What size NOE expander plug?

[lancem]

I want to buy a NOE expander plug but I'm not sure of how I decide what size. I'm loading 30-06 with my cast boolits sized to .310.

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=88&products_id=1508

I'm using these loads in a Garand so I need enough neck tension to hold the boolit in place during the cycling of the action but of course don't want to be resizing the boolits during the seating process. This is probably something really simple but I don't know how to go about deciding. Help please :?:

[3006mv]

btt

i would like to know also.
i need some pistol ones too.

[gloob]

I know most will disagree, but I have been happy buying/making expanders that are the exact same measurement as the bullet. In this case, for a .310 boolit, I would personally try to get a .310 expander with the .314 flare, if I wanted to ever shoot plain base bullets. For crimp-on gas checks, you might go with a .309/.313, which should just about guarantee proper functioning. The crimp-on checks are pretty hard and they effectively protect the base of the bullet, IME.

In my opinion, if you don't get good neck tension, it's probably because your sizing die is too large, and there's no expander that will fix that. If you are getting good neck tension with .308 bullets, then this won't be a problem. It is true you might be leaving a tiny skosh of neck tension on the table if you use a -0 expander, particularly if your expander measures a fraction of a mil over, and your bullet actually measures a fraction smaller. But this won't amount to much, and it is possible with a bit of effort to reduce a plug's diameter by a fraction of a mil without fancy tools, if this turns out to be the case.

The current popular opinion, however, is to use an expander 1 to 2 thousandths smaller than your bullet. It's hard to NOT accept this belief, when folks can often load cast bullets using an expander that is 4-6 mils smaller than the bullet in many cases. However, I believe that in these cases, which are quite common, that the sizing die is not making the brass small enough to require an expander at all. Some of these folks are even using expanders that don't reach the base of the bullet, anyhow.

My ammo with the lowest amount of neck tension, I do not use oversize expanders. The sizing dies are just big. The ammo where I need to use an oversize expander, I get plenty of neck tension using a -0 plug.

For your .308, you would preferentially be roll crimping into a crimp grooved bullet. That will prevent setback just fine, by itself, IME. My 223 die is one of my loose dies. When I use my standard M die, I can't even feel the flare step on 90 percent of my cases, and I have to toss a few cases every reload due to poor neck tension where the expander doesn't hardly touch the case, at all. But the roll crimp prevents setback with my cast autoloader ammo, which otherwise occurs and quite badly, at that.

[3006mv]

Thanks for the response, I will now order some, luckily I am not having issues other than some of my cast pistol bullets don't want to seat straight.

[dh2]

I am using this one for 300 BLK out
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=88&products_id=1152

[3006mv]

I am using this one for 300 BLK out
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=88&products_id=1152

will their regular 309 one not work for the blackout?
i ordered that one i hope it works for it

[dh2]

I am sizing. 310 I don't know that it is what NOE requemends but for me it works well