Reloading - Looking After The Brass Cartridge Case By Matthew Cameron

[jmason]

Matt thanks for writing the article. I thought it was a good read. I look forward every month to the stuff you guys write.

you can forget the sorting of the cases by weight or volume. it makes absolutly no difference.

Dave have you done any speed sorting? By that I mean sorted by MV shown on chrono? As soon as I get some warmer weather during time off I'm gonna try that out.

 

[davewilson]

jmason, haven't done much formal testing myself, but i've heard from more than one top level shooter that the case volume itself just doesn't seem to matter with respect to velocity.

 

[Roscoe]

In reply to Chuck Boyer.

I'm afraid I have no skills at all in relation to annealing cases. It is not a process that I have ever attempted. Sorry for the belated reply.

Shoot safely

Matthew Cameron

 

[travelr47]

I have to respectfully disagree with davewilson's comment re weighing brass. For years I never
weighed my brass and just accepted the accuracy, or lack of, more the fault of the rifle than the
shooter. Along with 75 to 100+ fps variances of my reloads.

I've been weighing cases now about five years and there is difinitely a difference! It is not
uncommon for 8 (lowest so far) to twenty fps extreme velocity spreads while chronographing.
A couple days ago I was chronographing my load in 9,3x62, and produced 11 fps velocity
spread for six cartridges. I sort cases within 1.0 gr variance, and adjust my reloads accordingly.

Whether hunting or target shooting, reloading ammunition is all about consistency to me. The
more consistency generally produces greater accuracy. I want the most accuracy I can obtain
from my rifle, ammunition, and myself, that I'm capable of producing. I've also found it worthy
of weighing Lapua, Hornaday, Norma, and Nosler brass as there is often a five grain difference
within any lot.

A disregard to case volume capacity is a foolish proposition, and anyone suggesting otherwise
is courting a potential disaster.

To me it's the difference between "acceptable" gun writer accuracy (1 1/2" to 2"), and sub-MOA.
The longer the distance one shoots, the more accurate we need to be. YMMV.

 

[pocketchange]

Anyone bumping the case shoulder for a snug closed bolt or inside neck turning?
On volume vs weight; I've found that the largest percentage of out of [weight] cases, when their volume was checked that there was only a (very) small percentage of cases that fell outside of usable with the volume staying close and weight not being that great of a factor, working with varmint size cartridges in my case.
Endless variations with reloading depending on how anal a person is with a given session.

 

[bryan c]

I dont think inside neck turning is a good idea, unless you have fire formed cases to an improved version and feel like you have donuts formed at the neck shoulder junction. As far as a snugg fit on the bolt for headspacing I think alot of ppl do that but it may be a little tight for varmint or hunting rifles that can get debri in them and cause a round not to chamber.......rcbs and redding both make head spacing dies that work well if you dont mind the extra money. Not sure what to think about weight sorting vs volume sorting accept that weight sorting is faster and is done by most long range shooters. Just my 2 cents hope that helps.

 

[WTXDrifter]

Gentlemen, and I use the term loosely, with regard to case weight and volume, I have read but have yet to try, a load of powder in a case and that case emptied into another and then still another for comparison of level of filling in the case throat. Seems it might work as well as using water. Just food for thought and again I haven't tried it.

 

[TracySes23]

If you want to find out how far it is to the lands with a particular bullet here is a cheap way to do it.

Take a unprimed case and full length size it and trim it to length. Now take a cutting tool like a hack saw or drimel and cut a line from the mouth of the case down to half way into the shoulder area. Before each use full length size or just squeeze the neck tighter with your fingers. Just start a bullet into the case with your fingers. Now slip it into the chamber and close the bolt. Open the bolt and ease the round out. The bullet should have been pushed back into the case when it hit the lands. This is the to the lands OAL. Measure the OAL and start seating the bullet however deeper, away from the lands you want to try. You can pull this bullet out of the case with your fingers when you get done and use it. You will need to do this with every bullt make and weight.

I do something similar, except for one thing. I use a case that has a split neck instead. The bullet is easily pulled out just as you describe with your method.
It seems you came up with your method long before I did mine. I have a lot split necks in old brass to chose from.
A couple of times when I spotted a neck partially split, when I seated a bullet, it would complete the split and work well. However, if the neck didn't finish splitting when seating the bullet, it didn't work well.

Spencer