Neck turning

[mydogtwig]

Just picked up a 17 ackley bee barrel, brass and a few loaded rounds the other day.  The cases have been neck turned.  I was just at sportsmans, the fella behind the (censored word) had never turned necks before.  Information would be appreciated on neck turning.  I'll get out the reloading books at home, also I have the sensational seventeen book on its way.  Guess I got the cart before the horse on this one.  Shooting those pre-loaded ones this last weekend was a hoot.  Recoil is non-existant, hitting soda cans was just a pile of fun.  Looking forward to critter shootin' with this one. 

[beemanbeme]

Is it a custom barrel?  Do you already have the neck turner?  What neck turner do you have?  What sort of rifle? 
If you have a custom barrel that has to have the brass turned to a measured specification, then you have to take a casting of the chamber before you can turn your brass. If you have a set of calipers, you can take the measurements off some of the turned brass you already have.  If, as is probably the case, the necks have been turned to true them up, then set your neck turning gizzie so it is turning @ 60-75% of the neck.
I always used 1x brass and trim it to a uniform length before neck turning. Do not cut into the shoulder of the case.
Don't expect a guy working in a sporting goods store to know squat about sporting goods. 

[mydogtwig]

It is a 14" bullberry barrel, for a T/C contender.
I took the calipers to the brass last night.  I think that he was truing each of them up.  When I get some virgin brass (.218 bee) I will see what the neck thickness is looking like on those. 
Sweet shooter though

[Catfish]

The simple way to find out your neck dia. is to just mic. some of the fire brass. If you can load new brass and come out .002 smaller than the fired brass I would not turn the necks. The rifles I turn necks on I have to turn new brass or they will not chamber. 1 thing to rember is that the more the neck expands the shorter the case life. I use a neck bushing die that is .002 smaller than the dia. of the loaded round because they will spring back .002 leaving you with minium working of the case and I have no trouble with bullets pulling in the magizine.
   Just a hint if you have never turned necks. It is much faster and you get better uniformity it you use a power teck turner or as I do an electric screw drive to turn the case instead of doing it by hand.

[beemanbeme]

Neck turning is a pain in the butt. Especially if you are not doing some serious competition shooting. As posted, if commercial brass will fit w/o neck turning, I'd go with that.  Or, at least, I'd shoot some loads using un-turned brass (after it had been fire formed) against some of the neck turned stuff to see how much gain, if any, you make in the accuracy department and then decide if it's worth it. 

[wlm]

The barrel should be marked with the neck dia. if it has a tight or match chamber.

[yooper77]

I have to turn the necks on 257 Weatherby Magnum brass I make from 300 H&H Magnum brass, so its a essential process for me.

I also turn the necks for 7mm-08 Remington brass I make from 308 Winchester brass.

I use the Forster Hand Held Outside Neck Turner.

Neck turning isn't hard, its just takes some patients.

yooper77