Does neck turning brass improve accuracy

[ronangelia7]

         Does neck turning improve accuarcy. I was thinking of turning 223 and 22-250 rounds. What is the best way to measure the neck thickness and how much should be trimmed off. Is it worth the extra effort and expense. Thanks

[Hairtrigger]

Unless you are shooting a rifle with a tight neck or making brass from a different caliber forget it.

[crawdaddyjim]

Not unless it will improve your consistency from cartridge to cartridge. Consistency is the key. Said in another way the smallest deviation from the median will provide you with your best chance at small groups all other things being equal and consistent. That clear it up for you?   

[ronangelia7]

   It may not be worth the effort and expense. I have found that all things being equal the primers and bullet seating seem to make the most differance in grouping with the same bullet and brass.Thanks

                         

[OLDHandgunner]

For the average reloader and for average hunting rifle, probably not. But for the person who's looking for the best that his gun will shoot, anything that you do to make your cases more consistance the better it will shoot. I like to punch holes in paper with my 222, 223 & 22-250 guns just to see how good they will shoot. When I called Sinclair International years ago and asked them what a neck turning tool would do for my accuracy. They asked me what does an 1/10" mean to you? A 1/10" here & an 1/10" there makes for smaller groups. And that's what it's all about.                                                       RIGHT?                                                            

[beemanbeme]

Most folks will say it makes no difference in a factory rifle.  I don't agree.  If you neck turn for a factory rifle, you're really interested in uniforming your cases.  The case necks are "cleaned up" so that @ 80% of the necks are touched by the turner.  This gives you a more uniform bullet pull.  How much does it really help??  Well, let me say, if I'm working up a load to shoot in factory rifle competition, I neck turn; if I'm working up a hunting load, I don't. 
It is a kinda tedious chore.   

[roper]

Let me quote something from Sinclairs catalog on neck turning.  "Cases with significant variations in neck wall thickness will expand differently and create a pressure column that is not in line with the center of the bore.  If you use bushing style dies, neck turning will definitely provide more unifrom neck tension".

One of the reasons I started to reload was to make a load tailored for a certain rifle.    I was very luck in that I shot BR and I understood the benefits from turning necks and turning necks for a factory rifle is no difference other than neck thickness.   You want to make a case concentric to the chamber and in a factory rifle sometimes you won't see your groups get smaller.   Guy walks into a BR gunsmith shop  and ask him if he can build a rifle that will shoot in the 0's gunsmith ask him if  he can shoot in the 0's.

[Hairtrigger]

One of the gun rags just ran an article on the subject and found no improvement when necks were turned in standard chamber rifles

[dave375hh]

I agree with Beemanbeme, and Roper. I uniform the necks on my varmint calibers and saw about a 1/10" improvement. But that was in rifles that already were shooting under 0.6" groups. For the average hunting rifle experimenting with bullet seating depth will make a bigger difference, than neck turning. Uniform neck tension does help, but only in a properly tuned rifle. If you haven't done the other little tweeks(bedding,seating depth, primers, etc.) neck turning could easily get lost in another problem that has nothing to do with neck tension.

[Waldog]

Remember, neck turning involves turning the OUTSIDE of the neck, not the inside.  Sometimes there is confusion.  The only way to accurately measure the thickness of the neck is with a good "Ball" micrometer.  Bench Rest shooters are the ones that found out that neck turning improved accuracy.  They have been doing it for years.  Do a web search of the Bench Rest target shooters sights.  There should be a wealth of info out there on case prep for maximum accuracy.

[victorcharlie]

I agree with Beemanbeme, and Roper. I uniform the necks on my varmint calibers and saw about a 1/10" improvement. But that was in rifles that already were shooting under 0.6" groups. For the average hunting rifle experimenting with bullet seating depth will make a bigger difference, than neck turning. Uniform neck tension does help, but only in a properly tuned rifle. If you haven't done the other little tweeks(bedding,seating depth, primers, etc.) neck turning could easily get lost in another problem that has nothing to do with neck tension.

I've got to agree with the above....as that's been my experience......small gains to be had with neck turning.  If your looking for that last 1/10 inch then go for it!

I used to be almost anal about reloading rifle cartridges......a fellow can spend as much time, and money, as he has looking for that "same hole".   Nothing wrong with it.....but trust me.....it can become an obsession.......