Sizing with collet neck die + body die for autoloader

[markm]

If you resize without the expander ball, will the case mouth even allow a collet neck die, or do you have to run a Lyman M die?

I might be reading this wrong, but it seems that I could decap, body size w/o expander, and collet or M die in one pass on a Hornady LNL.

You could do this. Pretty much what I'm doing with my neck expander die.. after sizing without an expander ball.

[rjacobs]

I think the issue many folks find isn’t the neck tension with expander balls but runout increases due to the lack of precision of the ball. Sinclair expander mandrels are what’s I use in 6.5 (can’t find an m die in .264) and it’s free floated so it centers itself in the case neck.

I dont know. I dont measure runout. I do what I can, but I dont go overboard. Chargemaster powder thrower and a Co-Ax with Forster micrometer dies. Thats as complicated as I get.

When I prep my .223 brass I use a mandrell from 21st century shooting, but thats because I universal de-cap, then size/trim in one step on a Dillon, then I run the mandrel through as the last step.

[Kansaswoodguy]

I don’t have time for extra reloading steps for 223 and chasing low runout is a fairy tail. I just loaded up cases with .001” runout and .005” runout no difference on the target at 385yds. Matching your bullet weight to powder is the greatest increase in accuracy you will gain. The Sierra and Nosler reloading manuals list their accuracy powders for bullet weights these are great places to start. Next big increase in accuracy is trimming your brass.

[markm]

I don’t have time for extra reloading steps for 223 and chasing low runout is a fairy tail. I just loaded up cases with .001” runout and .005” runout no difference on the target at 385yds. Matching your bullet weight to powder is the greatest increase in accuracy you will gain. The Sierra and Nosler reloading manuals list their accuracy powders for bullet weights these are great places to start. Next big increase in accuracy is trimming your brass.

I don't really sweat runout on Tangent ogive bullets. But it's nice to keep it minimal. The single biggest reason I run the neck sizing die was to get rid of the case stretch and abuse that the expander ball delivers.

Having to run a second die to size brass is a bit of a drag. But I make up for it on case trim because the cases just barely kiss the cutter due to almost zero case stretch. So I fly right through a tote of brass.

[Daniel44114]

I can still full-size with a shoulder die, normally on the LR bolt stuff I bump the shoulder .001-.002" on the semi auto stuff I bump .003"-.004" which so far has produced cases that will fit any of our semi's..I suppose if you had a rifle chambered on the high side of SAMMI and one chambered on the tight side you might have to size cases more than .03-.004" but I haven't run into that with our rifles...