by Rod_outbak » 07 Aug 2018, 11:06 am
[quote="Stix"]
Thanks for the explanation Rod :thumbsup:
Im really not up with all these different dies available so its very helpful.
Im thinking of getting one to try, cos thats what we do isnt it(?) Spend money on stuff.
[/quote]
Yep; spending money on 'stuff' IS what we do!
[A new Forster co-axial press has been delivered as I type this, and I have to fight the urge to unpack it and set it up, as I am SUPPOSED to be locked in the office; unravelling the mess that is the overdue bookwork....]
Not sure how long I'll be able to resist, though..
Just keep in mind that if you are buying the bushing die, you have to buy the bushings to suit(if you ever want to actually use it as a neck-sizer as well.)
If you are trying to tweak the neck tension on a particular batch/brand of case, then the bushings are great for allowing you to dial in just as much neck tension as you prefer. Different brands of brass have different thickness in the neck, so having the range of bushings to cover your cartridge is pretty handy.
In the case of .308, you'd be looking at a bushing range of roughly 0.332", through to 0.337". Forster used to sell each bushing die in a kit, with 3 bushings to suit the cartridge, spaced 0.002" apart in size. However, I dont think I've seen any of those for sale of late.
To give you an idea of cost, my most recent purchase of a Forster bushing Neck/Bump die(July 2018) cost $118 for the die, and $23 for each bushing(Brownells Australia).
I have to warn you, though; buying this sort of gear is way past the basic essentials, and sliding into the nit-picky end of the reloading spectrum. I havent [YET!] started following the benchrest crowd in their search for perfection, but I can hear it calling to me...
I remember my first few years at reloading ammunition solely for hunting (with a .30-30 and a VERY forgiving .243), and if it went off without exploding the rifle, then it was a good reload. Absolutely NO concept about how more consistent reloads would have more than tripled the average range I could nail game..
[Or how much less dangerous it might have been if I'd been more anal about quality control...]
These days, I'd be horrified to produce that same quality of ammo, and would destroy it before allowing anyone else to use it.
Cheers,
Rod.
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Sharing the extreme love with cats in Outback QLD