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neck tension factor
blackmesarifleco
Member Posts: 91 ✭✭
I've noticed alot more forums with posts about neck tension and accuracy. I have poundered this alot. Anyone know best method for most consistant, any tools available to help this?
Comments
Neck tension and its relationship to accuracy and efficiency has been discussed for many years starting with the benchrest shooters who have demonstrated a huge degree compulsion to test everything with that regard. It's even been discussed here as well since we have a large number of members concerned with accuracy and reloading.
Consistency is a product of controlling the variables that are controllable and being able to repeat that control. That's what neck tension is, making it the same every time, once you've established how much tension you need. testing neck tension can be as simple as using a bushing neck die with several different bushings. Start with the largest diameter neck that will hold the bullet, load and shoot. Continue making the neck smaller (tighter) until you arrive at the tension that yields the best accuracy. Increasing neck tension also increases pressure. Be aware that work hardening has an effect on neck tension also, so you need to either work with brass that's new or keep the fired brass annealed to the same extent throughout the test. Keep your neck wall thickness consistent as well. Concentricity and neck wall thickness both have an effect on neck tension.
If you'd like to quality the tension on your necks, here is a tool:
http://www.shootingsoftware.com/recoil.htm
This is an article that addresses measuring the tension of seating:
http://home.comcast.net/~jesse99/tension.html
Best.
That said this is all in theory. I've shot turk Mauser surplus ammo that had a cracked neck CHAMBERING the round and it went into the same group as the rest of what I was shooting. Ditto on handloads with different types of brass- I've shot some strings with 3, 4, 5 different types of brass and it didn't seem to affect much at 100 or 200 yards. So for every day shooting I don't think it is an issue- now you get out to 1000, that's another game entirely.
blackmesarifleco,
Neck tension and its relationship to accuracy and efficiency has been discussed for many years starting with the benchrest shooters who have demonstrated a huge degree compulsion to test everything with that regard. It's even been discussed here as well since we have a large number of members concerned with accuracy and reloading.
Consistency is a product of controlling the variables that are controllable and being able to repeat that control. That's what neck tension is, making it the same every time, once you've established how much tension you need. testing neck tension can be as simple as using a bushing neck die with several different bushings. Start with the largest diameter neck that will hold the bullet, load and shoot. Continue making the neck smaller (tighter) until you arrive at the tension that yields the best accuracy. Increasing neck tension also increases pressure. Be aware that work hardening has an effect on neck tension also, so you need to either work with brass that's new or keep the fired brass annealed to the same extent throughout the test. Keep your neck wall thickness consistent as well. Concentricity and neck wall thickness both have an effect on neck tension.
If you'd like to quality the tension on your necks, here is a tool:
http://www.shootingsoftware.com/recoil.htm
This is an article that addresses measuring the tension of seating:
http://home.comcast.net/~jesse99/tension.html
Best.
Thankyou very much the links were right in line with my thinking and the electronic tester is what I was thinking about designing - too late i guess. With the parts and time I estimated their retail price is pretty cheap.