getting ready to start reloading for 6.5 CM. I was planning on buying a Redding FL S bushing dies and a Forster micrometer seating die. Factory loaded rounds measure .290 but the fired rounds measure .298. If I get a bushing that's .288 then I'll be reducing the neck .010. That seems like too much and will give me concentricity issues from what I read. What's the solution? Buy a standard FL die and skip the bushing die? I'm obviously somewhat new to reloading. Thanks for the help!
Hornady brass, Redding bushing questions
- Thread starter mustang-cars
- Start date
That is pretty large for a fired case neck. Most are around .295. Measure it again. Might be the chamber is a little larger. Also most use a .289 bushing for the necks of Hornady brass. Check the loaded neck again too.
You can get a FL bushing die and get two bushings. A .288 and a .293 and run the brass through twice if you are using a single stage press.
You can get a FL bushing die and get two bushings. A .288 and a .293 and run the brass through twice if you are using a single stage press.
I measured a bunch of cases and they all came out the same. Rifle is a Ruger Precision. I'll measure again though here in a minute. Don't really want to have to run them through twice with two different bushings.
Ok, measured again and got the .295. That still seems like a good stretch. The loaded is .290. I thought you were supposed to get a bushing .002 smaller than the loaded diameter? .289 would only be .001
I was using the Redding 3 dies set, The body, Type S bushing, micrometer seating die. I just changed to a FL die and my groups are as good or better and now its a 2 stage instead of 3 stage process. I did this for most of the calibers I reload .243.6cm,6.5cm .308 and .338LM.
.002 works well and if you get .290 then go .288. You should be ok with the .295 to .288. They say no more than .005" down at a time but try the .007" and I bet there isn't much difference. I know there isn't in my FL die.
Honestly if you used a standard Hornady FL die it would work well. Like I said it's what I use and it loads very accurate ammo. The only thing to change is adding a micrometer adjustment to the seater.
Thanks for the input. Ended up just getting a standard Forster FL die and a micrometer seating die. Now waiting on my Magnetospeed. It'll be here on Friday so I can check my sd/es. If that looks good I'll shoot it at distance. Got a 1/2" group out of it.
Hornady 1x fired
Trimmed 1.910
140 ELD-M
42.6gr H4350
FGMM 210M
.020 off of lands
Hornady 1x fired
Trimmed 1.910
140 ELD-M
42.6gr H4350
FGMM 210M
.020 off of lands
I noticed you are at 42.6 of H4350.....and in my Hornady manual I thought I read 41.5 was max load.......just wondering about pressure signs etc.
There were no pressure signs at all. If you look around a lot of guys are loading a ways over that. My COAL is longer than what they're loaded at in the manual so that will change pressures.
It seems many 6.5 CM RPR shooters loading Hornady brass, H4350, and 140 ELD-M projectiles 0.020" off the lands are finding nodes in vicinity of 41.3gr (~2730 fps) and again at 42.6gr (~2780 fps).
