Another great job. I can't begin to tell you how much I have learned from you and I have been loading for 55 years. Mostly revolver and pistol. I also load 223'243, and 25-06. In hand guns I load 380 9mm, 38, 357, 45 ACP, 44 special, 44 magnum, and 45 Colt. It is my favorite hobby and your videos are really super and you are doing the shooting community a great service. Thanks so much.
I would be remiss if I did not thank you for all the knowledge and help you have shared with me and all your subscribers. Your videos are truly outstanding and what makes them so is the through and detailed manner in which you cover each subject. Needless to say, I've subscribed. You've helped a lot of shooters and reloaders, including myself. Thank you!
I have used the same idea for the last 5 years or so.... I just put a pilot in the end of the largest holed bullet holder and it worked fine. I put a few layers of scotch tape around the pilot insert section and jammed it in the hole. I use it to measure neck runout on cases more than wall thickness. It works well for my wildcat loads.
The bullet/neck spindle casting bore is off from the spindle shank diameter. The bullet spindle is fine if you set the right tension between the spindles, The neck spindle, for me, needs a custom pilot to give good readings. I will see if I need a custom spindle made to prevent any movement.
Very helpful video -- thanks! Do you leave the neck wall thickness gauge on when doing concentricity or do you switch them back and forth? Also, slightly annoying that I can't seem to find the caliber anywhere on the mandrels. Can always measure them or guess, but a strange thing not to have stamped onto it (unless I'm just missing it). Thanks !
great video , very informative . I've started reloading 300 WM . Does it come with the correct pilot? Also approximately what is the minimum wall thickness would you advice ?
isnt it easier to use a bullet seating force dial gauge? it measures seating force=neck tension when seating the bullet. you toss the odd ones to the side for work or plinking. seems as long as the neck tension is the same this is not needed unless you want to fix the set asides?
hey great job on the vids, love them they are very informative. keep it up.. so I have a question for you. do you think its a waste of money if I buy a additional hornady concentricity tool so I can have one set up for concentricty and one setup for thickness
james sardinha jr Thanks James! I appreciate that.I've thought of doing the same thing but it really comes down to the kind of influx of new brass you have. Typically, once you've measured a case neck and turn it on a neck turning tool, you won't have to repeat that process on the same case. If you have a LOT of new brass coming in, it might be worth it to you. Although it only takes about 30 seconds to switch.Also, you can just leave the dial indicator from the neck wall gauge on the frame and use it for both concentricity AND neck wall thickness so all you have to do is swap out the spindle.I would spend the $$ on a new tool or supplies, but that's just me.Hornady Loader
Was about to order this, until I saw how this functioned. I cannot see how you can accurately measure the wall thickness of your brass with this tool at all. If they made a ball/point area instead of the pilots it might have been a better tool. As it is, there is just way too much free play everywhere I see moving parts. In my mind, this will function similar to a Redding concentricity tool, but not an "accurate" way to determine wall thickness - unless you can expand your video and show the results of measuring the cases with this tool as well as a ball micrometer.
I don't see a problem measuring wall thickness with this gauge setup. If it can be accurate or good enough for concentricity then it should be fine for checking wall thickness. How accurate does "accurate" have to be anyways in this field? Personally, I find accuracy in hand/re-loading measurements to be more relative comparison than actual precision measurement. Real precision measurement tools cost more than what these hand/re-loader gauges sold by the big hand/re-loading brands are selling for.
The problem is: if you NEED to turn necks, then you MUST know the exact measurements of your neck wall thickness. A comparative measurement will not be good enough. With the super fine 0.0005 dial that is introduced with this "Neck wall thickness guage" - it creates the hope that you COULD actually do that with this tool, and it is, for me, then a disappointment to see that even with this tremendously fine instrument, you still can't actually use it in a meaningful way. I base this purely on assumption though - hence my question and request to the OP to either comment on his experience, or to perhaps compare the reading of this tool with a ball micrometer, because I am somehow still hopeful... When I see on the closeup shots however how the bullet neck seems to have large amounts of free play around the pilot - I base my doubts on that alone.
What exact measurements do you need for neck turning? The cartridge only needs to fit in the chamber and the bullet into the case, if those two things occur the round will work. Making all your case necks the same diameter and thickness is still a relative operation. Your measuring devices don't need to match up with the measuring devices at Boeing or elsewhere. As for free play around the pilot, the pilot itself is tightened down and the dial indicator's spring takes out any remaining slop in the setup. The only thing you need to have for this gauge to be more than adequate for it's purpose is repeatability. If you can get the same measurement from a given case over and over then the gauge is accurate enough for matching up/comparing case necks.
hello. nice video thanks. I purchased the hornady concentricity tool after I saw your video. about the neck wall thickness gauge i'm a little disapointed because like you can see the pilots are not concentric at all. when you remove each case you can watch the the needle does not return to zero!!! just rotate the pilot without case and you'll watch your needle dancing!!! maybe polishing the surface of the pilot could increase the concentricty of the pilot itself....
My tool also have lots of runout. I tried to many ways to eliminate that runout but was not successful. Their is so much clearance between housing and pilot mandrel their is no way to maintain zero when removing case from tool. Once I zero the dial on the pilot I do not touch the pilot knob, only when checking zeroing before next measurement. I install each case from the case head mandrel side. I can achieve less than .0005 inch when my neck turning is done properly and removing any burrs from the rim of case. Remove any foreign particles before measuring. After working out how to adapt to this tool, it saved me money from buying another wall thickness instrument. EC
You state that "one revolution of the needle on the neck wall thickness gauge is one inch. I think you misspoke, I am certain you are aware that one turn on the aforementioned gauge is only one half inch. Best regards.
not even close. One is .100" the other is .050" I did notice he said that as well but maybe he was talking about the small dial. Couldn't see it close enough to tell what it reads exactly.
Thanks for the video!
As time goes by, I become more and more of a Hornady mavin.
thanks fro using that screwdriver when pointing things out.
To many guys use their fingers and you can't see what they are pointing at. :)
Another great job. I can't begin to tell you how much I have learned from you and I have been loading for 55 years. Mostly revolver and pistol. I also load 223'243, and 25-06. In hand guns I load 380 9mm, 38, 357, 45 ACP, 44 special, 44 magnum, and 45 Colt. It is my favorite hobby and your videos are really super and you are doing the shooting community a great service. Thanks so much.
I would be remiss if I did not thank you for all the knowledge and help you have shared with me and all your subscribers. Your videos are truly outstanding and what makes them so is the through and detailed manner in which you cover each subject. Needless to say, I've subscribed. You've helped a lot of shooters and reloaders, including myself. Thank you!
I like Hornady's use of materials in this tool. Cast metal has a nostalgic feel.
I have used the same idea for the last 5 years or so.... I just put a pilot in the end of the largest holed bullet holder and it worked fine. I put a few layers of scotch tape around the pilot insert section and jammed it in the hole. I use it to measure neck runout on cases more than wall thickness. It works well for my wildcat loads.
Never thought about turning my Hornady Concentricity gauge into a neck wall gauge......Thanks
One revolution only represents either .050” or .100” depending which one you use. Not one full inch. The range of each micrometer though, is one inch.
Thanks for the nice video on the equipment. I learned a lot. Keep it up.
The bullet/neck spindle casting bore is off from the spindle shank diameter. The bullet spindle is fine if you set the right tension between the spindles, The neck spindle, for me, needs a custom pilot to give good readings. I will see if I need a custom spindle made to prevent any movement.
Very Nice presentation, Thank You Hornady Loader!!! I just ordered exactly what you are using. Can wait to test my 6mm BR Handloads. , Corvettelennyf
Thank you! can you explain what type of camera set up and how you set up for the overhead portion of the video
Great video! Do you have a review of the Hornady Neck Turn Tool? Thanks in advance...
good job Charlie... happy turkey day tomorrow...
Very helpful video -- thanks! Do you leave the neck wall thickness gauge on when doing concentricity or do you switch them back and forth? Also, slightly annoying that I can't seem to find the caliber anywhere on the mandrels. Can always measure them or guess, but a strange thing not to have stamped onto it (unless I'm just missing it). Thanks !
Thank you for the video Sir. Where could I see a video of the Hornady Neck Turning Tool item number 41222?
great video , very informative . I've started reloading 300 WM . Does it come with the correct pilot? Also approximately what is the minimum wall thickness would you advice ?
Nice video sir, thanks much
isnt it easier to use a bullet seating force dial gauge? it measures seating force=neck tension when seating the bullet. you toss the odd ones to the side for work or plinking. seems as long as the neck tension is the same this is not needed unless you want to fix the set asides?
hey great job on the vids, love them they are very informative. keep it up.. so I have a question for you. do you think its a waste of money if I buy a additional hornady concentricity tool so I can have one set up for concentricty and one setup for thickness
james sardinha jr Thanks James! I appreciate that.I've thought of doing the same thing but it really comes down to the kind of influx of new brass you have. Typically, once you've measured a case neck and turn it on a neck turning tool, you won't have to repeat that process on the same case. If you have a LOT of new brass coming in, it might be worth it to you. Although it only takes about 30 seconds to switch.Also, you can just leave the dial indicator from the neck wall gauge on the frame and use it for both concentricity AND neck wall thickness so all you have to do is swap out the spindle.I would spend the $$ on a new tool or supplies, but that's just me.Hornady Loader
Great info. Thx.
Was about to order this, until I saw how this functioned. I cannot see how you can accurately measure the wall thickness of your brass with this tool at all. If they made a ball/point area instead of the pilots it might have been a better tool. As it is, there is just way too much free play everywhere I see moving parts. In my mind, this will function similar to a Redding concentricity tool, but not an "accurate" way to determine wall thickness - unless you can expand your video and show the results of measuring the cases with this tool as well as a ball micrometer.
I don't see a problem measuring wall thickness with this gauge setup. If it can be accurate or good enough for concentricity then it should be fine for checking wall thickness. How accurate does "accurate" have to be anyways in this field? Personally, I find accuracy in hand/re-loading measurements to be more relative comparison than actual precision measurement. Real precision measurement tools cost more than what these hand/re-loader gauges sold by the big hand/re-loading brands are selling for.
The problem is: if you NEED to turn necks, then you MUST know the exact measurements of your neck wall thickness. A comparative measurement will not be good enough. With the super fine 0.0005 dial that is introduced with this "Neck wall thickness guage" - it creates the hope that you COULD actually do that with this tool, and it is, for me, then a disappointment to see that even with this tremendously fine instrument, you still can't actually use it in a meaningful way. I base this purely on assumption though - hence my question and request to the OP to either comment on his experience, or to perhaps compare the reading of this tool with a ball micrometer, because I am somehow still hopeful...
When I see on the closeup shots however how the bullet neck seems to have large amounts of free play around the pilot - I base my doubts on that alone.
What exact measurements do you need for neck turning? The cartridge only needs to fit in the chamber and the bullet into the case, if those two things occur the round will work. Making all your case necks the same diameter and thickness is still a relative operation. Your measuring devices don't need to match up with the measuring devices at Boeing or elsewhere. As for free play around the pilot, the pilot itself is tightened down and the dial indicator's spring takes out any remaining slop in the setup. The only thing you need to have for this gauge to be more than adequate for it's purpose is repeatability. If you can get the same measurement from a given case over and over then the gauge is accurate enough for matching up/comparing case necks.
hello. nice video thanks. I purchased the hornady concentricity tool after I saw your video. about the neck wall thickness gauge i'm a little disapointed because like you can see the pilots are not concentric at all. when you remove each case you can watch the the needle does not return to zero!!! just rotate the pilot without case and you'll watch your needle dancing!!! maybe polishing the surface of the pilot could increase the concentricty of the pilot itself....
I noticed the pilot itself has a lot of runout, just try rotating the black knob with no case and watch the dial move big time.
My tool also have lots of runout. I tried to many ways to eliminate that runout but was not successful. Their is so much clearance between housing and pilot mandrel their is no way to maintain zero when removing case from tool. Once I zero the dial on the pilot I do not touch the pilot knob, only when checking zeroing before next measurement. I install each case from the case head mandrel side. I can achieve less than .0005 inch when my neck turning is done properly and removing any burrs from the rim of case. Remove any foreign particles before measuring. After working out how to adapt to this tool, it saved me money from buying another wall thickness instrument.
EC
You state that "one revolution of the needle on the neck wall thickness gauge is one inch. I think you misspoke, I am certain you are aware that one turn on the aforementioned gauge is only one half inch.
Best regards.
not even close. One is .100" the other is .050" I did notice he said that as well but maybe he was talking about the small dial. Couldn't see it close enough to tell what it reads exactly.
actually larry is correct. each hash mark is .001 x 100 hash marks = .100 the other is .0005 per hash mark x 100 hash marks = .050
I like the knowledge this guy has but what a piece of crap this piece of equipment is in my opinion