.30-06 expander die?

[troy_mclure]

is there such a thing? i tried searching but i couldnt find one.

[Maven]

Troy, Lyman makes what they refer to as a "M-Die" that both expands the necks to the correct diameter for CB's and flares the case mouth a bit so you don't shave alloy when seating those CB's. Lee Precision makes a Universal Expander, but I don't know whether it expands the necks a la the M-Die. RCBS also made a clone of the Lyman die, but I've never seen one. Btw, for the .30-06 and other similar cartridges*, you'll want the .30 Long M-Die.


*I use mine for the '06 as well as the 7.5 x 55 Swiss and the 7.62 x 54R.

[higgins]

If you're talking about the Lyman M die, the .30/06 uses the 30L M die, Lyman Part No. 7349002. The 30L M die is also listed for use with .308, 7.62X54R, and a couple of the long .300 magnums.

Maven beat me to it.

[mooman76]

The Lee univeral expander flares the case mouth if that's what you are looking for. It does all calibers 22-50.

[troy_mclure]

thanks guys!

[wallenba]

The Lee is a conical type spreader, the Lymans have a step in them that squares up the boolit. Lyman also sells a universal multi-expander charge thru die that comes with all the most popular expanders and they are also the M type. The best option IMO. http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/dies/precision-speciality-dies.php

[462]

I have Lyman "M" dies and the Lee Universal Expander. Lyman is the better tool.

[.30/30 Guy]

I have Lyman and RCBS expander dies for several calibers. The RCBS is a much better die.

[Buckshot]

................The Lyman is the best way to go. The Lee tool merely flares the casemouth and does nothing to expand the neck. The RCBS is in between. It does expand down through the caseneck but has no guide step, but merely a flare for the casemouth. Some FL size dies will size a 30 cal caseneck to an ID of .302". This is no big deal for a jacketed slug of .308" but you'll be sizing a cast lead slug down below what you did in the lube-size die by stuffing it into that .302" caseneck.

The M die expander button has a step as Maven mentioned, and it's long enough to take care of that gross oversizing most all sizing dies do. You have to remember that they all assume we're reloading jacketed bullets. Only RCBS has woken up to the fact that some folks DO shoot cast, as they have their 'Cowboy' dies (which can still size too much). Anyway, the 'M' die expander expands the caseneck, and with the step it forms a sort of a guide, and then you do have the small flare at the very top.

The upper guide part feature of the M die expander wants to help the cast boolit seat straight down through the caseneck, which is a plus. I've seated pleanty myself over the years where there is an obvious bulge on one side of the caseneck and a smooth straight caseneck on the other.

One point to remember also is that caseneck springback is going to have an affect in the end on neck ID both on sizing and then the use of a neck expander. The hot ticket is to NOT size the caseneck down so far to begin with, and then expand it back out. Simply overworks the brass. Using the Lee collet die you can order different OD mandrels, or get one of the neck sizer dies that use the sizer rings which you can order in .001" increments.

There's no sense in taking a fired case with a caseneck ID of .310", sizing it down to .304", and then using an expander to bring it back up to say, .308", with a step to .309" and then a mild flare for the .310" cast slug we're shooting.

.................Buckshot

[1hole]

Big Ditto to the above for both the rifle/pistol M die AND the Lee collet neck die.

[Char-Gar]

I have a custom made expanding plug for the Lyman M die that goes from .307 to .317 in .001 steps. It not a cone, but true steps. It is the huckleberry.

[Rick459]

when loading cast bullets in rifle cases what is the optimun neck tension that one is trying to achieve. and if you try and insert a cast bullet in the case mouth with just a little flare will it squeeze down the bullet with a gas check on it?
Rick

[felix]

There is no magic in determining the amount of neck friction between brass and boolit. There is work involved in getting the magic amount of friction needed. Ideally, there should be 0.001 total clearance between loaded neck and chamber. If the brass is hard, the boolit must be hard. If the brass is soft, the boolit can be soft but it is not required unless high pressure loads are being used. In the latter situation, then the boolit must be hard. How hard depends on how fast the powder burns to obtain the necessary initial pressure for an expert pressure curve to follow. ... felix

[skeet1]

I have excellent results with my Lee Universal Expander and the .30-06. As the name implies the Lee is "Universal" and can be used for any cartridge, I also use it for the .303 British. along with Lee's Collet Die and Classic Turret.

Skeet1

[B747]

................
The hot ticket is to NOT size the caseneck down so far to begin with, and then expand it back out. Simply overworks the brass. Using the Lee collet die you can order different OD mandrels, or get one of the neck sizer dies that use the sizer rings which you can order in .001" increments.

There's no sense in taking a fired case with a caseneck ID of .310", sizing it down to .304", and then using an expander to bring it back up to say, .308", with a step to .309" and then a mild flare for the .310" cast slug we're shooting.

.................Buckshot

Amen! Buckshot
These are facts that are missed or not understood by even experienced reloaders when they start to reload cast bullets.

For cast bullet target shooting, I set the collet die to size the neck just a .001" or .002" so I can't easily turn the seated bullet with my fingers.

After a number of firings if I need to FLS to ensure easy chambering, especially in the straight pull Swiss rifles --- I had a gunsmith cut the neck off an RCBS 7.55X55 Swiss FLS die. It is easier to just cut the neck off then open up a hardened die. Can't size the neck if it's not there.

Forster sent me a 7.62X54R FLS with the neck opened up to .337" that doesn't touch the neck of a fired case. They charged only an extra $10 for that service.

When you quit sizing the necks down --- your brass will last about forever with light cast loads. I have 7.55X55 Swiss cases with over 60 firings that are like new --- I still do anneal every 10 firings or so.

Wally

[Calamity Jake]

Get the "M" die, 30 Short and order custom expanders .309, .310, .311, .312 and .313 this will let you cover all the 30 cals from the K31 to mosine and smle.