can also search for a particular .22 LR ammunition manufacturer, and/or search by bullet weight. Just click on the “Modify Search Link”. Once you see the “Modify Search” column on the left, scroll down and you can sort by price (cost per round) and/or shipping cost. Here are the results of a search for ELEY .22 LR rimfire ammunition:
What can happen when the bottom-most primer in a primer feed tube goes off? A big bang, that’s what. Some or all of the primers in the vertical feeding tube can go off in a chain detonation. That’s exactly what happened to Dustin Ellermann, Top Shot Season 3 Champion. Scary experience, but thankfully Dustin was not injured. He writes: “Super thankful that I was wearing my Wiley X eye protection this weekend when I was reloading some .223 rounds. My press detonated nearly 100 small rifle primers. Shown here is the magazine feed tube. Not fun but it could have been much worse. Stay safe!”
When working with progressive reloading presses, you should definitely wear eye protection. Dustin’s chain detonation experience proves that — without a doubt. Remember you only have one set of eyes!
RCBS APS Strips — Alternative to Primer Tubes When you stack a column of primers in a single metal tube, you’re asking for trouble. As Dustin Ellermann learned, when one primer fires, the entire column can follow suit in a chain detonation. Thankfully, you do have options when it comes to primer feeding on a progressive press. RCBS developed an innovative, smart system with primers in horizontal plastic strips. Instead of being stored in a vertical tube, primers are placed in flat, plastic “APS” strips, with a ring of plastic separating each primer. Moving horizontally, primers are never stacked, so the chance of a chain detonation is reduced dramatically. The re-usable APS strips are color-coded for different primer types. You can buy CCI “pre-loaded” primer strips, or you can insert any brand of primers into strips using an RCBS strip-loader tool.
RCBS APS Strip Priming System This video shows how to use APS primer strips wiht a bench-mounted priming system.
AccurateShooter.com Editor Uses Strip Primers
This Editor owns an RCBS Pro-2000 progressive press. The RCBS strip-priming system was one key reason I selected the RCBS Pro-2000 over similar-priced progressives from Dillon and Hornady. I believe the strip primer system is safer, more positive, and easier to use. Before I purchased my RCBS progressive, I “road-tested” the competition. I loaded hundreds of rounds on each of four different progressives: Dillon 550B, Dillon 650, Hornady Lock-N-Load, and RCBS 2000. I was concerned about the primer feed tubes on the Dillons, and I found the RCBS rotary powder measure was much more precise (and easier to adjust) than the sliding bar system on the Dillon machines. The RCBS priming system was definitely more fool-proof than the system on the Hornady press (a first-generation L-N-L that had issues with primer feeding). After “test-driving” blue, red, and green brand progressives extensively, I settled on the RCBS Pro-2000. A decade later, I still think I made the right choice. I like the APS strips for big jobs, and I can also use them in the RCBS hand-priming tool (shown below). With the strips, it’s easy to prime 20 or 40 cases at a time, and then switch to another type of primer for comparison testing.
NOTE: Unfortunately, most of the RCBS APS system tools are no longer in production. But the tools and strips are still available on eBay and many reloading Forums, in some cases “new in box”. This Editor’s APS hand priming tool is still working great after 15 years.
The APS priming system also works with press-mounted priming tool, bench-mounted tool, and APS hand-tool. EdLongRange uses the press-mounted tool: “I also like the APS approach but use the press-mounted unit (saves your hands/wrists — and I haven’t had a need for a progressive press in over 20 years). Loading the primers in the strips is a bit of a PITA but very manageable. As with all tools there is a learning curve.” CLICK HERE for video showing strip-loading tool and press-mounted APS tool. The RCBS press-mounted tool is no longer in production by RCBS, but you can still find it in some stores or on eBay.
Here’s a simple task you can do that will give your seater die a more perfect fit to your match bullets. You can lap the inside of the seater stem so that it matches the exact profile of the bullet. This spreads out the seating force over a larger area of the bullet jacket. That allows smoother, more consistent seating, without putting dents, creases, or sharp rings in your bullets.
This process is demonstrated here by our friend Erik Cortina of Team Lapua-Brux-Borden. Erik, one of the nation’s top F-Class shooters and a skilled machinist, explains: “Here I’m lapping my new seater die stem with lapping compound. I chuck up a bullet in the lathe and lap the inside of the seating stem. I put lapping compound on the bullet and also in the stem. You can do the same with a hand drill and bore paste. You can see in the piture below how much contact area the stem has on the bullet after being lapped. This bullet is a Berger 7mm 180-grain Hybrid. ”
It can be helpful but it’s not necessary to make your seating stem an exact match to a bullet, particularly if you’re loading hunting or varmint rounds. But it is helpful to do some mild internal stem polishing. This should eliminate any ring (or dent) that forms on the bullet jacket during seating.
Sharp edges on a seating stem can cause a ring to be pressed into the bullet jacket — especially with compressed loads that resist downward bullet movement.
Q2: Is there any down-side to the process?
Not really. However, if you shoot many different bullet types for a particular cartridge, you may not want to conform the stem aggressively to one particular bullet design. Lightly lap the inside of the stem to remove burrs/sharp edges but leave it at that. A light lap will prevent a ring forming when seating bullets.
If you’ve considering a big purchase at Brownells, here are money-saving codes. Brownells is offering $140 Off a $1000+ purchase, $55 Off a $500+ purchase, $20 Off a $200+ purchase, 10% (or $15) Off a $150+ purchase, and $10 Off a $100 purchase. It’s simple to get these discounts — there are no buyers clubs to join, no forms to fill out. Just use the appropriate Discount Code during online check-out. You can also use CODE CARTSHIP to get FREE Shipping for orders over $149 (with some restrictions).
Listed below are the Codes to use. Simply use the appropriate Code for your purchase at Brownells.com. NOTE: Most of these codes have no listed expiration date, so Brownells could terminate them at any time. Accordingly, we recommend you do your shopping soon. Also if the highest value code no longer works, try a lesser value CODE.
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Note: There are limitations. Codes JULY20, JULY55, and JULY140 do not apply to firearms and ammunition. And these brands are excluded from most discounts: Aimpoint, B&T USA, FN USA, Franklin Armory, Galco Int’l, Glock, Holosun, Kahles, Kestrel, LabRadar, Leica, Leupold, Modlite Systems, Nightforce, Raven, Ruger, Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson, Sturm & C., Swarovski, Trijicon, Zenith Firearms, and Zermatt Arms.
Free Shipping with EDGE Program
NOTE: If you join the Brownells EDGE Program for $49.95 (12 months) you’ll get FREE 2-DAY SHIPPING on most orders. There is also discounted overnight shipping for many items.
With a $49.95 EDGE Membership, orders ship directly free of charge — every order, no matter how many. Most orders qualify for FREE 2-DAY SHIPPING. Your membership will pay for itself after only a few orders! Also Brownells typically charges a $10 processing fee on orders containing FFL items. However, with an Edge membership, the $10 FFL processing fee is waived every time.
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.
⏺ Fast, programmable, accurate dispenser at great price
The Frankford Arsenal Intellidropper is a high-quality powder scale/dispenser. It’s accurate to +/- one-tenth of a grain, dispenses in seconds, and can be controlled by a handy mobile App that stores charge weights for different cartridges. This unit has a 7000-grain capacity with both auto and manual trickle capability. This is a fine deal — you save $41 (18%) off the regular $229.99 price. The same Intellidropper is $189.14 at MidwayUSA with FREE Shipping using Code RELOADING071823.
2. Precision Reloading — 12% Off Sitewide Summer Sales Event
⏺ Significant savings on nearly all products in stock with $100+ order
Now through Thursday, July 27th, you can save 12% on nearly all in-stock items at Precision Reloading with a $100 minimum order. This Summer Sales Event includes loaded ammo, reloading supplies, brass, bullets, presses, optics, tools, gun cleaners, and much more. To save 12% use Coupon Code 72123 at checkout. And through 11:59 pm on Monday 7/24/23 you can get FREE hazmat with a $150 or more powder purchase. Use code FREEHAZ.
3. Palmetto SA — AR Upper and Lower with Vortex Optic, $809.98
⏺ Great deal for AR upper WITH Scope and complete lower
Are you looking to build an AR-platform rifle but want better performance than a .223 Rem? If so, check out these AR bundle packages at PSA. For just $809.98 you get a complete upper, Vortex optic, and a complete lower (with adjustable buttstock). This AR bundle includes the PSA lower, .224 Valkyrie-chambered 20″ 1:6.5″-twist barrel, complete upper with M-Lok handguard, PLUS a Vortex Eagle 1-8x24mm scope with cantilever mount. You can also grab the 6.5 Grendel upper with Vortex 4-12x44mm riflescope (and mount) for only $579.99.
⏺ Great spotting scope for the price with rock-solid warranty
Having a quality spotting scope can help when in the field, at matches, or just having fun at the range. We found a great deal on the Vortex Diamondback 20-60x60mm spotting scope, now just $324.99 at MidwayUSA, an amazing bargain. This spotting scope has good light transmission throughout the magnification range. Sharpness is good, and the spotting scope’s construction stands up to rough field use. This spotter is protected by Vortex’s VIP Unlimited Lifetime Warranty.
5. CDNN Sports — Ruger Handgun Super Sale, Save 20-42%
⏺ Huge savings on 50+ Ruger pistols and revolvers
Ruger makes fine pistols and revolvers that are rugged and reliable. Right now you can get big savings — up to 42% — on Ruger handguns at CDNN Sports. There are over 50 Ruger handguns on sale. You can save $349.00 on the new Ruger 57 (5.7x28mm) semi-auto pistol or save 42% with the sale price for the .22 LR Ruger LCP II. There are also big savings on single- and double-action revolvers.
6. MidwayUSA — ZEISS Conquest V4 6-24X, $849.99
⏺ Save hundreds on great SFP ZEISS scope — top choice for varmint work
Here’s a great deal on an excellent ZEISS 6-24x50mm SFP optic — a great scope for club matches and varmint shooting. There’s plenty of magnification on the high end, plus a wide field of view at 6X. The glass is great — at the $849.99 sale price, you’ll be hard to beat the quality of this scope which delivers 90% to-the-eye light transmission. With a Second Focal Plane Z-MOA1 reticle and 1/4 MOA clicks this scope has an impressive range of total elevation and windage travel with Zeiss’ Ballistic Stop feature. Here are actual purchaser reviews: “Excellent, A++, Clear glass”; Awesome clarity and the adjustments are spot on — Zeiss V4 scopes are hard to beat for the money”; “Great mid-level scope. Clear Glass with a good no nonsense reticle and easy to operate turrets”.
7. Midsouth — Winchester 9mm Pistol Ammo, $129.99/500
⏺ Very good price on good American-made 9mm FMJ ammo
Right now quality, USA-made Winchester 9x19mm ammunition is $129.99 for 500 rounds at Midsouth. That works out to just $0.26 per round or $12.99 per 50-rd box. This service grade 9mm Luger ammo has 115gr Full Metal Jacket bullets and Winchester brass. This ammunition is new production, non-corrosive, in reloadable brass cases. If you shoot large quantities of 9mm ammo, this is a very good deal.
8. Amazon — MOZETO Shooting Mat, $39.99
⏺ Nice 78″-long padded nylon mat stows conveniently
Whether in the field or at the range, having a comfortable mat to keep you and your gear dry and clean is critical. The Mozeto XL Shooting Mat is made from durable 1000D nylon with EPE padding fabric for long-lasting durability. There is an extra-thick padded section for elbows and knees. This big 78″ x 28.5″ mat has convenient straps and carry handle, plus storage pockets. To transport, just roll it up, fold it over and attach the quick release plastic snap buckles.
⏺ Excellent scope for varminters and grounghog matches
Looking to clean your brass and/or gun parts? The H&B Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine is a bargain at just $84.98 on Amazon. This unit features a heated tank for cleaning of cartridge brass and metal parts. The ultrasonic cavitation lifts and dissolves carbon, dirt, and any residue left on fired cases. Chose cycles from 90 to 480 seconds. Not only can you clean brass, but this unit can clean pistol slides, magazines, jewelry, and silverware. Note: This unit, an “Amazon Choice” with 84% 4- or 5-star reviews, is nearly identical to the unit Lyman has sold for $120+.
10. CDNN Sports — Grid Target Packs starting at $1.89/12
⏺ Great deals on colorful Champion grid target packs
Here is the original Sierra manufacturing facility in Whittier, CA.
In August 22, 2017 Sierra Bullets was acquired by Clarus Corporation (NASDAQ: CLAR), a Utah-based holding company that also owns Black Diamond Equipment Ltd., makers of ski and mountain gear/apparel. Sierra remains one of America’s leading producers of bullets and loaded ammunition. This article covers Sierra’s notable history, and also reviews Sierra’s processes for crafting and testing bullets.
Sierra Bullets — How It Got Started
Report Based on Story by Carroll Pilant, Sierra Bullets Media Relations Manager
What became Sierra Bullets started in the late 1940s in a Quonset hut in California. In 1947, three aircraft machinists, Frank Snow, Jim Spivey, and Loren Harbor, rented machine space to produce rivets for aircraft along with fishing rod guides and rifle front sight ramps. In the post-WWII years, sport shooting was becoming hugely popular, but quality ammunition was in short supply. For shooting enthusiasts, reloading was the solution to the ammo supply shortage. Snow, Spivey, and Harbor recognized this, creating Sierra Bullets to help fill the void. Before long, they were selling a 53-grain match bullet to the Hollywood Gun Shop. These bullets are still in production today as the Sierra #1400 53-grain MatchKing.
A few years later, an accomplished competitive shooter named Martin Hull joined Sierra. Hull helped develop new bullet types and served as manager of Sierra’s ballistics laboratory for nearly 20 years. With Hull’s help, Sierra’s output grew rapidly. The California company outgrew several locations before it moved to a large facility in Santa Fe Springs, CA, in 1963.
New Owners and New President in the Late Sixties
In 1968, the Leisure Group bought Sierra Bullets. Other Leisure Group companies included Lyman Reloading, High Standard Manufacturing Company, Yard Man, Thompson Sprinkler Systems, Flexible Flyer Sleds, and Dodge Trophies (Which made the Oscar and Rose Bowl Game trophies).
Soon after purchasing Sierra, the Leisure Group hired Robert Hayden as President and General Manager. Hayden was a mechanical engineer who had worked for Remington Arms. Hayden remained the president of Sierra for 42 years, retiring in 2012 when Pat Daly became president.
Sierra Moves to Missouri
In 1990, Sierra relocated to Sedalia, Missouri, where the company remains today. Sierra Bullets now employs over 100 people including five full-time ballistic technicians who answer daily reloading and firearms questions by both phone and e-mail.
The Making of MatchKings — How Sierra Produces SMKs
All Sierra bullets begin life as a strip of gilding metal, an alloy consisting of 95% copper and 5% zinc. To meet Sierra’s strict quality requirements, the gilding metal requires three times more dimensional and quality control standards than is considered standard in the copper manufacturing industry.
A blanking press stamps out a uniform disc and forms the cup that will be drawn into the MatchKing jacket. The cup is then polished and sent to a draw press to be drawn into a jacket that is longer than needed for the future MatchKing, thus allowing for the trim process. Press operators constantly check concentricity to make sure we have only quality jackets. The jackets then go to a trimmer where they are visually inspected again.
After being polished a second time, the jacket travels to the bullet press. In the meantime, 80-pound lead billets are being extruded into lead wire for the cores where great care is taken so that the core wire is not stretched. The core wire is lightly oiled before continuing to the bullet press to be swaged.
The lead core wire and trimmed jacket meet at the bullet press where the first stage forms a boattail on the jacket. The lead core is then formed on top of the bullet press and fed down into the jacket. In one stroke of the press, the MatchKing is formed.
Quality control technicians pull samples from each lot of MatchKings to make sure they meet Sierra’s stringent standards. Samples are then sent to Sierra’s 300-meter underground test range (shown below) to be shot for accuracy on mechanical mounts referred to as “unrestricted return to battery rests” that Sierra designed and built in-house.
After inspection, the bullets are placed in the familiar green box along with reloading labels. They are then shrink-wrapped and shipped all over the world.
Sierra Factory Ammunition with Modern Tipped Bullets
Sierra also produces popular competition and hunting factory ammunition. Sierra’s modern GameChanger hunting ammunition has shown very good performance and consistency. For the GameChanger line, Sierra re-engineered its MatchKing bullet into a hollow point design for quick expansion and fitted it with a green tip for ballistic uniformity. The lead-core GameChanger bullets deliver excellent penetration and expansion at a variety of ranges.
There is an excellent article about primers on the Shooting Times website. We strongly recommend you read Mysteries And Misconceptions Of The All-Important Primer, written by Allan Jones. Mr. Jones is a bona fide expert — he served as the manager of technical publications for CCI Ammunition and Speer Bullets and Jones authored three editions of the Speer Reloading Manual.
This authoritative Shooting Times article explains the fine points of primer design and construction. Jones also reveals some little-known facts about primers and he corrects common misconceptions. Here are some highlights from the article:
Size Matters
Useful Trivia — even though Small Rifle and Small Pistol primer pockets share the same depth specification, Large Rifle and Large Pistol primers do not. The standard pocket for a Large Pistol primer is somewhat shallower than its Large Rifle counterpart, specifically, 0.008 to 0.009 inch less.
Magnum Primers
There are two ways to make a Magnum primer — either use more of the standard chemical mix to provide a longer-burning flame or change the mix to one with more aggressive burn characteristics. Prior to 1989, CCI used the first option in Magnum Rifle primers. After that, we switched to a mix optimized for spherical propellants that produced a 24% increase in flame temperature and a 16% boost in gas volume.
Foiled Again
Most component primers have a little disk of paper between the anvil and the priming mix. It is called “foil paper” not because it’s made of foil but because it replaces the true metal foil used to seal early percussion caps. The reason this little disk exists is strictly a manufacturing convenience. Wet primer pellets are smaller than the inside diameter of the cup when inserted and must be compacted to achieve their proper diameter and height. Without the foil paper, the wet mix would stick to the compaction pins and jam up the assembly process.
Primer Functionality and Primer Types Compared
This video looks at a variety of primer types from multiple manufacturers, foreign and domestic. The video explains the basics of how primers function, and then explains the key characteristics of standard primers, magnum primers, and mil-spec primers (designed for semi-auto rifles).
Many novice hand-loaders believe that neck bushing Inside Diameter (ID) size is the only important factor in neck tension. In fact, many different things will influence the grip on your bullet and its ability to release from the case neck. To learn more about neck tension and “case grip”, take the time to read this article carefully. We bet you’ll gain knowledge that will let you load more accurate ammo, with better ES/SD.
Editor: Guys, this is a VERY important article. You really should read it over carefully, twice. Variations in the force required to release a bullet can significantly affect accuracy and ES/SD. You really need to know how the grip on bullet can be altered by many different factors.
Neck Tension (i.e. Grip on Bullets) Is a Complex Phenomenon
While we certainly have considerable control over neck tension by using tighter or looser bushings (with smaller or bigger Inside Diameters), bushing size is only one factor at work. It’s important to understand the multiple factors that can increase or decrease the resistance to bullet release. Think in terms of overall brass-on-bullet “grip” instead of just bushing size (or the internal neck diameter in non-bushing full-length sizing dies).
Bullet grip is affected by many things, such as:
1. Neck-wall thickness.
2. Amount of bullet bearing surface (shank) in the neck.
3. Surface condition inside of neck (residual carbon can act as a lubricant; ultrasonic cleaning makes necks “grabby”).
4. Length of neck (e.g. 6mmBR neck vs. 6mm Dasher).
5. Whether or not the bullets have an anti-friction coating.
6. The springiness of the brass (which is related to degree of work-hardening; number of firings etc.)
7. The bullet jacket material.
8. The outside diameter of the bullet and whether it has a pressure ridge.
9. Time duration between bullet seating and firing (necks can stiffen with time).
10. How often the brass is annealed.
11. Amount (length) of neck sized (e.g. you can size only half the neck).
12. Interior diameter of bushing, or neck section of non-bushing die. – and there are others…
One needs to understand that bushing size isn’t the beginning and end of neck tension questions, because, even if bushing size is held constant, the amount of bullet “grip” can change dramatically as the condition of your brass changes. Bullet “grip” can also change if you alter your seating depth, and it can even change if you ultrasonically clean your cases.
6-time U.S. National Long-Range Champion John Whidden adds: “Our tests show us that the condition of the necks in regards to lubed or not, carbon inside or not, squeaky clean or not, etc., matter even more than the size of the bushing used. An ultrasonically cleaned or brand new dry case neck make for some quite high seating force.”
In our Shooters’ Forum a reader asked: “How much neck tension should I use?” This prompted a lengthy Forum discussion in which other Forum members recommended a specific number based on their experience, such as .001″, .002″, or .003″. These numbers, as commonly used, correspond to the difference between case-neck OD after sizing and the neck OD of a loaded round, with bullet in place. In other words, the numbers refer to the nominal amount of interference fit (after sizing).
While these commonly-used “tension numbers” (of .001″, .002″ etc.) can be useful as starting points, neck tension is actually a fairly complex subject. The actual amount of “grip” on the bullet is a function of many factors, of which neck-OD reduction during sizing is just one. Understanding these many factors will help you maintain consistent neck tension as your brass “evolves” over the course of multiple reloadings.
Seating Depth Changes Can Increase or Decrease Grip on Bullet
You can do this simple experiment. Seat a boat-tail bullet in your sized neck with .150″ of bearing surface (shank) in the neck. Now remove the bullet with an impact hammer. Next, take another identical bullet and seat it with .300″ of bearing surface in another sized case (same bushing size/same nominal tension). You’ll find the deeper-seated bullet is gripped much harder.
Neck-Wall Thickness is Important Too
I have also found that thinner necks, particularly the very thin necks used by many 6mm PPC benchrest shooters, require more sizing to give equivalent “grip”. Again, do your own experiment. Seat a bullet in a case turned to .008″ neckwall thickness and sized down .003″. Now compare that to a case with .014″ neckwall thickness and sized down .0015″. You may find that the bullet in the thin necks actually pulls out easier, though it supposedly has more “neck tension”, if one were to consider bushing size alone.
In practical terms, because thick necks are less elastic than very thin necks, when you turn necks you may need to run tighter bushings to maintain the same amount of actual grip on the bullets (as compared to no-turn brass). Consequently, I suspect the guys using .0015″ “tension” on no-turn brass may be a lot closer to the guys using .003″ “tension” on turned necks than either group may realize.
Toward a Better Definition of Neck Tension
As a convenient short-cut, we tend to describe neck tension by bushing size alone. When a guy says, “I run .002 neck tension”, that normally means he is using a die/bushing that sizes the necks .002″ smaller than a loaded round. Well we know something about his post-sizing neck OD, but do we really have a reliable idea about how much force is required to release his bullets? Maybe not… This use of the term “neck tension” when we are really only describing the amount of neck diameter reduction with a die/bushing is really kind of incomplete.
My point here is that it is overly simplistic to ask, “should I load with .001 tension or .003?” In reality, an .001″ reduction (after springback) on a thick neck might provide MORE “grip” on a deep-seated bullet than an .003″ reduction on a very thin-walled neck holding a bullet with minimal bearing surface in the neck. Bushing ID is something we can easily measure and verify. We use bushing size as a descriptor of neck tension because it is convenient and because the other important factors are hard to quantify. But those factors shouldn’t be ignored if you want to maintain consistent neck tension for optimal accuracy.
Consistency and accuracy — that’s really what this all about isn’t it? We want to find the best neck tension for accuracy, and then maintain that amount of grip-on-bullet over time. To do that you need to look not only at your bushing size, but also at how your brass has changed (work-hardened) with time, and whether other variables (such as the amount of carbon in the neck) have changed. Ultimately, optimal neck tension must be ascertained experimentally. You have to go out and test empirically to see what works, in YOUR rifle, with YOUR bullets and YOUR brass. And you may have to change the nominal tension setting (i.e. bushing size) as your brass work-hardens or IF YOU CHANGE SEATING DEPTHS.
Remember that bushing size alone does not tell us all we need to know about the neck’s true “holding power” on a bullet, or the energy required for bullet release. True bullet grip is a more complicated phenomenon, one that is affected by numerous factors, some of which are very hard to quantify.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a print resource at your fingertips that has hundreds of true-size cartridge illustrations, plus technical descriptions of thousands of popular cartridge types? That could be a real time-saver. It’s no wonder this book is an Amazon category best-seller.
If you’re a serious shooter, the latest 7th Edition of the Ammo Encyclopedia belongs in your library. Released in late 2022, this 928-page book is probably the most comprehensive and up-to-date book in print covering current and obsolete cartridge and shotshell types. The Ammo Encyclopedia is a massive resource work with 100+ chapters, covering thousands of handgun, rifle, and shotgun cartridges from the past century and a half. This 928-page edition includes over 150 new cartridge profiles. An expanded Trademark Index lists contact information for all current ammunition manufacturers.
One of the best features is a full-color section with actual size drawings of over 320 current rimfire/centerfire cartridges and shotshells. You won’t find that many “life-size” cartridge drawings in one place even on the internet. Cartridge profiles and ballistic charts have been expanded to include many new factory cartridges. An updated Cartridge Index lists both the standard and alternate names for each cartridge in chronological order. The authors have even included air rifle pellets and historical images and charts. This 928-page softcover book is now $44.93 on Amazon.
Comments from guys who bought the book:
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When you stack a column of primers in a single metal tube, you’re asking for trouble. As Dustin Ellermann learned, when one primer fires, the entire column can follow suit in a chain detonation. Thankfully, you do have options when it comes to primer feeding on a progressive press. RCBS developed an innovative, smart system with primers in horizontal plastic strips. Instead of being stored in a vertical tube, primers are placed in flat, plastic “APS” strips, with a ring of plastic separating each primer. Moving horizontally, primers are never stacked, so the chance of a chain detonation is reduced dramatically. The re-usable APS strips are color-coded for different primer types. You can buy CCI “pre-loaded” primer strips, or you can insert any brand of primers into strips using an RCBS strip-loader tool.
In our 
Neck-Wall Thickness is Important Too
