Neck Turning questions

rockin randy

rockin randy

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Dec 3, 2019
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#1
Just getting into neck turning.

I just ordered them KM neck turning tooling kit. Do you have to use a ball micrometer for measuring the wall thickness? If so what is recommended one for starting out?
 
#3
rockin randy said:
Just getting into neck turning.

I just ordered them KM neck turning tooling kit. Do you have to use a ball micrometer for measuring the wall thickness? If so what is recommended one for starting out?
Click to expand...
If your turning necks a ball or tube micrometer is a must. Brownells and 21st Century have some and I'm sure other reloading supply sites would have them also
 
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#5
rockin randy said:
Just getting into neck turning.

I just ordered them KM neck turning tooling kit. Do you have to use a ball micrometer for measuring the wall thickness? If so what is recommended one for starting out?
Click to expand...

Yes . . . you'd best be served to use a ball micrometer so you can be more precise on you measurement at any particular pint on the neck, or . . . you can go with a tube micrometer as I happened to do.

I went with this one, and had some concerns about its accuracy and consistency. So, I went to a machine shop and compared this one that I got to their high end and way more expensive ones and found it to be remarkably just as accurate and consistent. So. . . I'm pretty happy with it as it give me exactly what I need.
 
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#7
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#8
straightshooter1 said:
Yes . . . you'd best be served to use a ball micrometer so you can be more precise on you measurement at any particular pint on the neck, or . . . you can go with a tube micrometer as I happened to do.

I went with this one, and had some concerns about its accuracy and consistency. So, I went to a machine shop and compared this one that I got to their high end and way more expensive ones and found it to be remarkably just as accurate and consistent. So. . . I'm pretty happy with it as it give me exactly what I need.
Click to expand...
I just bought the Anytime Mic on Amazon and tested it with numerous Snap On feeler gauges and it was spot on. Build quality is solid, threading is smooth, very little backlash, ratchet adjuster works well. Exceeded my expectations.
 
#9
The ball Mic is a must as others have allready stated.
The high end measuring tools in my opinion are must for the ones you use all the time.
That's why I bought a pair of 12" Mititoyo digital calipers, but the tube Mic will rarely be used and unless you just have to have the best the cheaper options will work fine just verify thier accuracy before trusting any precision measuring tools regardless of price.
My cheapo ball Mic finally crapped out that I have been using for years and it's replacement should be delivered tomorrow sometime.
I ordered an RCBS this time and will decide wether or not it is worth keeping over the weekend.
 
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#10
Ok so I bought the RCBS vernier ball micrometer from midway. Got it on sale. Just checked it out and tested it on the calibration rods back in the machine shop at my work. It’s measured exactly what the calibration rod was, now time to measure some brass. I think I’ll make a little stand for it.
 
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#11
rockin randy said:
Ok so I bought the RCBS vernier ball micrometer from midway. Got it on sale. Just checked it out and tested it on the calibration rods back in the machine shop at my work. It’s measured exactly what the calibration rod was, now time to measure some brass. I think I’ll make a little stand for it.
Click to expand...

I received mine about 12 days ago but is wasn't dead on and needed .0003" of adjustment to be lined up and repeatable with the ratchet stop thimble.
I like it so far and immediately went to work on a batch of 6.5x47 and 65CM brass.
 
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#14
As much as I wanted the high end tool my wallet was not willing. I also purchased the KM turning kit, primer pockets uniformer and flash hole deburring tool. Now I need a 300 PRC FL bushing die and micrometer seater. Looking at whidden or Redding.
 
#15
XLR308 said:
What resolution does the Redding tool go down to ?
Click to expand...
.001 but I also use K&m turning tools and really just “clean mine up” . After you can spin them on the tool and the needle hardly ever moves, if it does, chuck that piece back up obviously I went to fast lol. for real neck turning for a brass needs to be turned chamber I wouldn’t think this is the tool to use. I have a ball mic too, but it’s painfully slow. While I enjoy handloading, I also do all my loading except sizing on a hornady ap, and use a autotrickler. You could say I’m impatient. Hahaha
 
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#16
Nimothy said:
.001 but I also use K&m turning tools and really just “clean mine up” . After you can spin them on the tool and the needle hardly ever moves, if it does, chuck that piece back up obviously I went to fast lol. for real neck turning for a brass needs to be turned chamber I wouldn’t think this is the tool to use. I have a ball mic too, but it’s painfully slow. While I enjoy handloading, I also do all my loading except sizing on a hornady ap, and use a autotrickler. You could say I’m impatient. Hahaha
Click to expand...

.001 really isn't good enough resolution for neck turning. One really should have a resolution of .0001 to be sure to get the proper neck tension. That's one of the main reasons why I went with this one,
 
#17
rockin randy said:
As much as I wanted the high end tool my wallet was not willing. I also purchased the KM turning kit, primer pockets uniformer and flash hole deburring tool. Now I need a 300 PRC FL bushing die and micrometer seater. Looking at whidden or Redding.
Click to expand...

Go Whidden custom on the FL for the 300 PRC. Its only downside is waiting for it to be built and arrive. But then you've got a perfect chamber match. I also like the Whidden seater dies (I use one on my 6mm BRA). A nice side benefit of this seater is the nice, big, white numbers on the mic - for those of us who's eyesight is getting worse. With the Hornady dies I have to take a pic on my phone and magnify it to see what it's at.
 
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#20
Rocketmandb said:
Go Whidden custom on the FL for the 300 PRC. Its only downside is waiting for it to be built and arrive. But then you've got a perfect chamber match. I also like the Whidden seater dies (I use one on my 6mm BRA). A nice side benefit of this seater is the nice, big, white numbers on the mic - for those of us who's eyesight is getting worse. With the Hornady dies I have to take a pic on my phone and magnify it to see what it's at.
Click to expand...

I’m going to go with the whidden and the 215 Berger hybrid stem. Whidden said it will work well for the 230 Berger’s also. Which I plan on loading up the Berger’s so i can hunt with the rifle too.
 
#22
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#23
May be late to the purchasing party.......

I bought a Mitutoyo analog tubing mic 20 years ago. I have been very pleased with it. It's very smooth in operation, obviously well made. It gets a lot of use. Not a fan of digital. I don't need (or want) a tenth resolution. I can eyeball the Mitutoyo analog to a 1/5 of a thou, which is fine for me. When I run my brass through my Wilson neck sizing die, I can't feel any difference in 1 or 2 tenths of neck wall thickness variation. (Jeebus, Sandra's making me seasick while I'm typing this.......... ;) :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:)
 
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#24
Rocketmandb said:
Thanks for the info on the stem - I'm using the 230s. I am growing weary of the Hornady seating die I have now.
Click to expand...

Depending on when I order the die kit, I may go with Redding if they take the 300 PRC off the custom die list. Which I heard is supposed to happen in the new year.

As a side note the KM neck turning kit tools appear and feel quality. Also just got done using the flash hole deburring tool from KM on 50 Hornady 300 PRC cases, it also feels and looks quality.

The necks are running from .014”-.016” randomly chosen out of the batch of 50 I sorted out of 200 that weight 258.0-258.9 grains. I guess I’m turning them down to .014”.
 
#25
rockin randy said:
Depending on when I order the die kit, I may go with Redding if they take the 300 PRC off the custom die list. Which I heard is supposed to happen in the new year.

As a side note the KM neck turning kit tools appear and feel quality. Also just got done using the flash hole deburring tool from KM on 50 Hornady 300 PRC cases, it also feels and looks quality.

The necks are running from .014”-.016” randomly chosen out of the batch of 50 I sorted out of 200 that weight 258.0-258.9 grains. I guess I’m turning them down to .014”.
Click to expand...

I've always been very pleased with everything I've bought from K&M. Not cheap initially, but, it'll/they will last a lifetime. I have dedicated neckturners for .223, 6mm and .308W. I'm lazy and don't like to throw away brand new Lapua culls.

If you've measured and found a low end of .014", you may want to consider setting the neckturner to .0135". Nobody escapes alive that way..... :whistle:
 
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