Bushing dies and annealing

[Milligan]

I bought my Accuracy International rifle from a guy who not only did well in target shooting but was also an engineer for British Aerospace. He said it’s all about reducing variables and inconsistencies.

My current go to guy annealed every firing, neck turns and uses bushing dies. He does very well in F Class. He says with annealing and good brass care he expects his brass to outlive his barrel doing 15-20 reloads.

Now as people often say target shooting is not live quarry shooting m, but the more accurate you are on paper, the more consistent your ammunition the more confidence you have in your tools and the higher the likelihood that you will have a clean efficient kill.

As I said to my keeper friend the other day, I see no reason why my ammo for my foxing gun should not be made to the same spec as the ammo for my long range gun.

I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but it’s mine.

That's fine, but if your setup does half moa or less you are in rapidly diminishing returns.

 

[A Guy Out West]

Winchester brass has had the most inconsistent neck of any brass I have ever loaded. That said, I never neck turn and I have had some pretty amazingly accurate hand loads.

 

[cjs66]

The dark art...

I shoot 280ai and 6.5x47 lapua so at £120 a box of brass I want to extend the life as far as possible, so I minimise brass movement and anneal. Makes it cheaper in the long run. I can get 10 plus firings out of my brass with pretty hot loads.

Hi.
How many times do you anneal your brass in them 10 times reloads please? Is sooty necks a good indicator they need annealing? I get sooty necks sometimes with my 6.5x55 and N160, after first firing new Lapua brass. What's average amount of loads between annealing? My loads, through out my calibers are on the warm side. I don't neck size or measure neck tension.

cjs

 

[NigelM]

I usually anneal after 4 firings and then every other firing. I have been doing it with an electric drill and a blow torch but about to invest in a little machine to do it properly. 280ai and 6.5 Lapua brass is silly money so I tend to prolong it's life as long as I can.

Not experienced it myself, but I have read that sooty necks are a sign of hard necked brass that needs annealing.

 

[Dogtra UK]

I’m just building the ne of these.

 

[Whitebeard]

I’m using once fired Norma .243 brass. Measuring loaded rounds with a dial caliper and empty cases with a ball micrometer shows massive inconsistencies.

If you want to be sure then neck turn, i neck turn Lapua brass because i want exact and consistent neck tension, i only neck size enough so that i cant twist the bullet between thumb and forefinger ( about .003" below bullet diametre) 0.001" looser and i will be able to twist the bullit

Ian

 

[Dogtra UK]

I’ve got some neck turning kit coming. I need to remeasure once they are turned and get a different bushing.

 

[NigelM]

I've taken the easy route and ordered one of these...



Had a test drive last weekend and found it to be very good. For £200 I thought it was very good value.

 

[Dogtra UK]

I’ve just sold mine. The salt bath thingy seems far more controllable to me.