How do we set NECK TENSION? | Explained 

*Correction!* At 3:02, the final ID should be .241 in this scenario 👍

I use bushings and 21st century expander mandrel

Running a full length sizing die with the decapping pin/expander ball removed, and as seperate steps do the decapping and expander mandrel to set neck tension

switched 100% to mandrel , found bushing dies did not compensate for variance in neck wall thickness and expander balls adjust to fast and not 100% everywhere inside case necks

Thanks for the video; made things simpler/clearer.

Thank you for sharing your expertise

Probably a silly question, but how is your pull through mandrel different than a standard expander ball?

Love it... this is exactly what I'm experimenting with atm. Without neck turning brass....

I just found you, love it

This is very helpful, and is one of the very few videos that explains and shows graphics of bushings and mandrels in detail. I bought some regular Redding premium dies, but not bushing dies. Instead I use a turning mandrel to give the .002” neck tension I need. A friend said I should ALSO use a bushing just to minimize how much the neck is worked (?), but since I anneal I haven’t worked that out yet, or completely understand the need for both the mandrel _and_ a bushing. Wonderful press there, and very well thought out dies. If I didn’t have years of investment already in several other presses I’d be all over the Area 419 products. Thanks for the helpful video! 👍

I run my cases through a Redding body die and push the shoulders back .002" and then a Lee collet neck sizing die.

Isn't this the way the old standard dies have been sizing the neck? You are just doing it with better dies and more precision. What I prefer is simplicity, repeatability and reliability in a design. Buy the time we buy 4 or 5 bushings for our redding die, we have paid more than the price of a true custom die. I got into reloading from a hunting background. Much of the equipments that are out there do not meet the precision shooting requirements . I am glad that you are tackling some of these issues.

I use the bushing and this is the first time I seen this kind of die

Looking at the insert to your dies: it looks like you have a sleeve that you can change out and that is the reamer cut chamber so could you for example slide in a different Creedmoor from a 6 to 6.5cm? Will you offer this in the future?

Really nice equipment, but Holy cow man, at that price, I can do a lot of shooting. Quality ain't cheap, and I understand that, but damn, that's almost half as much as the zero press. I'll probably end up with the press one day. Haven't decided which nut I'm going to part with yet, but I'm considering it.

So what's the difference between the expander mandrel in the Area419 die and the typical expander "ball" in most FL dies? Right now, I'm using a FL bushing die with the expander removed to neck down slightly then running the brass through an expander mandrel to try and get consistent neck tension. The reason I started using an expander mandrel was because I was paranoid of stretching the brass by pulling the neck past an expander ball.

I've had some issues with pull through expanders messing up the head space and shoulder angle on some very shape angle shoulder cartridges such as 6 dasher and 300 wsm. Has this been observed with your dies at all, and what have you guys done to mitigate that risk? Should also add that I am using neck lube neck lube and have still encounter this problem

I hope to see the release of the .308 sizing die soon. I have not been disappointed with a single purchase from 419 or customer service.

This afternoon I shot a 5 shot group at 100 metres with 11mm centre to centre & 21mm OD with 4.8 fps SD with a Sauer 101 hunting rifle in .308 using 42.9 gr of AR2206H and 140gr Outer Edge Ball Bearing tip copper monolith fired from ADI brass .3365 OD sized with an RCBS Match Master FL die and SAC .333 bushing. This is now my hunting load after repeated shoots showing the same grouping. All the techno jargon and marketing mean jack shit if you can’t drive your rifle and use your tools properly.

I use a 40 year old RCBS press, $39 Hornady die, and a $20 century 21 mandrel.

Great stuff. Thanks

Very nice….when will this design be released for 7/8” turrets? I’m looking for 6 GT dies.

Craig: impressive die and very innovative. I understand you aim for .002 neck tension. How much does the die size the neck down before the mandrel come thru? For example is the 308 win neck .335 , .334 before the mandrel?

When I use a bushing to slightly undersized the brass to use an inside mandrel I notice with my AMP Press that the seating force is higher than just using correct size bushing in single step. So I might have tighter tolerances, but at the cost of more tension. Do you notice this with your dies?

Thanks

What would your thoughts be on the best route to size a 6mm BR case that has been neck turned to work in a bench gun reamed with a chamber having a .262 diameter neck? I know that the neck does not expand over the elastic limits of the brass right away, but there is some change over a number of shots. Neck material thickness is about .008

Torn between bushing dies, and expanding mandrel dies. @area419 stupid question…after using a wax etc to lube the case for sizing is it sufficient to just wipe it off, or should I clean the brass in the tumbler?

This reloading stuff is evolving so much that it’s come full circle…..back to the expander ball that in the beginning was supposed to be the worst thing ever.

0.241 ID + 0.013 wall thickness = 0.254 bushing???

I don't get it; 2 seconds is all it would have taken to make this video 4:19 in length. That aside, good info and production.

I would to really see a UNBIAS review if your 500 dollar dies will make any better ammo then Brand X die. And don't send your wares to Ultimate Advertiser as we know he is a paid shill.

Neck tension should be a measure of force and not a measurement of size