Originally Posted by
SidecarFlip
Here I go throwing ants in your candy....expander balls don't impact neck tension, it's the die throat that sets the tension. In the case of a fixed throat the tension is set, thats why you use a bushing die.
I never run expander balls in any die. They go in the die box and stay there along with the decap pin.
The only time an expander ball is used is on virgin brass for the first size. After that, the projectile leaving the case has already expanded the neck. All you need to to is reduce the diameter (in the sizing process) to the required neck tension.
Prove it to yourself, take a fired case and insert a pill....it drops in the neck because the neck is already expanded. Why work it again (more expansion) only to size it (contract it). Keep in mind that case brass workhardens as it's worked. No expander ball means you work the brass one time instead of 2 times.
Been doing it that way for decades....no expander ball at all.