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Old 07-13-2019, 05:31 PM
qwert qwert is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,443
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Thank you for the uncharacteristically long and fully informative information.
I really appreciate the objective data and experience. I do have a couple of questions.

Quote:
Originally Posted by chuck View Post
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With FL sizing, I have completely removed the expander ball stem and run cases into the die. They go in concentric and come out the same way.
Please confirm
Typical (aka hunter class) RCBS solid FL die with typical RCBS expender button & deprime pin holder removed?

Quote:
Originally Posted by chuck View Post
snip
Now to achieve proper neck tension I run the cases over a Sinclair expander mandrel. Run out starts to appear. Usually 1.5 to 2 thou.
I attributed this to neck wall issues now being forced to the outside.
IMHO this is a good description of process.
https://www.whiddengunworks.com/stan...eloading-dies/

Please confirm, if annealing, neck turning or uniforming performed in post fire-forming case prep?

Quote:
Originally Posted by chuck View Post
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I then ran cases already sized the previous way into the die and suprise suprise I knocked almost a thou of runout off the case consistently. Now we are at 0.001 of perceptible runout.
Please confirm
1- sized in FL die with button expander removed
2- neck expanded with Sinclair mandrel
3- re-sized in FL die with button expander installed?

Quote:
Originally Posted by chuck View Post
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But the seating is the problem. Consistently adding 5 to 6 thou more runout. I use a Forster Co-Ax press and with this setup, and with the long throat of this rifle my seating die is almost too short. I have to back the die body out for breathing space. So I backed the seating stem all the way up and bottomed it out (RCBS seating stems are removed through the bottom of the die) tightened the lock nut and set the seating depth with the die body lock ring using a dummy. I then seated bullets. Zero runout. Instead of going from 1 to 5 or 6 thou, these cases have gone from 1 to 0. I don't know why, but I don't care. :-)
Please confirm
Typical (aka hunter class) RCBS combination seater & crimp die?
With the seater stem fully retracted, does the case mouth contact the crimp form in the die?

If your seater die is able to correct neck concentricity during seating, I suggest you take very good care of it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by chuck View Post
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All this is likely not repeatable with another cartridge and die set, but if you work at it for 7 or 8 years you can maybe come up with a solution. In spite of all this I still have a custom set of Whidden dies on order.
Did you order custom Whidden bushing or non bushing dies?
Is a carbide expander ball or cone available?

Please report results.

Good Luck, YMMV.

Last edited by qwert; 07-13-2019 at 05:39 PM.
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