Gentle Ben
Well-Known Member
I have a little more than 1,000 pieces of new Hornady 6.5C brass. While full-length sizing the first 350 pieces of new brass, I noticed that I bumped the shoulders back too much. Instead of measuring an optimum 1.532 at the ogive, they are coming in at 1.522 -- 0.010 more than called for. This in turn threw off other measurements, etc. by one hundredth of an inch...or if you prefer, by 10 thousandths of an inch.
The rounds I loaded liked this, did fire well (no FTEs, FTFs, chambering problems or signs of pressure). But groups were only decent (1 to 1.5 inches at 100 yards) and not spectacular or consistent. Good news is that once all these cases were fired they were blown back into my Rem700 Custom chamber's dimensions and measure right at 1.532 at the ogive. So there is no future loss there. I will just neck size them for a few cycles and reset my Redding full length sizing die depths.
Question is what would be the best way to handle the remaining 250 or so new, prepped, primed and ready to load cases that are set back too far by 0.010 inches? Screw it and just have fun, using them for foulers and plinkers? Should I still try to load them for accuracy with my Berger 130s and 140s, Sierra 140s and Hornady 140 AMaxes? To do that would take more than a pound of my precious H4350.
Here is my plan, unless someone suggests otherwise: Take some of my less expensive Hornady 100gr bullets and develop some light recoil loads (intended for 100 yards only) with some other powders I have on hand like Varget, TAC, R-17, V-N550, Hybrid 100V. They will do the job of blowing my brass back into chamber size.
Or, am I fretting about nothing and this is all an exercise in reloading paranoia?
Any thoughts?
The rounds I loaded liked this, did fire well (no FTEs, FTFs, chambering problems or signs of pressure). But groups were only decent (1 to 1.5 inches at 100 yards) and not spectacular or consistent. Good news is that once all these cases were fired they were blown back into my Rem700 Custom chamber's dimensions and measure right at 1.532 at the ogive. So there is no future loss there. I will just neck size them for a few cycles and reset my Redding full length sizing die depths.
Question is what would be the best way to handle the remaining 250 or so new, prepped, primed and ready to load cases that are set back too far by 0.010 inches? Screw it and just have fun, using them for foulers and plinkers? Should I still try to load them for accuracy with my Berger 130s and 140s, Sierra 140s and Hornady 140 AMaxes? To do that would take more than a pound of my precious H4350.
Here is my plan, unless someone suggests otherwise: Take some of my less expensive Hornady 100gr bullets and develop some light recoil loads (intended for 100 yards only) with some other powders I have on hand like Varget, TAC, R-17, V-N550, Hybrid 100V. They will do the job of blowing my brass back into chamber size.
Or, am I fretting about nothing and this is all an exercise in reloading paranoia?
Any thoughts?
