Expanding case necks/getting out dings - the hard way

[sentry1]

I got some Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor brass on the cheap, with the caveat that they were once fired, some dinged up, and some of them had erroneously been run into a 6 Creedmoor die and necked down.

I figured I'd just anneal the necks on the necked down cases and expand them... Until I pulled out my Redding Competition die set (for the first time) and realized it doesn't come with a neck expander. Duh, should've known. Anyway, I dealt with the necked down cases by coating a 140gr AMAX with Imperial Sizing Die Wax, chamfering the case mouth, and then seating the bullet. Use a collet puller to remove the bullet, and voila, 6.5mm neck again!

So the Competition dies have no provision for rounding necks back out. How do you guys deal with this when necks get dented? Are there any options besides just buying a cheap 6.5 CM sizing die with a neck expander in it?

 

[Rprecision]

Anyway, I dealt with the necked down cases by coating a 140gr AMAX with Imperial Sizing Die Wax, chamfering the case mouth, and then seating the bullet. Use a collet puller to remove the bullet, and voila, 6.5mm neck again!

I think a good full length sizing die should be added to your equipment. If your shooting them enough you will want one anyways, additionally its once fired right ?

With once fired brass out of someone else's gun, FL sizing is step one for me.

But watching you size necks with a bullet and collect puller could pass some time with some beer and headshaking..............

just saying

 

[DocB]

Sentry,

The K%M Expandiron or the Sinclair expander for neck turning will do what you want.

HTH,
DocB

 

[sentry1]

Sentry,

The K%M Expandiron or the Sinclair expander for neck turning will do what you want.

HTH,
DocB

Good call, thanks. That'll be part of my neck turning setup anyways.

I think a good full length sizing die should be added to your equipment. If your shooting them enough you will want one anyways, additionally its once fired right ?

With once fired brass out of someone else's gun, FL sizing is step one for me.

But watching you size necks with a bullet and collect puller could pass some time with some beer and headshaking..............

just saying

You've missed the point here. The Redding Competition set includes a FL die, but it only has a decapping stem, there is no neck expander on the stem like most dies.

 

[mdmp5]

Redding dies should come with an expander; at least all of mine did. What they don't come with is a carbide expander. That is a separate piece. If my case mouths are dented, I take a pair of needlenose pliers and gently insert them into the mouth to remove the dent. I then run the brass through a neck die with the expander and a large bushing. Then f/l size with the desired bushing.

 

[leadbullet]

If this happens again, just put a slight amount of redding imperial sizing wax in the case mouth and run through the sizing die, it'll work just fine, I have sized 243 AI into 260 with a simple 260 sizer.
Cheers.

 

[MitchAlsup]

When I have a dinged neck, I feed in my Craftsman punch. Its neck is just right from 223 through 338 to widen and roundify the necks so they get processed perfectly in the sizing die.

 

[sentry1]

Redding dies should come with an expander; at least all of mine did. What they don't come with is a carbide expander. That is a separate piece. If my case mouths are dented, I take a pair of needlenose pliers and gently insert them into the mouth to remove the dent. I then run the brass through a neck die with the expander and a large bushing. Then f/l size with the desired bushing.

Ok, some of you apparently can not grasp this very simple concept: "Redding Competition dies do not come with an expander." Just saying "use the expander" does not magically make an expander appear.

When I have a dinged neck, I feed in my Craftsman punch. Its neck is just right from 223 through 338 to widen and roundify the necks so they get processed perfectly in the sizing die.

Thank you for the useful input!

 

[gstaylorg]

None of my Redding full-length (bushing) resizing dies came an expander. Sentry - I have the Sinclair expander die, it works great. A little extra effort to be sure, but the flat spots are largely gone before resizing, completely gone after. I just leave the lube on all the cases until both expanding and resizing are complete. Just make sure you get the oversized expander mandrel, which is a slightly larger diameter than the neck turning mandrel.

SINCLAIR GENERATION II EXPANDER DIES | Sinclair Intl

SINCLAIR EXPANDER MANDREL - OVERSIZED | Sinclair Intl

FWIW - if you continue to get flattened necks after reloading and shooting the brass in your rifle, you can also replace your ejector spring with a weaker one if it's a bolt gun.

 

[mdmp5]

Ok, some of you apparently can not grasp this very simple concept: "Redding Competition dies do not come with an expander." Just saying "use the expander" does not magically make an expander appear.

My s type bushing dies all came with an expander, and I am curious to why yours did not. Give me your address, I will send you one of mine, no prob.

 

[milo 2.0]

Ok, some of you apparently can not grasp this very simple concept: "Redding Competition dies do not come with an expander." Just saying "use the expander" does not magically make an expander appear.

You're right on that. But type s dies do, think that is what most are referring to. Do the cases fit in your chamber? If they don't, your high dollar comp die set is worthless here. You're going to need a fl die, yours is neck size only.

 

[milo 2.0]

You've missed the point here. The Redding Competition set includes a FL die, but it only has a decapping stem, there is no neck expander on the stem like most dies.

Hate to call you out on this, but the only Competition die set from Redding that includes a fl sizer is a pistol die set.

 

[sentry1]

Hate to call you out on this, but the only Competition die set from Redding that includes a fl sizer is a pistol die set.

Dammit, you're right, I got mixed up. It's a body die and a neck sizing die.

 

[milo 2.0]

Dammit, you're right, I got mixed up. It's a body die and a neck sizing die.

Sorry Sentry, most refer to their type S match die set as comp dies. Most are even unaware of your set, and sorry again, but rightfully so. They're slightly overkill!

 

[mdmp5]

Hate to call you out on this, but the only Competition die set from Redding that includes a fl sizer is a pistol die set.

Actually milo, there is a 2 die set that includes a f/l bushing die and comp seater. I have one of those for my 338lm, and am in the mkt for a 6.5x47 set

 

[milo 2.0]

Actually milo, there is a 2 die set that includes a f/l bushing die and comp seater. I have one of those for my 338lm, and am in the mkt for a 6.5x47 set

Ok, but it's not labeled a Competition Die Set, it's a Type S Match Die Set.

 

[atlsniper6.5]

Sentry,

The K%M Expandiron or the Sinclair expander for neck turning will do what you want.

HTH,
DocB

This is what I would do... Cheap and multipurpose.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mdmp5]

Ok, but it's not labeled a Competition Die Set, it's a Type S Match Die Set.

Yes you are correct