Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting centering bushing die

I purchased a loading die set for m 6.5 RUMLN. The full length sizing die didn't work at all. I called and asked for a refund. Ben, in the custom die department I guess, told me they don't normally do refunds but would make a bushing die for my trouble. I have it. I had to take about .010" off the bottom of the bushing form die in order for it to size the case to the correct headspace.

I formed a couple cases and both have .007"-.008" runout. How do I center the bushing to get .001"-.002" runout?

Send it back to the pricks that made it and tell them it's a POS.

Or use a Die Centering Tool.

Tanner

A couple questions. Is the cartridge your own creation?

Second, are you tightening down on the bushing, or leaving a little play to allow it to center?

Third, are you sure it's the bushing that's inducing the runout? Are you using the expander ball? Does the brass have uniform neck thickness?

smokepole,



Thanks for taking an interest.

Yes.

I left the bushing barely loose. The die was turned back from bottoming out about 1/10 of a turn.

There is no expander ball.

It is brand new brass and I didn't turn it yet, so it may vary in thickness. I seriously doubt the thickness would vary .007" - .008".

Well, I have no experience ordering dies for a cartridge I designed. But I've got to think that making a bushing die work for a one-off isn't the easiest route. How common is it for custom die makers to get it right the first time?

smokepole,

This is my first bushing die. This is also the first time Hornady didn't get the die right the first time. This wildcat is number fifteen.

But I just realized something. This is the first year I concerned myself with runout. Ignorance is bliss.

What's really surprising is I've had a couple of really accurate rifles. And now that I know more, I may have given up on one too early.

So, are these all un-fired brass you've formed for your wildcat? If so, if it were me I'd fire them once, re-size, and then check the runout. My limited experience with un-fired die-formed brass is, it's not all that straight until fired.

smokepole,



Thanks for the idea. I tried it. One showed .002" and the other showed .003" run out. Maybe with a little fiddling I can get them down a little more.

Good luck, hope it works out.