Sometimes brass and dies don't work well together, even when both are good on their own. For example, the tightest necked 308 Winchester die in my collection is a Redding FL die. Used in the conventional manner it works very well with WW brass I have which has thin neck walls. It doesn't do as well with thicker brass like Lapua or Federal, even when my ball mic shows the necks to be good. Before anybody asks, yes I have the carbide expander ball and I do lube the inside of the case necks. For best results with thicker brass I need to remove the expander, size without it, install the tapered expander and push the necks over it in a separate operation. Even then the necks are being worked more than is necessary or ideal, though they are pretty straight.
