You can benefit from these precision mandrels, trust us…

Controlling cartridge neck tension is a critical aspect of accurate reloading. A very small change in the amount of grip on the bullet can actually have a noticeable effect on accuracy (and group size). You can tune neck tension with different size bushings used with FL-sizing or neck-sizing dies. You can also adjust neck “grip” by annealing your brass, or turning your necks for reduced neck-wall thickness.

But perhaps the most precise way to tune neck grip on the bullet is to use Precision Expander Mandrels. Many top shooters size their case necks down pretty far with a full-length sizing die then use a precision neck mandrel as a final step. This expands the neck back to the precisely-desired neck diameter. Because you are working from the “inside out”, variances in neck-wall thickness become less important. This also ensures you have a perfectly-round internal neck geometry for seating your bullet. (Yes, unfortunately some neck bushings are not perfectly round inside.)

For guys who want ultra-precise control over neck tension (and “grip” on the bullet), 21st Century Shooting now offers Precision Expander Mandrels in .0005 (one-half thousandth) increments. These will be available for most popular match calibers including: .224, 6mm, .25, 6.5mm, .270, 7mm, .308, and .338 calibers. These mandrels cost $17.99 each, or you can get a complete set of nine mandrels in .0005 increments (for one caliber) for $144.99. Listed below are the nine 6mm mandrels:

John Perkins, owner of 21st Century tells us: “Finally! We have our expander mandrels up and ready to order on our website here: http://www.xxicsi.com/expander-mandrels.html.” This is a big deal. James Crofts, past National F-TR Champion, says “WooHoo — great news!”

To get best results with these precision mandrels, John recommends using the 21st Century Expander Die Body, part #904. Watch video for set-up tips:

John adds: “We are still in the midst of turning all of these so some calibers will ship when they are completed. Should have them all done by end of next week or so! Thanks for your patience while we got these set up and in process!”

Peterson now offers 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win, and .300 Norma Mag loaded ammo.

Peterson Cartridge, a leading USA-based cartridge brass maker, is expanding its product line. Peterson recently announced that it will produce loaded ammunition. This new Peterson Precision Ammunition, of course, features Peterson brass, along with bullets from Berger, Hornady, and Sierra. There will be four (4) ammo types initially: 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win Match, and .300 Norma Mag. (NOTE: We’ve also seen a photo labeled “7mm” so perhaps a .284 Win is on its way, or maybe a 7mm SAUM?)

The ammo is reasonably priced. For example, the 6.5 Creedmoor ammo costs $35.00 for 20 cartridges, or $1.75 per round. Here are the product specs for the four cartridge types currently offered. You can access Full DROP CHARTS by clicking each photo below.

6mm Creedmoor Projectile: Hornady 108 Grain ELDM Velocity: 3080 FPS (24″ bbl) G1 BC: 0.536	6.5 Creedmoor Projectile 1: Sierra 142 Grain SMK Velocity: 2700 FPS (24″ bbl) G1 BC: 0.595 Projectile 2: Hornady 140 Grain ELDM Velocity: 2750 FPS (24″ bbl) G1 BC: 0.646 Projectile 3: Hornady 147 Grain ELDM Velocity: 2650 FPS (24″ bbl) G1 BC: 0.697
.308 Win Match Projectile 1: Sierra 168 Grain Tipped MatchKing Velocity: 2803 FPS (24″ bbl) G1 BC: 0.535 Projectile 2: Sierra 175 Grain Tipped MatchKing Velocity: N/A G1 BC: 0.545	.300 Norma Magnum Projectile: Berger 215 Grain Hybrid Target Velocity: 2950 FPS (24″ bbl) G1 BC: 0.696

This ammo is all assembled in the USA, using Peterson brass and American components: “The entire manufacturing process, from creating the brass to loading the full rounds of precision ammunition takes place in our manufacturing facility located in Warrendale, Pennsylvania. Peterson Cartridge is dedicated to producing the best American-Made ammunition possible.”

Peterson Cartridge
761 Commonwealth Drive, Suite 201
Warrendale, PA 15086
Phone: (724) 940-7552
Email: info@petersoncartridge.com

Peterson ammo tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.

If you’ve been thinking about a big purchase at Brownells, now is the time. Right now, May 16, 2019, Brownells is offering $35 Off a $300+ purchase or $70 Off a $600+ purchase. That’s a great bargain, effectively a 11.6% savings. Use Code MFX to save $35 on $300+, or use Code MFY to save $70 on the purchase of $600 or more.

These Discounts Expire at 11:59 pm CDT 5/16/19:

Coupon Code: MFY — $70 Off $600 + Free S/H
Expiration date: May 16, 2019 at 11:59 PM CDT

Coupon Code: MFX — $35 Off $300 + Free S/H
Expiration date: May 16, 2019 at 11:59 PM CDT

Take note guys. These are one-day only discounts that expire at 11:59 pm CDT. Don’t delay if you’re thinking about a big purchase, such as a firearm or a barreled action.

More Brownells Discount Codes

If you miss these deals listed above, Brownells is still running some discounts for $99-$200 purchases. With a purchase of $200 and up, save $20 with Code M8Y. Or, with a purchase of $99 or more, you can save $10 with Code MDX. You can also get free Shipping/Handling for all purchases over $49 with Code VB5. That free shipping/handling could save you another $10-$20 easy. NOTE: These codes have no listed expiration date, but Brownells could terminate them at any time, so you should still act soon.

Coupon Code: M8Y — $20 off $200 + Free S/H
Expiration date: Unknown expiration

Coupon Code: MDX — $10 OFF $99 + Free S/H
Expiration date: Unknown expiration

Coupon Code: VB5 — Free S/H Over $49
Expiration date: Unknown expiration

Need primers? Here’s a great way to save on primers this summer. Now through August 15, 2019, There is a 25% factory rebate on Winchester primers. Here’s how it works. If you purchase at least $80 worth of Winchester-brand primers, you qualify for a $20 manufacturer’s rebate. That works out to a 25% savings ($20 is one-quarter of $80). Money saved is money earned!

» CLICK HERE For Winchester Primers REBATE Form

And if you buy a larger quantity of primers you save even more. For example, if you buy $100 worth of Winchester primers, you get a $25.00 rebate. If you buy $200 worth of Winchester primers you get the maximum $50 back under this promotion.

This Winchester Rebate is good on purchases made on or before August 15, 2019, so you have plenty of time to shop. The rebate offer applies to virtually ALL Winchester brand primers – pistol, rifle, and shotshell. While we use Federal and CCI primers for most of our rifle hand-loads, we’ve favored Winchester pistol primers for many of our pistols. We’ve found Winchester pistol primers to be very reliable with all types of pistols and revolvers, and they work great with progressive reloading presses.

CLICK HERE for Sinclair Int’l 3-part video series on using Full-length Sizing Dies.

How Much Shoulder Bump Do You Want?

Some of our readers have questioned how to set up their body dies or full-length sizing dies. Specifically, AFTER sizing, they wonder how much resistance they should feel when closing their bolt.

Forum member Preacher explains:

“A little resistance is a good, when it’s time for a big hammer it’s bad…. Keep your full-length die set up to just bump the shoulder back when they get a little too tight going into the chamber, and you’ll be good to go.”

To quantify what Preacher says, for starters, we suggest setting your body die, or full-length sizing die, to have .0015″ of “bump”. NOTE: This assumes that your die is a good match to your chamber. If your sizing or body die is too big at the base you could push the shoulder back .003″ and still have “sticky case” syndrome. Also, the .0015″ spec is for bolt guns. For AR15s you need to bump the shoulder of your cases .003″ – .005″, for enhanced reliability. For those who have never worked with a body die, bump die, or Full-length sizing die, to increase bump, you loosen lock-ring and screw the die in further (move die down relative to shell-holder). A small amount (just a few degrees) of die rotation can make a difference. To reduce bump you screw the die out (move die up). Re-set lock-ring to match changes in die up/down position.

That .0015″ is a good starting point, but some shooters prefer to refine this by feel. Forum member Chuckhunter notes: “To get a better feel, remove the firing pin from your bolt. This will give you the actual feel of the case without the resistance of the firing pin spring. I always do this when setting up my FL dies by feel. I lock the die in when there is just the very slightest resistance on the bolt and I mean very slight.” Chino69 concurs: “Remove the firing pin to get the proper feel. With no brass in the chamber, the bolt handle should drop down into its recess from the full-open position. Now insert a piece of fire-formed brass with the primer removed. The bolt handle should go to the mid-closed position, requiring an assist to cam home. Do this several times to familiarize yourself with the feel. This is how you want your dies to size your brass, to achieve minimal headspace and a nearly glove-like fit in your chamber.”

We caution that, no matter how well you have developed a “feel” for bolt-closing resistance, once you’ve worked out your die setting, you should always measure the actual amount of shoulder bump to ensure that you are not pushing the shoulder too far back. This is an important safety check. You can measure this using a comparator that attaches to your caliper jaws, or alternatively, use a sized pistol case with the primer removed. See Poor Man’s Headspace Gauge.

At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.

1. Weatherby Rifles — Save up to $200

Weatherby rifles and attention to detail go hand in hand but it’s always at a cost but that’s about to change. For a limited time you can pick up a Weatherby rifle and save $100 or $200 with factory rebate. It’s as simple as heading to your favorite Weatherby dealer, purchase an approved rifle, complete the Weatherby rebate form and mail it in. With 25 models to choose from there’s no better time to pick one up. Some qualify for $100 rebate; other models have a $200 rebate.

2. EuroOptic — MASSIVE Nightforce Scope Sale, May 23-28

We’ve seen Nightforce scopes on sale before but never this many for this cheap. Head over to EuroOptic.com and check out what is easily the best Nightforce Optics sale we’ve seen in a long time. You can pick out any of the new NXS scopes for an amazingly low 20% off. Deals like this don’t come often on Nightforce and especially the newest models so if you’re in the market don’t hesitate to jump on this deal. NOTE: The 20% OFF discounted prices will not appear on the website until May 23, 2019!

3. Graf’s — Buy 8-lb keg of select powder, get FREE 1-pounder

This is one of the best Powder Promos of the year. Right now at Graf & Sons, if you buy an 8-lb keg of select Hodgdon or IMR powders, you get a FREE one-pound or 14-ounce container of the same powder. This deal works with fourteen (14) popular Hodgdon and IMR powders. So if you’re running low and need to stock up on your favorite powders, here’s your chance to cash in on some savings. That free one-pounder can be worth up to $32.00. CLICK HERE for POWDER DEAL.

4. Grizzly Bald Eagle — Great rifle Case and Range Bag Sale

Grab one of these Bald Eagle rifle cases or range bags at up to 50% off. These are way better than typical too-skinny rifle cases or flimsy fabric bags. The rifle cases have plenty of storage for your match needs and the padding is very good. The box-style range bags have thick closed-cell foam panels in the base, top, and sides. That gives these bags good “wall strength”, so they don’t collapse like typical range bags. These are more like a quality camera-case.

5. Amazon — Portable Tipton Cleaning Cradle, $19.97

Here’s a very handy gun cradle that helps you clean and maintain your rifles while at the range. The Compact Range Vise folds and collapses to 11-1/4″, so it is easily transported. Two padded “V” brackets hold the rifle while protecting the finish during cleaning/maintenance operations. Made from solvent-resistant polymer, the Compact Range Vise is durable and should last for years. Note this is not suited for wide-forearm benchrest or F-Open rigs, but for typical hunting and varmint rifles it works well. This is really a great option for travel because it is so light and compact when folded.

6. Amazon — CVLIFE 6-9″ Adjustable Bipod with Adapter, $18.99

Do you have multiple rifles that are all sharing one bipod and you’re tired of switching it back and forth? Grab a couple of these CVLIFE 6-9″ Tactical Rifle Bipods for the crazy low price of $18.99 and outfit all your rifles properly. At that price you can even give some bipods to your buddies as gifts. Though inexpensive, this CVLIFE bipod has earned a 4.5 Star rating with more than 3,800 buyer reviews.

7. Graf’s — Hornady Ammo with FREE Vest, Targets, Ammo Can

With this promotion, when you buy Hornady ammo from Grafs.com, you get free stuff — lots of free gear. Here’s how it works — first purchase $100 or more of select Hornady tactical ammo. Then when you view your shopping cart you’ll automatically see a FREE Tactical Vest, FREE ammo can, and FREE targets. You even get FREE shipping. This deal applies to 44 varieties of Hornady ammunition.

8. Creedmoor Sports — Barrelcool Mini Brass Drying Tray, $40.95

If you wet-tumble or ultrasonically clean your brass you’re always left with wet brass that needs to be dried before you can reload. People use a variety of processes to dry their brass, but most take a lot of time, or use a lot of space. The people over at Barrelcool have come up with a brass dryer that’s compact and effective. This brass drying tray holds 50 pieces of brass and runs off a simple USB plug. It delivers high air flow in a small footprint. With most people struggling for bench space that’s a win-win for most reloaders.

9. Bullet Central — 10% off cleaning supplies and accessories

You can’t shoot without having to clean your guns, and nobody likes paying too much for cleaning supplies. Now you can save on gun cleaning products with the Bullet Central’s Spring Cleaning Sale. Save 10% off all cleaning supplies and accessories. Simply spend $30 or more, enter Code SPRINGCLEAN19 during check-out and you’ll save 10% on all your cleaning supplies.

Tired of messing around with neck bushings? Is there a simpler (and potentially better) solution for controlling case neck tension? Yes there is — the precision honed non-bushing die.

You can purchase a Forster non-bushing Full-length sizing die for many popular cartridge types for under $50.00. Then you can send that die to Forster, and Forster will custom-hone the neck for a nominal $12 fee plus return shipping*. When done right, the honed FL die can load ultra-straight ammo with the precise next tension you prefer for your brass and bullet choice.

Alternative to Bushings — Honed Full-Length dies
Conventional, non-bushing full-length sizing dies can create ultra-accurate ammo with very low run-out. For some applications, we prefer a non-bushing FL die over a bushing die — so long as the neck tension is correct. But many FL dies have an undersized neck diameter so you end up with excess neck tension, and you work the brass excessively. Forster offers a simple, inexpensive solution — honing the neck diameter to whatever size you want*.

If you purchase a Forster non-bushing, full-length sizing die, Forster will hone the neck dimension to your specs for $12.00 extra (plus shipping). This way you can have a FL die that provides the right amount of tension for your particular load. (The max amount of diameter change Forster can do is about .008″) Forster dies are relatively inexpensive so you can afford to have a couple of FL dies with necks honed to different diameters — such as 0.266″ and 0.267″ for a no-turn 6mmBR. The die itself is fairly inexpensive — currently Precision Reloading charges $41.49 for a Forster 6mmBR FL sizing die (Forster Part #018121).

Forster FL dies, necks honed to .265″, .266″, and .267″.

Steve Rasmussen of IowaHighPower.com gave this a try. In fact, he had three dies made — each with a different neck dimension. Here’s his report: “My original Forster 6BR FL die sized the necks down a lot [to about 0.260″]. I sent my die in and asked if they could supply two more FL dies (for three total) to have the necks honed to 0.265″, 0.266″, and 0.267″.” In addition to the purchase cost of two more FL-sizing dies, Steve paid $36 ($12 per die) for the three dies to be honed.

Steve’s honed dies produced very straight loaded ammo:
“Brass springback after sizing is running 1 to 1.3 thousandths. My loaded rounds are running 0.2697-0.2699 using [older Gold Box Lapua brass]. So far the dies are working well. I sized 80 cases with the 0.266″ necked die. The shoulder is running 0.4582″ and 0.300″ up from the base is 0.4684". I spun 20 of ‘em and 16 had a runout of one thousandth (0.001) and the other 4 at 1.5 thousandths (0.0015).”

*Here is Forster’s description of its Die Honing Service:

We custom hone the inside neck diameter by using a diamond stoning process. We enlarge the inside diameter to your specification to prevent over-sizing of the case neck due to thick neck walls. You may require this service for multiple reasons: 1) If you use some brands of brass cases which have thicker neck walls. 2) If you do not intend to outside neck turn case necks that have thickened after repeated firings. Please specify desired inside neck diameter. Note: 1) No more than .008″ stock removal from your existing die neck diameter is possible. 2) Honing is done in increments of one half thousandth of an inch (.0005″), meaning that your specified inside diameter must be either.XXX0″ or .XXX5″. FEES: $12.00 plus actual return shipping cost & insurance Please allow 1-3 weeks.

Need powder or primers? Want to lay in a supply of hard-to-find stuff — such as H4350 — for a rainy day? Well you’re in luck. With this Brownells Daily Deal you can get One Cent ($0.01) HazMat charge for powder and primer deliveries plus FREE SHIPPING to the lower 48 U.S. States. With the no-cost shipping and low one-penny HazMat, this promo can easily save you $30-$50 on your order. But don’t dawdle — this is a ONE-DAY-ONLY Deal.

NOTE: To qualify you need to purchase at least $150.00 of Brownells products — any items, not just HazMat products. Repeat — the $150.00 threshhold for one-penny HazMat and free S/H applies to ALL items purchased from Brownells — such as dies, barrels, tools, even guns. You do NOT have to buy $150.00 worth of powder and primers.

Today, May 22, 2019 Brownells is offering 1¢ HazMat and FREE Shipping on purchases of $150.00 or more. This deal runs TODAY ONLY, 5/22/19 through 11:59 PM CDT. Use Code MGD.

Do you go through a lot of rimfire ammo every season? Looking for quality “major brand” .22 LR ammo that’s still affordable? This CMP Deal may fill the bill. ELEY, the UK-based rimfire ammo-maker, has teamed up with the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) here in the USA. Now you can purchase 5000 rounds of quality ELEY-made ammo for $354.95. That works out to just seven cents a round (or $3.55 per 50rd box). This ELEY CMP Standard ammunition features a 40-grain bullet with an average velocity of 1090 fps. This particular round has a paraffin wax coating to feed reliably through all .22 LR firearm platforms.

ELEY CMP Standard ammo will be available exclusively through the CMP. Though budget-priced, it “will still be incredibly accurate compared to other ammo at this price point”. There is a limit of two (2) cases per individual per year, priced at $354.95 for 5000 rounds. The CMP even offers Free S&H to all contiguous U.S. States. IMPORTANT: Purchasers must have a CMP account, which requires proof of eligibility, e.g. membership in a CMP-affiliated club.

Mike Corkish of ELEY America states, “ELEY is excited to partner with the CMP to offer an accurate, affordable ammunition for shooters in a true bulk package. With the CMP working to encourage youth shooting, ELEY finds this partnership a perfect fit”. NOTE: To purchase this ammo you must register and provide proof of eligibility.

In addition, says Corkish: “As shooters continue to improve they have the opportunity to purchase other grades of ELEY ammunition through the CMP. This will continue to help the CMP grow competition shooting and encourage safe firearm practices.” ELEY also produces premium rimfire ammo used by benchrest shooters, Biathletes, World Cup competitors, and Olympic marksmen.

What we now know as the “6mm Remington” was originally called the .244 Remington. The cartridge was renamed because it was not a commercial success initially, being eclipsed by the .243 Winchester. The .244 Remington and the 6mm Remington are identical — only the name was changed. Why was the .244 Remington an “also-ran” to the .243 Win? Sierra Bullets Ballistics Technician Paul Box provides some answers…

Was Anything Wrong With The .244 Remington?

by Ballistic Technician Paul Box for Sierra Bullets Blog

The year was 1955. A time of carhops, drive-in movies, and Buffalo Bob. It was also the year that Winchester introduced the .243 Win and Remington counter-punched with the .244 Remington (now more commonly known as the 6mm Remington). The .243 Win was based off the time-proven .308 Win case while Remington chose the old war horse, the 7×57.

We’ve all read countless times how Winchester chose the 1:10″ twist, while Remington adopted the 1:12″ twist for their .244 Rem rifles. The first complaint in the gun magazines of that era was how the faster twist Winchester could handle 100 grain bullets, while Remington’s [12-twist factory rifles were supposedly limited to 90 grain bullets].

The first complaint I remember reading was that the 100-grainer was better suited for deer-sized game and the 1:12″-twist wouldn’t stabilize bullets in this weight range. Now, let’s look at this a little closer. Anybody that thinks a 100-grainer is a deer bullet and a 95-grainer isn’t, has been drinking too much Kool-aid. In all honesty, it’s all about bullet construction and Remington had constructed the [90s] with light game in mind. In other words, Remington got it right, but due to a lack of knowledge at the time on both bullet construction and stability, the .244 never gained the popularity it deserved. At that time, Sierra had the 100gr SMP and Hornady offered a 100gr RN that would both stabilize in the slower 1-12″ twist. The .244 Remington provides another classic example of how the popularity of a cartridge suffered due to a lack of knowledge.

.244 Rem vs. .243 Win — What the Experts Say
Respected gun writer Chuck Hawks says the .244 Remington deserved greater acceptance: “The superb 6mm Remington started life in 1955, the same year as the .243 Winchester. It was originally named the .244 Remington. Although the 6mm lost the popularity contest to the .243, it is one of my favorite rifle cartridges, and much appreciated by reloaders generally. The .244 Rem and 6mm Rem cartridges are completely interchangable, and anyone with a .244 Rem rifle can shoot [6mm Rem] ammunition in complete safety (or vice-versa). Remington .244 rifles made from 1958 on can stabilize all 6mm bullets, while those made in 1955 through 1957 are limited to loads using spitzer bullets not heavier than 90 grains for best accuracy.”

Nathan Foster, author of The Practical Guide to Long Range Hunting Cartridges, states: “In 1963 Remington attempted to regain ground by releasing .244 rifles with a new 1:9″ twist to handle heavier bullets. The cartridge was renamed the 6mm Remington and new ammunition was loaded giving the hunter the choice of either an 80gr bullet for varmints or a 100gr bullet for deer. In comparison to the .243 Win, factory loads for the .244/6mm Remington are slightly more powerful while hand loads increase this margin further.”

Was the .244 Remington Actually Better than the .243 Winchester?
The .244 Remington (aka “6mm Remington”) has a velocity advantage over the .243 Winchester due to a slightly larger case capacity. The longer case neck of the .244 Remington is considered desirable by handloaders. We like the added capacity and long neck of the original .244 Remington. As renamed the “6mm Remington”, the cartridge HAS developed a following, particularly with varmint hunters looking for a high-velocity 6mm option. But it never achieved the success of the .243 Winchester for many reasons. As a member of the .308 family of cartridges, the .243 Winchester has certain obvious advantages. First, you can simply neck down .308 Win brass, which was available at low cost from many sources. Moreover, a .308 Win or 7mm-08 full-length sizing die could be used for body sizing. Still the .244 Remington (6mm Remington) presents an interesting “what if?” story…

Gavin Gear tests .308 Win ammo with his DPMS LR-308B, AR10-type rifle.

Our friend Gavin Gear of UltimateReloader.com owns a DPMS LR-308B, an AR10-type semi-auto rifle. Gavin finds that his DPMS has a healthy appetite for ammunition. So, he set up his Hornady Lock-N-Load progressive press to produce .308 Win ammo. This video shows the process of press set-up and operation, complete with Hornady’s automated Case Feeder and Bullet Feeder. Employing elevated rotary hoppers, the case feed and bullet feed systems really speed up production. The automated feeders allow the operator to produce cartridges without ever touching case or bullet with his hands.

If you need large quantities of .308 Win ammo for 3-Gun matches or tactical games, and if you value your time, a progressive press may be a wise investment. The progressive can load a complete round with every cycle of the press handle. With Case Feeder and Bullet Feeder in place, the Hornady L-N-L can easily crank out a new .308 round every 3-4 seconds (watch video at 5:25). Conservatively speaking, that’s 15 rounds per minute sustained production (and some guys can go even faster).

To learn more about the Hornady Lock-N-Load Progressive Press (with case/bullet feed options), and to see a list of the dies and accessories Gavin uses, click the link below:

At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.

SUNDAY Special — We normally we release our Deals of the Week on Monday. However, because there are so many Memorial Day Specials that expire Monday night (or on Tuesday), we wanted to release this Deals Edition a day early. That gives our readers more time to take advantage of these great deals.

1. EuroOptic — 20% Off Nightforce NXS Scopes Through 5/28/19

Nightforce Optics scopes almost never go on sale. This weekend is one of those rare opportunities to acquire a Nightforce scope at a significant discount — 20% off. From May 23 through May 28, 2019, you can SAVE 20% on all Nightforce NXS scopes. This promotion covers the entire NXS line-up:

2.5-10x42mm | 3.5-15x50mm | 5.5-22x50mm | 5.5-22x56mm | 8-32x56mm

You can purchase Nightforce NXS scopes from major retailers including EuroOptic.com, Brownells, Bruno Shooters Supply, Cabelas.com, and Midway USA.

2. SWFA — 10% OFF Everything Including Optics, Ammo, Rifles

Wow — EVERYthing on the SWFA website (including big brand optics) is 10% Off now through 11:59 PM on May 28, 2019. Save on scopes, ammo, guns, and shooting accessories. SWFA carries top optics brands including Vortex, Schmidt & Bender, Kahles, Swarovski, Zeiss, U.S. Optics, Leupold, Leica, Nikon, Burris, IOR Valdada and more. If you are considering any of these brands, or a SWFA house-label optic, get over to SWFA.com. Along with a huge range of optics, SWFA also sells firearms including Howa (Legacy), Masterpiece Arms (MPA), Tikka, Ruger, Remington, Savage, and Weatherby rifles. And SWFA sells H&K, SIG Sauer, Smith & Wesson, and Walther handguns (to name a few). SWFA’s 10% Off Sale runs through 5/28/19 at 11:59 pm. NOTE: You even get FREE Shipping for $99.99+ purchases.

3. Precision Reloading — Intellidropper $189.99 with Code

The impressive new Frankford Arsenal Intellidropper™ powder scale/dispenser can be controlled by your mobile device. And right now you can get the Intellidropper for just $189.99 at Precision Reloading. It’s sale-priced at $199.99 but you get an additional $10.00 Off with Code MD191 Code (good through 5/18/19).

The Intellidropper features an advanced brain that can “talk” to a Mobile App on your smartphone via BlueTooth. This way you can store powder and load information on your smartphone and then control the scale/dispenser from the App. The App also has bullet, cartridge, and powder databases. The Intelli-dropper can also manually trickle.

4. Graf and Sons — 10% Off All Lyman Products

Last year, Lyman Products rolled out three great new reloading presses — an 8-station turret press, a beefy O-frame press, and a versatile C-Frame compact press. This year, Lyman introduced a cool variable-speed case trimmer along with a high-quality shooting mat. There are many Lyman products we like and use, including Reloading Presses, the Case Prep Center, the Lyman BoreCam, and the new Case Trimmer. Here’s your chance to save on the full line of Lyman Products — Grafs.com is offering 10% Off all Lyman products. For example, the Case Prep Xpress is marked down from $149.99 to $134.99. To sweeten the deal even more, if you buy at least $100 of Lyman products you get a Universal Bore Guide for FREE.

5. Natchez — 10% OFF, OR Free Hazmat, OR Free Shipping

Natchez offers three ways to save with this Memorial Day Promotion. With a $99.99+ purchase you can either: 1) Get 10% off the purchase price; OR 2) Get FREE HazMat for primer/powder purchases; OR 3) Get FREE Shipping for your entire order. You, as the customer, decide which option saves you the most money (there are different discount codes for each offer). That FREE Hazmat is good for at least $20.00 savings, but the 10% off saves you more if you buy an item over $200.00. NOTE: Don’t delay, act soon. This triple-option promo ENDS Monday May 27, 2019 at 11:59 pm EST.

6. Midsouth — Hornady 6.5mm Bullets, $59.99 for 250

If you shoot a 6.5 Creedmoor or 6.5×47 Lapua in PRS or Tactical matches, these Hornady 123gr bullets may perform quite well, while saving you money. Yes the BC is a bit lower than the 140gr class of 6.5mm bullets, but these 123-grainers are accurate, and not “fussy” about seating depths. Plus you can drive them much faster than 140s, even at modest pressures. Get some H4350 or Reloder 16, and you’re good. You may be surprised that you get better accuracy, with less recoil, than the 140s. Right now with this Midsouth deal you get 250 bullets for $59.99. That’s just 24 cents each, or $24 per hundred — half what you might pay for other 6.5mm match bullets.

7. Remington — $75 Cash Back on Rem 700 Varmint Rifles

Right now Remington is offering $75 Cash Back on all Model 700 Varmint rifles purchased from May 1st through the end of July, 2019. Many different configurations are available. For example you can choose either a synthetic stock or a wood laminated stock. NOTE: This Rebate Offer is valid on Rem 700 Varmint rifle purchases made from 5/1/19 through 7/31/19. All requests must be postmarked by 8/31/19. Important — Firearms Consumer Rebates are MAIL-IN ONLY. You MUST include your original cash register receipt AND the barcode from your owners manual (no exceptions). CLICK HERE for REBATE FORM (PDF).

8. Mc3 Stocks — 20% Off All Mc3 Stocks with Code

Mc3™ Stocks is running a big Memorial Day sale. Now through May 28, 2019 ALL Mc3 stocks are available for 20% OFF with promo code Memorial19. All Mc3 stocks come from the factory with precision inletting and aluminum pillars for a precise, drop-in fit. Mc3 stocks combine field-proven designs with advanced materials to deliver a custom feel in a cost-conscious package. Visit www.MC3STOCKS.com and use promo code MEMORIAL19 at checkout to receive 20% OFF.

9. Palmetto State Armory — Memorial Day Sale on AR Stuff

Save on AR components, accessories, and ammo with Palmetto State Armory’s big Memorial Day Sale. Get a stripped lower for just $39.99, or a complete lower with MagPul stock for just $149.99. There are dozens of other great deals. Put the money you save into a premium barrel and first-rate optics. In addition, a wide variety of ammunition is on sale. Some of the .223 Rem ammo is so inexpensive, you may think twice about loading your own.

10. Gensec Armament — 17 HMR Rossi RB17 Rifle, $125.60

If you enjoy hunting small varmints (such as ground squirrels), or plinking out to 200 yards, you really should get a 17 HMR. This little rimfire cartridge is very effective on small varmints and is much flatter shooting than a .22 LR. What 17 HMR to buy? Well if you’re on a tight budget, consider the Rossi RB17. This handy bolt gun boasts a nicely designed stock, a 5-round magazine, 21″ barrel, plus scope bases attached to the action. And you can get one for just $125.60! Right now the RB17 is just $125.60 at Guns Midwest. If that sells out, the RB17 is $135.99 at Gensec Armament. (Compare More Vendors).

11. Amazon — Neiko Digital Calipers, $17.85

Even if you have a good set of calipers, you may want to get one of these Neiko 01407A Digital Calipers. The #1 best-selling digital caliper on Amazon.com, this Neiko tool features a large LCD Screen and measures up to 6.0 inches. With over 3800 customer reviews, this product has earned an overall rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars. It’s hard to go wrong for $17.85, even if you just use these as a spare set for measuring group sizes and case trim lengths.

Did you overlook your Memorial Day weekend shopping? There were some great bargains to be had at many of the USA’s best online vendors. But don’t fret. Many sales are still running, so you can take advantage of great sale prices. Here are SIX SALES that run through May 28th at 11:59 pm (or even later). But don’t hesitate too long.

1. Brownells — 10% Off $99+ and FREE Shipping

Brownells is effectively extending its Memorial Day Sale by 24 hours. Through 11:59 PM CDT on May 28th, you can get 10% Off Orders $99+ with Free Shipping. this applies to ALL products — Use Code PTD.

2. SWFA — 10% Off EVERYTHING — Optics, Rifles, Ammo & More

SWFA carries most of the top optics brands including Vortex, Schmidt & Bender, Kahles, Swarovski, Zeiss, U.S. Optics, Leupold, Leica, Nikon, Burris, IOR Valdada and more. SWFA also has a wide selection of rifles and pistols Everything in the store is 10% off through 11:59 PM CST 5/28/19. Plus FREE Shipping for $99.99+ purchases with code SHIP99.

3. Palmetto State Armory — 10% Off Guns and Ammo

Save on AR components, accessories, and ammo with Palmetto State Armory’s Memorial Day Sale running through 11:59 pm on May 28th (Tuesday). Get a stripped lower for just $39.99, or a complete lower with MagPul stock for just $149.99. There are dozens of other great deals.

4. Precision Reloading — $10 Off $100 or $30 Off $300

Through the end of the day today 5/28/19, at PrecisionReloading.com you can save $10 with Promo Code MD191 (for $100+ purchase) or $30 with Promo Code MD193 (for $300+ purchase).

5. Creedmoor Sports — Free S/H + 10% Off Creedmoor Items

The Memorial Day Sale at Creedmoor Sports is still underway. You get Free Ground Shipping and 10% Off Creedmoor-brand items. In addition, many other items are on sale.

6. Cabela’s — $10% Off Tuesday for Entire Order

This is a regular Cabela’s Promotion. Club members get 10% OFF the entire order with Code 19CLUB528. NOTE: You must be a Club Member.

As a cartridge case is reloaded multiple times, burnt powder residue and carbon builds up on the inside of the case. Unless the case interior is cleaned in some fashion, eventually you’ll see a slight reduction in case capacity. One of our Forum members from Australia wonders about the effects of reduced case capacity: “If the capacity of the case decreases as the crud builds up, then it effectively reduces the size of the cartridge (inside). Wouldn’t that change the pressure produced from that of an equivalent clean case?”

Interesting Test of Case Capacity Changes
Forum member Fred Bohl has actual test results that can help answer the above question. Fred proved that, over a 20-reload cycle, the case capacity of uncleaned cases did decline a small amount. However, surprisingly, this did not seem to affect the actual chronographed velocity of the load. Extreme Spread (ES) did increase, but Fred believes the higher ES was due to changes in case-neck tension, rather than due to the slight reduction in case capacity. Fred reports:

“Back when beginning to use ultrasonic case cleaning, part of the motivation was to get the inside clean based on the assumption that allowing burnt residue to build up inside cases would affect capacity, and, ultimately, performance. An experiment was done to test this hypothesis. The load used, 30.5 grains of RL15 behind 107gr SMKs in a 6mmBR, was selected for best group and lowest ES in prior load development. It turned out to be 92% of initial case capacity and neither “full” or compressed. (I would suspect that different powders, load weight, and total case capacity might produce very different results.)

We took 30 cases of identical initial capacity and tracked three lots of 10 each:

LOT 1: No Internal cleaning
LOT 2: Cleaned with media in tumbler
LOT 3: Cleaned with Ultrasound machine

Each case (in each lot) was shot and reloaded 20 times. The simplified results after 20 reloads of each lot were as follows:

Lot 1 (not cleaned) – 0.3 to 0.4 gr. loss of capacity, 5 to 8 fps greater ES.
Lot 2 (tumble cleaned) – 0.1 to 0.3 gr. loss of capacity, 4 to 6 fps greater ES.
Lot 3 (ultrasonic cleaned) – no loss of capacity, no detectable change in ES.

FINDINGS
There was no detectable correlation of velocity change to the lots. An oddity was that on very hot days Lot 1 velocities were, occasionally, slightly higher. From results of another ongoing test, I believe the above differences in ES are probably due more to variance in bullet grip tension than case capacity. The ultrasound cleaned cases (LOT 3) did maintain the lowest ES, but we are not 100% sure of the reasons why. More consistent bullet seating might be the reason.”

Editor’s NOTE: Fred’s results do suggest that carbon build-up inside the uncleaned cases might cause a slight increase in pressure that shows up on hot days. Fred has posted that: “A local shooter reported doing the 20 reload, no-clean test on a .308 that gave a loss of capacity of 2.0 grains, doubled ES and significant velocity changes. However, I don’t have any details on his load weight or powder.” Obviously a lot of carbon can build up with 20 reloads. Many shooters retire their brass before then.

Ultrasonic Cleaning and Neck Lube
Some time ago, Jason Baney did a lengthy test on ultrasonic cleaning. Jason found that with his ultrasonically-cleaned cases, the inside of the necks got so “squeaky clean” that he needed to use dry lube in the necks. Jason uses the $10.95 dry lube kit from Neconos.com. This applies ultra-fine Moly powder to the neck using small carbon steel balls.

Posting on the 6.5 Creedmoor Group Facebook Page, Russel T. complained that his AR magazine doesn’t like to feed that last few rounds. Russell asked: “Full magazine, no problem cycling. But with five (5) or less in the magazine… this happens. What can cause this?”

It sure looks like he could use a new magazine spring, but there may be buffer-related problems as well. Or maybe a gas system issue. What’s your call? Here are some responses posted by Facebook folks:

“Weak mag spring.” — Josh N.

“Weak mag spring or too heavy of a buffer spring.” — Justin G.

“Try a different mag, if it still jams it’s probably a gas problem, if not chuck the bad mag.” — Otto G.

“Weak mag spring or literally anything that would cause the Bolt Carrier Group to short cycle.” — Reggie W.

“I’ve had the same issue with my 300 BLK when my buffer tube came apart. It would still cycle cheap rounds fine but [not] the Hornadys. Took it apart and found the buffer tube was in pieces.” — Hunter R.

“Could be a weak mag spring or buffer spring, both at the same time.” — John S.

“As mentioned it could be a list of things. However, bolt velocity is too fast/hard and the usual (but not always) culprit is over-gassing.” — Bill F.

“Short cycle — clean and LUBRICATE the weapon.” — Mark H.

“Look to see where the brass is ejecting. That will tell if it’s an over or under gas issue. If that’s ok then look at the mag spring. See Diagram” — Teddy G.

“Weak magazine spring, I tossed four brand new ‘bargain mags’ [due to] that very problem.” — John V.E.

“May not be a weak spring or bad mag. Check out a Tubb Precision flatware spring. I swapped mine in a new rifle and solved the problem of short stroking and double feeds.” — Anthony T.

“It might be the follower as well, some designs will dip in the front/rear as rounds are expended. It’s the reason why we didn’t use some service mags with the green followers.” — Chris J.

“Weak spring… time for a new magazine…or add a 5-round block and make it a 25-round magazine. But I’m positive it’s a weak spring, which means it’s just a matter of time for failure.” — Steve M.

“Without the weapon in hand I would hate to guess….
Start with the simple stuff and go from there. Trying to diagnose a problem from a photo is just like when your wife or girlfriend tells you the car won’t start. LOL.” — Mark T.

Firing line at 2019 Super Shoot. Photo courtesy Armeria Regina.

What components do world-class, short-range group benchrest shooters use? BAT actions, Krieger barrels, and Bix’n Andy triggers are the components of choice. And barrel tuners are now widely used by the top shooters. As for powder, Vitavuori N133 is still the choice of virtually all top competitors. And yes the 6PPC definitely rules the roost. Every Top 20 shooter at the 2019 Super Shoot shot a 6PPC. Every one. Read on to learn more about to Equipment used at this year’s Super Shoot.

Click Image to view FULL-SIZE Equipment List.

We recently reviewed the Top 20 Equipment List for the 2019 Super Shoot at the Kelbly’s Range in Ohio. This Top 20 List reveals the gear choices for the 13.5-lb Heavy Varmint Class and the 10.5-lb Light Varmint/Sporter Class (20 entries for each division). Here are notable gear choices for Top 20 Competitors (both divisions) at the 2019 Super Shoot:

Actions: 14 of 20 HV and 16 of 20 LV/SP shooters used BAT actions. So there were 75% BATs for both classes combined.
Barrels: 10 of 13 listed HV barrels and 9 of 12 listed LV/SP barrels were Kriegers. Overall, of the barrels identified in the Top 20 Equipment lists, 76% were Krieger. That’s dominance!
Triggers: Notably 10 of 20 HV triggers were Bix’n Andy — 50%. For the other class, 7 of 10 triggers were Bix ‘N Andy. All others were Jewells.
Tuners: In HV Class, 12 of 20 shooters used tuners, mostly Bukys. 11 of 20 LV/SP shooters had tuners. Overall that is 57.5% tuner usage for both classes combined.

Cartridge: For both classes, every single Top 20 competitor shot the 6PPC. ‘Nuf said.
Powders: 19 of 20 HV Shooters used Vihtavuori N133. Likewise 19 of 20 LV/SP shooters used VV N133, with one not reporting. That is total dominance for N133.

Bullets: There was a wide selection of bullets used in both classes. Custom bullets by “boutique” bullet makers were certainly favored by Top 20 shooters. Sta Moy 65s were popular, as were Hottenstein 68s and Bart’s bullets among others.

While this site focuses primarily on accurate rifles, we know that most of our readers also own pistols (and many shoot them competitively). After rimfire pistols, probably the most popular handguns in America are 9mm semi-auto pistols. Here are five products we use with our favorite 9mm semi-autos — H&K P7M8 and SIG Sauer P226. You’ll find a great carry case, high-quality electronic muffs, a pistol “range station”, affordable 9mm ammo, and two cool training targets.

1. HQ Issue Handgun Carry Case

Do you often take multiple handguns to the range? Here’s a large (16″ x 13″ x 8″) handgun hard case that will easily haul your arsenal. The HQ Issue Case can hold up to eight (8) handguns, or six with room for magazines. Since the foam is customizable, you can also use this case to carry cameras, rangefinders, binoculars, Kestrels, or other valuable hardware. While we wouldn’t drop this in the water, the case does have an O-Ring seal for water resistance, and a manual valve for pressure modulation. NOTE: This nice case is just $34.99 for Sportman’s Guide Buyer’s Club Members.

2. Impact Pro Electronic Muffs 30 dB Noise Reduction Rating

When shooting pistols indoors we recommend quality muffs with earplugs underneath, offering double protection. When inside an enclosed range, with other shooters blasting away right next to you, you really need effective hearing protection. But you also need to hear range commands and be able to communicate with your fellow shooters. That’s why we recommend electronic muffs with plugs underneath. That gives you serious hearing protection during live fire, with the ability to hear voices and converse.

For pistol shooting, we like the latest Howard Leight Impact Pro Muffs. These offer an impressive 30 dB Noise Reduction Rating (NRR). In addition, these muffs are pretty comfortable and offer Headphone Functionality so you can connect to your smartphone, MP3 player, or other audio device. These muffs are a good value. They are currentely offered for $58.84 on Amazon.com.

3. Range Station for Pistol Shooters

The Range Station combines an ammo compartment with a roll-out mat. Great idea. Some gun ranges only have concrete benches, or shooting stations with horizontal surfaces covered with dirt, powder residues, and other debris. You don’t want to put your $2000 blued Colt Python on that mess. The 12″x24″ Padded Gun Mat stays put on the counter-top and holds guns and gear. The case snaps to either the right or left side of the mat. Interior trays are sized for standard ammo boxes and magazines. Separate compartments hold smaller range gear such as rulers, pens, target markers, and more. When finished, the mat can be rolled and stored neatly and compactly in the case, which fits most range bags.

4. Sellier & Bellot 9x19mm (9mm Luger) Ammunition

We have shot thousands of rounds of Sellier & Bellot 9x19mm Ammo through our 9mm Luger handguns. This ammo has proven very reliable, but also very cost effective. Right now Sportsman’s Guide Members can get 1000 rounds for just $167.19 — just 17 cents per round. We also favor Federal American Eagle 9x19mm ammo, which likewise offers excellent “bang for the buck”.

5. High Contrast Pistol Training Targets

Here are two of our favorite pistol targets. The Splatterburst 12″ x 12″ sight-in target works great for handguns in indoor ranges. Bullet holes appear as bright neon yellow halos. And the contrasting grid lines let you quickly estimate your group size. Each target has five diamonds, and the top of each diamond provides a precise aim point for your front sight. The 12″ Bullseye Pistol Diagnostic Target diagnoses common problems based on shot impact zones. While this target is designed for righties, left-handed shooters can use the target too. Just observe the opposite tips.

Ever wondered what caused a particular bulge or marking on a case? And more importantly, does the issue make the case unsafe for further use? Sierra Bullets Ballistic Technician Duane Siercks offers some insight into various issues and their causes in this article from the Sierra Blog.

Incipient Case-Head Separation
This is a Winchester .308 Win case that has a real issue. This case has a very obvious incipient case head separation in the process of becoming a complete failure.

This is most commonly caused by over-sizing the case causing there to be excess headspace on the case. After a few firings and subsequent re-sizing, this case is just about ready to come completely apart. Proper die adjustment is certainly a requirement here. Of course this case is not safe to reuse.

Excessive Pressure (Load Too Hot)
If you will notice in the picture of the case rim, there are two pressure signs to notice. First, look at the primer. It is basically flattened to about the max of what could be considered safe. If this was the only pressure sign noted, I would probably be fine with this load, but would constantly keep an eye on it especially if I was going to use this load in warmer temperatures. This load could easily cross into the “excess pressure” realm very quickly.

There is another sign of pressure that we cannot ignore. If you’ll notice, there is an ejector mark apparent that is located over the “R” of the R-P headstamp. This absolutely tells us that this load would not have been in the safe pressure range. If there were any of these rounds loaded, they should not be fired and should be dis-assembled. This case should not be reloaded.

Split Case-Neck
Here we have an R-P .22-250 case that has died the death. Everything looks fine with this case except the neck is split. This case must be tossed.

A split neck is a normal occurrence that you must watch for. It is caused by work-hardening of the brass. Brass cases get harder with age and use. Brand new cases that are stored for a period of time can become hard enough that they will split like this case within one to two firings. I have had new factory loads do the same thing. Then as we resize and fire these cases repeatedly, they tend to get harder and harder. Eventually they will split. The life of the case can be extended by careful annealing practices. This is an issue that would need to be addressed in an article by itself. Of course this case is no longer usable.

In the classes that I teach, I try to use examples like this to let the students see what they should be looking for. As always, if we can assist you, whether you are new to reloading or very experienced, contact us here at Sierra Bullets by phone at 1-800-223-8799 or by email at sierra@sierrabullets.com.

Dented Case Body
Here we have a Lake City 7.62×51 (.308 Win.) case with two heavy marks/dents in the case body.

This one may be a bit of a mystery. It appears as if this case may have been caught in the action of a semi-auto rifle when the firearm jammed or the case failed to clear during the cycling process. I probably would not reload this case just to prevent any feeding problems. This also appeared to be a factory loaded round and I don’t really see any pressure issues or damage to the case.

CLICK HERE for MORE .223 Rem Case Examples in Sierra Blog

It is very important to observe and inspect your cases before each reloading. After awhile it becomes second nature to notice the little things. Never get complacent as you become more familiar with the reloading process. If ever in doubt, call Sierra’s Techs at 1-800-223-8799.

Product Review by F-Class John
Case preparation is critical for precision reloading. One must trim cases, debur/chamfer case mouths, clean necks, spruce up primer pockets and do other important tasks. Complete case prep can involve many separate processes, each requiring its own tools. With each of those tools comes additional cost as well as the need for more storage and bench space. To make case prep easier, faster, and more convenient Lyman created the Case Prep Xpress. The Case Prep Xpress, introduced a few years back, combines up to five prep stages into one well-built, stable, versatile unit. Watch this video to see the machine in action:

The Case Prep Xpress features five (5) independently-turning spindles all with the common 8/32 thread. This allows you to attach multiple tools supplied with the unit PLUS many other screw-on prep tools. For our testing we started out using a variety of the 12 included tools and found they cover the majority of case prep tasks. Lyman supplies deburr and chamfer tools, pocket uniformers, reamers and cleaners, as well as an assortment of neck brushes.

The deburr and chamfer tools worked really well, creating beautiful bevels all while leaving a nice flat edge across the top of the neck which is critical for accuracy and brass life. We found the primer pocket cleaning tool did a good job, but for truly clean pockets we recommend using the primer pocket uniforming tool, which very efficiently removes even hard residues.

The benefit of having interchangeable heads is that you can add your own accessories. We like to use a bore brush with bronze wool wrapped around it for use inside our necks. This worked perfectly once we screwed it in. In fact, we couldn’t think of any 8/32-threaded accessory that wouldn’t work well on this machine. Another great design feature is how all the accessories are oriented straight up. This allows for perfect visual alignment of your cases onto the tools which is critical — especially when performing cutting operations such as primer pocket uniforming.

Along with the five power stations there are six female-threaded storage spots on the sides where tools can be placed to ensure they don’t get lost. We like this feature since there will be more than five accessories you want to use and having them easily available is a great feature. You can keep 11 tools right on the machine (5 on top, 6 on the sides). That way you don’t have to dig through storage bins.

The Case Prep Xpress has a removable front bin to hold brass shavings, and there are two circular trays on either side of the bin. In front is a long tray that holds the provided brush. This makes it relatively easy to clean off brass shavings and other debris from case prep processes.

SUMMARY — Versatile Case Prep Xpress Is A Great Value
For the money, Lyman’s Case Prep Xpress is tough to beat. It performs multiple tasks well while being stable and easy-to-use. Yes there are some multi-spindle prep centers that offer variable or fast/slow RPM spindles while the Lyman’s spindles are all fixed RPM. (See, e.g. the RCBS Brass Boss). However those other systems don’t include all the convenient on-board storage of the Case Prep Xpress, and are more expensive. The Lyman Case Prep Xpress sells for $130-$150 “street price” ($129.59 at Amazon). This makes the Lyman Case Prep Xpress a great value — it offers great versatility while saving space and saving money compared to buying five or more separate, powered tools.

Here is a simple, low-cost way to get reliable readings of case headspace when you “bump” the shoulder back on your 6BR, .243 Win, or .308 Win brass. Credit Boyd Allen for this tip. First, you’ll need one .45 acp case, with primer removed. Make sure the .45 acp case is trimmed square and that it is round. We recommend you first run it through an expander, then size it, trim it and chamfer. Next, take the .45 acp case and slip it over the neck of a fired, unsized rifle case with the primer removed. Align the two cases between the jaws of your calipers and note the length from rim to rim (See photo below, with striped case).

OK, now you have the length for a fired rifle case BEFORE sizing. Next, take a full-length sized rifle case (without primer) and do the same thing, placing the .45 acp case over the neck of the FL-sized case (Bottom Photo). The difference between the two numbers is the amount of “bump” or set-back you are applying to the shoulder. Here the difference is .0015″. The amount of bump you need varies with your chamber and your load, but .0015-.002″ is a good initial setting. By using this simple tool, you can avoid bumping the shoulder too much. This will also help you set-up the depth of your full-length die to get the proper amount of bump each time.