Brass length

[Zerk]

Do you trim new brass to the trim to length? Also is length shown in the cartridge specs, the max length? Such as 30-06 diagram 2.494, trim to length 2.484.

Is length more of an issue when you have cannelure? My Nosler's no groove, but Hornady groove.

Right now I am loading 30-06 and 243 win. I don't see myself shooting over 300 yards, for awhile, due hunting area, and I want more practice before I find a range that goes farther.


I have been reloading remington for 30-06. Noticed new brass over trim to length. I am trying to decide when I should be trimming. I am still looking at trimmers. I am thinking electric, but for the money, I am still researching models.

Are the trim gauges, such as Lymann, accurate? Seems quick way to check lots of brass.

Thanks for help. New to reloading rifle.

 

[scottishkat]

Personally I trim all my brass to one consistent length using my Wilson ultimate trimmer. It matters a lot more when you want to crimp to a channel or cannelure.

I don't think the trim length or max trim length is much of an issue as long as your bullet grip is about the same. Some of the new brass I have purchased has been shorter than the trim length in some of the manuals.

I like to sort brass by weight so having the same length is fairly critical. Its probably better to sort by volume. May not be that critical with 30-06 or just plain short range hunting ammo.

Good luck and shoot straight

Bob

 

[MNbogboy]

Measure new brass length, compare to SAAMI specs, do not trim if within tolerance of spec.

Measure again after fire forming and resizing...Use guides within this and other forums for proper setup of your sizing dies....Minimizing brass stretch will also minimize your requirement for trimming and increase your brass life...

Over length brass becomes a problem if it interferes with chamber dimensions therefore causing difficult chambering and/or overpressures....

Under length brass may become a problem if bullets seated closer to the lands leaving less than desireable bearing length.
Often times under length brass becomes the precurser for carbon rings which can lead to another group of problems.

I strive for the longest "safe" neck my chambers allow (usually -.010 of chamber cast or print) and then trim everytime...often little or negligable material is removed.

Also if you perform weight and/or volume checks do so after fireforming, sizing and trimming.

When working up loads with cannelured bullets often you will fing that best COAL or OGTB will show no relatiomship to the cannelure and end of neck...The cannelures are part of the bullet expansion design and often are used for crimping in hard recoiling rifles but not at
the optimal place for best precision/accuracy.

Trim gauges are nice but your calipers should be adequate for trim length checks.
I have read where some choose to trim .010-.020 short and don't trim again till they become slightly over....This works too but I only shoot a thousand to 1500 times a year now so I strive for consistency in all my case preparation....

Hope this helps,
Randy

 

[MagnumManiac]

This is my take on NEW brass, if you run it as it comes from the factory, you will run into few problems. If the necks are out of round, or suspect in any way, I will NECK size them ALL to make sure neck tension is the same across all cases.
In most cases it is within specs, even though they may not all be the same.
What's important is that NEW brass ALWAYS moves the most on the first firing and rarely are 2 cases the same length from head to mouth.
Now, I run brass twice through the rifle before I trim it to minimum length for hunting rifles. My comp guns get a different set of parameters, I run the brass within .010" of the chamber end, which I measure with a gauge.

If you look at once fired cases, their lengths will vary quite a bit, even if you trim them first, this is normal, because the brass needs to find where it will stabilise after having all that work done to it in the manufacture of it.
Some cases take more firings to settle than others, this is just a fact of reloading.

Cheers.
gun)

 

[Zerk]

When working up loads with cannelured bullets often you will fing that best COAL or OGTB will show no relatiomship to the cannelure and end of neck...The cannelures are part of the bullet expansion design and often are used for crimping in hard recoiling rifles but not at
the optimal place for best precision/accuracy.

Tdy

So when then they have cannelures, do you seat according to the groove?







I size my new brass cause I have seen a few dinged mouths.

I have quite a bit of brass from over the years, but when I started reloading for 30-06, I bought few hundred. Now I am getting to point where I am going to reload, ocne shot. Some I have sorted by rifle and will neck size for the that rifle. I have 3 30-06, and have been wanting another with a heavy barrel. For no reason.


I did shoot my first deer with my own load this year, pretty cool. Puts everything on you.


243 is new caliber for me, so all the brass is new, with little factory ammo. Only 243 I have so I will neck size

 

[Zerk]

Trim gauges are nice but your calipers should be adequate for trim length checks.

I have spent money on gadgets to make it quicker or easier. Maybe it started out as a way to save money, at first.

T
If you look at once fired cases, their lengths will vary quite a bit, even if you trim them first, this is normal, because the brass needs to find where it will stabilise after having all that work done to it in the manufacture of it.
Some cases take more firings to settle than others, this is just a fact of reloading.

Cheers.
gun)

This makes sense. I am currently shooting at my 100 yard range. In the UP it is hard to find a place to shoot 100 yards. With chainsaw I got some 100 yard shooting lanes this year. Nice to have the freedom to move, but not as much fun watching them. I rotated blinds, and darn deer didn't cooperate and came with in 25 yards, another 20 feet. Just bought a new VX3i for too.

My rambling point was, I am starting with 100 yards, and will work on tweaking accuracy and distances after that. Once I sit down and start shooting, I like to shoot until it is dark. So getting to twice fired should not be an issue.

 

[Zerk]

What is the benefit of sorting brass by weight? Is this to get an idea of volume and then pressure?

 

[LoneTraveler]

The cannula on a bullet has 2 different uses.
1. The metal distortion at the cannula gives the bullet a weak hinging place to help stop the bullet mushrooming on impact.
2. The Cannula on bullets allow the case to be crimped on the bullet. This allows for less neck tension on case. Tight neck tension on the bullet in long storage can make the case neck crack.

The crimp on the cannula is one reason why some rifles will not shoot factory loads well. By hand loading and changing ogive on the bullet to the lands of the bore, makes some hand loads shoot good in in rifles that do not like factory loads.

Some big bore rifle ammo needs to be crimped, To keep bullets from moving under recoil in the magazine. And pistol bullets to allow pressure to build in a cylinder and short barrel of a pistol. Other rifles like the jump to the lands for accuracy than loading to the cannula on the bullet.

 

[bigedp51]

Do you trim new brass to the trim to length? Also is length shown in the cartridge specs, the max length?

Take a good magnifying glass and look at your case mouth, better yet take a closeup macro photo of the case mouth. If the magnifying glass doesn't convince you to trim new brass the photo will.

Below on the left is a case after over wet tumbling with SS media. The case on the right is a brand new case that was tumbled at the factory.

Either case is trimmed to minimum length and deburred before loading.

 

[scottishkat]

What is the benefit of sorting brass by weight? Is this to get an idea of volume and then pressure?

Yes after resizing trimming and deburring everything should have very close to the same size externally. The only thing weight can change is internal capacity. Less capacity higher pressure etc.

I am in agreement with bigdp the case mouths and inconsistency. I like to resize all new brass the mouths have all been subjected to the same process.

Measuring internal volume is probably better.

Shoot straight

Bob

 

[g0rd0]

new brass no difference on who packs is or makes it
1. fl size and trim
2. make sure that all of your loading is with the same brass as you would be sure that the bullets, primers and powders are the same
3. so, yes you size and trim the canelure is not the problem (or solution), neck tension is keep it consistant as well as all of the other steps that you make

 

[philipbrousseau]

for the 30-06 the book gives 2.494 max. trim to 2.484 for .010 clearance. you can get a chamber length gauge from sinclaire for $3 that might save you some trimming. every chamber i've measured has been longer than the saami max.