will wait until i get a neck turning tool, as i wanted one anyway, and i will load a few rounds in a series in 0.2 grains increments around the load that shot well (-0.2 grain, same load, +0.2 grain), and will see what happens.
What kind of rifle are you shooting--not the Cal. you have said that. how old? how military is it?
What do you plan on gaining with a neck Turner?
Have you measured a loaded round at the neck? and then measured a fired case?
If the fired case is more that .0025 bigger at the neck than a loaded round your chamber is certainly not tight. Turning the necks down is only going to make more room in that chamber. Also your dies may not work and you may have to go with a bushing die. turning necks on a factory chamber is way overrated, and your chamber is probably large already.
I would say save your money, the same on the run out Gage (FOR NOW)
I understand what has been said about having good luck with new brass, but I would say the best thing to do would be to fire form all that brass and forget the groups until then. What good if they can't be replicated. Many time a group is a good group for that day. It's the rifle and shooter that can do it over and over, and that is what you want to strive for.
I have shot many rifles that turned a good group --pick a number--lets say 1'' then after many tries --up and down the reloading process you find the gun is a 2 " gun ,and that is what it will do repeatedly,
The smaller groups were a fluke, or the temp. was different that day, or the barrel heated up, or the case necks got overworked and neck tension changed.
Like I suggested , fire form the brass to your chamber, if it isn't way out of speck at least you will have brass that fits the chamber and hopefully the head-space will be OK at that point. I will take for granted that the powder you chose is a well recommended powder for your Cal. Now how long is the throat on the chamber, that leads to the question of how far off the lands are you seating the bullets.
Then look at neck tension, remember consistency is the key to good reloading and accuracy.
OK lets say you settled on an overall length for the bullet. Load 5 or 6 rounds at the lowest charge and go up one HALF of a grain for each next 5 or 6 rounds. Do that up to perhaps 1 and on half grains -------------
below---------- Max.
Take them out and shoot them from a good rest, calm day if you can
and let the barrel cool[/u] between test loads. See what load shoots the best and try to reload the next batch the same way with the load that shot the best.
Forget the new brass old brass thing for now, your not going to by new brass every time you reload.
As for the run out if you are using a die with an expander ball then you probably have run out.
for you at this time a Lee collet die is your best bet. to control it. neck turning ain't the answer.
The collet die may help the concentricity also.
I understand you wanting to ring all the accuracy you can out of your rifle and so you should.
But [
please don't take offense Some of the things you ask sound like you have not been reloading for to long or need a little more insight into what is going on in your rifles chamber and what effects the whole proses.
Measure that loaded round at the neck and then measure a fired case at the neck. I know about brass spring back--but that will give you an Idea of how much room is the chamber at the neck.
Stay with the basic reloading practice before you go to advanced.
If you think I am all wet on this --well then just don't pay attention to it.
Always check your loads and for test groups I would check each powder charge on you scale.
Please load safe and be safe.
It may sound like a lot of work --that is because it is a lot of work.
Again I hope I was not to blunt.
