Case Preparation

Bob...I am interested in how to begin neck turning and what steps to
take......at what stage of the case preparation....how do you know the
stopping point and if some of your cases are within tolerances, which
ones not to turn, etc.

Thanks Greg

Bob Buckland's Reply

I think this is going to be a book!
First, use new brass as the best starting point. Second choice would be
once fired. If you go beyond that, necks must be annealed, as they
become too hard for the multiple step process.

Once fired gives you the advantage of a fire formed case, and hopefully
some neck growth. Measure the chamber; I suggest one of the slugs from
Sinclair. If you can run a longer neck than the trim to length listed
in the book, you will get better support for the bullet.

Dies are important. I use a Redding complete comp.set with the bushing
for neck sizing. I do not recommend trying to neck size with a
full-length die.

Some guys weigh their cases before touching them. I like to get a
little closer, and make things equal.
(1) Decap all cases.
(2) Tumble or Vibrate clean.
(3) Check for any media left in the cases.
(4) Use Sinclair primer pocket tool, seats on the head, and will cut
the primer pockets perfectly even. I have both the hand and the power
driver adapter. Use the power. The Sinclair tool will produce a
perfectly even depth pocket, you cannot go too far.
(5) Neck-size all brass.
(6) Measure all case lengths, and use the measurement of the shortest
one. If you have chosen to trim to book length, set up and trim them
all to that measurement. If you want the necks to grow, trim to the
shortest length that is longer than the listed length. Cull out all
cases shorter than the listed trim to length. If they are all short,
trim to the shortest length regardless. You are going to have to make
a decision here based on the measurements of the brass you are using.

(7) Inside Flash hole uniform, cut till you get a perfectly smooth
feel, takes a little time. This is one of the top things you can do to
improve accuracy. Flame from primer ignition, must be even.

(8) At this point, you need to inside chamfer the necks. (inside only,
we are going to turn the neck, so the outside does not matter). The
inside will let it slide on the sizing mandrel easier.

(9) You should get a .001 oversize mandrel with the Sinclair tool, one
reason I said talk to Bud at Sinclair.

(10) Run all the cases over the mandrel, evenly and steadily. Don't
come down hard on the mandrel, it will bottom and you could possibly
set the neck back. Use a tiny, tiny amount of Imperial sizing wax on
both the turning tool mandrel, and the sizing mandrel.


(11) The turning tool will come with a bunch of instructions on how to
lock and adjust the cutter. This of course, will depend on the tool you
have chosen. You want the cutter to cut only about 85% of the neck.
Start by making sure you do not touch with the cutter. Slowly adjust
down, until you have barely cut the neck. Do the complete neck and just
barley cut the shoulder. If you chose the Sinclair, they will tell you
all about it, and combined with the instructions and playing a little,
you will get a smooth, average cut, leaving just a bit untouched. You
do not want a perfect cut all the way around, as you will have trimmed
away too much brass. You will probably waste a few cases getting set
up. Once you have decided your cut depth, it will be locked in and you
will not have to adjust again for this brass. Some may cut all around,
most will not. If you cut several and they clean up all around, you're
too deep.

Now all the cases can be weighed and separated into lots. I do this for
my target rounds and my hunting rounds.

(12) Back in the tumbler, just to remove sizing wax, and any shavings
left over; keeps brass, and wax from making the powder stick while
loading.

I hope this helps. It's really easier than it sounds. You will now be
on your way to making your rifle perform to its potential.

This is the beginning. These rounds will be accurate. When they are
fired they will now fit the chamber exactly on center.

Grand Finale!
In the above steps we full length sized the neck. (the whole neck, not
the case). Now when you reload these, only size the portion of the neck
down to about .010" below your bullet seated depth. The fire formed,
after turning brass, neck will now fit the chamber perfectly centered
and supported at the part of the neck that you did not size on this
second go round. The part you did size, which by the way is; (minimum
seating depth, .224 .010) ( substitute the bullet diameter (minimum
seating) for your actual seating depth determined by how far off the
lands you seat, will be held perfectly in the center and aligned with
the rifling.

*** These are your most accurate rounds***

Farmer Bob