Neck turning newbie

[Catch-22]

I would be grateful for some advice please.

Ive got a .284 Shehane build in progress. But I’m new to neck turning. I think I’ve got what I need but would appreciate someone checking my logic/process please.

Reamer: .284 Shehane 0.313” neck

Process;

- Start with new 284 Lapua brass 
- Expand brass with 7mm/284 expander mandrel (Sinclair)
- Lube and turn necks to a 0.012” neck wall thickness. This should give a 0.004” clearance in a chamber cut with a 0.313” neck
- Anneal neck turned brass
- FL size brass with .305” bushing
- Load bullets to jam in throat (eg 0.015” jam). Use starting/mid range load (eg 54gn N165)
- Go shoot and fire form 
- Then usual deprime, tumble, anneal, expand necks, FL Size (should I use the same 0.305” bushing or perhaps go up to a 0.306 or 0.307” bushing??). 

For neck turning, I was thinking of the PMA cutting tool. There aren’t many die options, Whidden is the obvious. Otherwise I was thinking of a Cortina 284 Shehane and for seating a FCP Shehane arbor die.

Thoughts and advice anyone please??

Thank you.

 

[Elwood]

I've been shooting a .313 neck Shehane for years. I use a 6.5 expander on Lapua brass and then a 7mm, I use a coated expander and Imperial sizing wax applied on the inside of the neck with a cotton bud, less force is good.

If you going to use a PMA cutter then get their expander to match the pilot they supply, the PMA tool is very good, again it's what I use.

I turn to 12.5 and use a .307 or .308 bushing and then use a expander, this gives me a loaded round of .309

Dies, I use Newlon blanks, ask who ever is doing the work if they have the resize reamer.

They are extremely accurate fire forming, one of the most accurate rifles I have ever seen was someone fire forming Shehane brass. I used to fire form using cheap PPU ammo and Trail boss powder, unfortunately now unavailable. If I'm just shooting into a back stop I jam them, if I'm using them for practice I sit the bullet where it wants to be. Run a mild load as you're not doing much to fire form the case just blowing the side walls out 10 thou, look for 2850 fps.

[Elwood]

Get several bottles of the PMA neck turning lube, it's good.

[dorg]

Make sure you trim all necks to a uniform length after expanding to get a consistent cut into the neck / shoulder junction.

[Catch-22]

14 hours ago, Elwood said:

I've been shooting a .313 neck Shehane for years. I use a 6.5 expander on Lapua brass and then a 7mm, I use a coated expander and Imperial sizing wax applied on the inside of the neck with a cotton bud, less force is good.

If you going to use a PMA cutter then get their expander to match the pilot they supply, the PMA tool is very good, again it's what I use.

I turn to 12.5 and use a .307 or .308 bushing and then use a expander, this gives me a loaded round of .309

Dies, I use Newlon blanks, ask who ever is doing the work if they have the resize reamer.

They are extremely accurate fire forming, one of the most accurate rifles I have ever seen was someone fire forming Shehane brass. I used to fire form using cheap PPU ammo and Trail boss powder, unfortunately now unavailable. If I'm just shooting into a back stop I jam them, if I'm using them for practice I sit the bullet where it wants to be. Run a mild load as you're not doing much to fire form the case just blowing the side walls out 10 thou, look for 2850 fps.

Thanks very much Elwood for all the info and advice. I’ll take that into consideration, perhaps 12 thou necks is just a little too thin?!

One question, after fire forming and FL sizing brass from then on, do you continue to use the same 0.307 / 0.308 bushing, or do you go a size up?

I will look to the 2850fps range.

 

14 hours ago, Elwood said:

Get several bottles of the PMA neck turning lube, it's good.

Yes I’ve heard this too, will do.

 

11 hours ago, dorg said:

Make sure you trim all necks to a uniform length after expanding to get a consistent cut into the neck / shoulder junction.

yes that’s also really good advice, I won’t forget - thank you. 

[No i deer]

Twelve thousandths neck wall is fine..

neckwall thickness really depends on what size the tight necked reamer cuts the chamber neck.

.307 bushing will be just fine..

personally I'd use a .306 bushing

Bushing down an extra 1 thousandths will work well for running it over a 1.5 thousandths neck tensions mandrel.. 

I run the mandrel through the case twice. 

[Catch-22]

23 hours ago, No i deer said:

Twelve thousandths neck wall is fine..

neckwall thickness really depends on what size the tight necked reamer cuts the chamber neck.

.307 bushing will be just fine..

personally I'd use a .306 bushing

Bushing down an extra 1 thousandths will work well for running it over a 1.5 thousandths neck tensions mandrel.. 

I run the mandrel through the case twice. 

Great, thank you for the advice, that’s super helpful!