Need brass annealing advice

[tumbleweed7mmstw]

Due to the current availability of new brass and the possible long-term situation we are finding ourselves in. I'm looking for advice on annealing machines, other associated supplies needed to perform a quality annealed brass case. I'll be doing 7mmSTW, 300win mag, 30-06, .270, .243, and maybe even some of my .223 for use in my favorite bolt action Coyote rifle. It's the 7mmSTW and300 win mag that I'm most concerned with. Am I correctly believing that I can get more life out of these cases if I was to anneal them?
Please fill me in on your suggestions, experiences, results, and processes.

 

[Sockeye66]

I am far from an annealing expert but here is my take. Yes, your brass will last for more firings so long as the primer pockets stay and case stretch isn't an issue. Done correctly, at the right temperature and duration, not only will your brass not get work hardened, your neck tension will be more consistent and accuracy will improve given all other factors are solid. If money isn't an option, get an anneal-eez or some other type of commercially made annealer. Mine is like the DIY annealer on YouTube and it works great but I also don't anneal mass quantity. Others on LRH will chime in as there are a bunch of annealers here with great set-ups.

 

[Sockeye66]

Something I should mention is that I do use Tempilaq on a dummy case to get the time/temp correct.

 

[tumbleweed7mmstw]

I am far from an annealing expert but here is my take. Yes, your brass will last for more firings so long as the primer pockets stay and case stretch isn't an issue. Done correctly, at the right temperature and duration, not only will your brass not get work hardened, your neck tension will be more consistent and accuracy will improve given all other factors are solid. If money isn't an option, get an anneal-eez or some other type of commercially made annealer. Mine is like the DIY annealer on YouTube and it works great but I also don't anneal mass quantity. Others on LRH will chime in as there are a bunch of annealers here with great set-ups.

Thanks, Sockye66, I've been thinking about this for some time as I've heard others getting a lot of benefits
from annealing. I have viewed several YouTube users of the "Anneal-eez" ; one called AMP and another that I don't remember the name of. I do a lot of reloading for my relatives and close hunting/shooting friends. Now with the lack of loaded factory supply available, I'm getting a lot more requested. I'm hoping that I'll learn about more machines out there, and which one's are good.

 

[catamountsierra]

I went the salt bath method, and built a bath using a cheap Lee lead pot and a PID thermostat I found on Amazon. It holds 500C +-2C all day long. I built a couple case holders so that the depth I was dipping cases in would be consistent. My 284Win brass takes a seven second dip and my 223 brass takes four seconds. I know the case heads aren't getting too hot because I work without any gloves. The cases go directly from the salt bath into water to stop any residual heat from migrating towards the case head. It seems to work fairly well, and seems to turn out very consistent results.

 

[Tiny Tim]

Annealing will certainly help, but is only one item in a list that can extend brass life. If you minimize your sizing effort i.e. how far you shoulder bump, how far you oversize the neck and bring back with an expander, use of small base dies etc... And as @Sockeye66 stated, how hot you load will affect primer pocket life. Its a multi-tiered approach.

 

[Tiny Tim]

Was the other annealer the Benchsource model?

 

[jpfrog]

Thanks, Sockye66, I've been thinking about this for some time as I've heard others getting a lot of benefits
from annealing. I have viewed several YouTube users of the "Anneal-eez" ; one called AMP and another that I don't remember the name of. I do a lot of reloading for my relatives and close hunting/shooting friends. Now with the lack of loaded factory supply available, I'm getting a lot more requested. I'm hoping that I'll learn about more machines out there, and which one's are good.

I have an AMP Mark II and love it. Overkill for the amount of shooting I've been doing the last couple of years, but there's no guesswork. Screw in the correct pilot, plug in the correct code, push start. This weekend I annealed a couple hundred pieces in 4 different cartridges while the boys were eating lunch.

sure, it's more expensive. But it's easy, there is zero mess or cleanup, and it's fast and idiot proof which I need when I'm also wrangling two young boys.

 

[mcnanysa]

To the process part of the question, can some of you with experience mention whether you anneal every time? Every other time? Every third time? One and done? Thanks.

 

[Shane Lindsey]

I just started this last week. I went with the torch, socket, drill in a dark room (I am cheap and I am not getting paid to shoot). Practiced on a few older cases to get the "color change" and then went at it.

I have some 2 times fired Lapua 308 cases. Annealed them and then sized them. Compared them to 3 times fired and just sized. Neck tension consistency was enough to do this every time now. Consistently .001 less than the non-annealed cases.

Annealed = .335"
Non-Annealed = .336-.3365"

 

[Lonewolf74]

I would recommend going with salt bath annealing, you can get into the setup very easily for about $150 or less and it is more consistent then open flame annealing. I tested results against a benchsource annealer and got measurably more consistent brass using salt bath.
Ideally you would anneal after every firing to not induce variable across your loading and shooting techniques. That said I tend to anneal every 2-3 firings simply cus I don't want all that process between every firing and I'm not at a level that can tell the accuracy and velocity deviation between once or twice fired (after annealed) brass, though I would not say it isn't there.

 

[whatnext]

To the process part of the question, can some of you with experience mention whether you anneal every time? Every other time? Every third time? One and done? Thanks.

I anneal every time. I figure if annealing returns the brass to it's non-work hardened state, to get consistent neck tension, it should be done every time. I have an AMP and it's easy to use, so there's no reason not to. I started with a two-torch setup called Annealrite using Tempilaq to control the heat/time but it didn't seem very scientific. AMP has some compelling arguments for induction annealing and are very data based in their approach. I can't tell you I get better accuracy or how much it's added to brass life but I anneal all my rifle calibers. The obvious downside to AMP is initial cost and $20 for each pilot.

There are services that anneal brass you send them. I have a local shop that has an AMP and does annealing for around $0.15/case.

 

[Canhunter35]

I just started this last week. I went with the torch, socket, drill in a dark room (I am cheap and I am not getting paid to shoot). Practiced on a few older cases to get the "color change" and then went at it.

I have some 2 times fired Lapua 308 cases. Annealed them and then sized them. Compared them to 3 times fired and just sized. Neck tension consistency was enough to do this every time now. Consistently .001 less than the non-annealed cases.

Annealed = .335"
Non-Annealed = .336-.3365"

I'm a torch and socket annealler too, I've done the dark room, but prefer now in the light and I just run the anneal line past the shoulder a bit on each case. I've also found to hold the brass 1/2" away from tip of flame, it should take 8seconds give or take, longer the better for a good anneal.
just what I've found, but my old 'junk' brass like federal or even imperial(shudder) shoots pretty well once I've annealled and uniformed the flash holes

 

[Justice1327]

Due to the current availability of new brass and the possible long-term situation we are finding ourselves in. I'm looking for advice on annealing machines, other associated supplies needed to perform a quality annealed brass case. I'll be doing 7mmSTW, 300win mag, 30-06, .270, .243, and maybe even some of my .223 for use in my favorite bolt action Coyote rifle. It's the 7mmSTW and300 win mag that I'm most concerned with. Am I correctly believing that I can get more life out of these cases if I was to anneal them?
Please fill me in on your suggestions, experiences, results, and processes.

Yes you can get more life out of the brass; however, it must be done correctly. I have many different cartridges, so I elected to buy the AMP Mark II. It really does anneal perfectly. It is quick, no flame, no noise, practically no setup between cartridges, relatively compact, and takes the guesswork out.