Wondering if anyone else has noticed if you use Hornady Factory loaded cases that they
are below BOOK minimum length, at least that is my experience with 45/70 & 300 Win Mag.
Can't recall large revolver differences but I did notice in one box there were 2 cases that
had different type rims, can't remember if I kept them.
So it makes me wonder for instance with 300 Win Mag if I shouldn't trim the cases to match
the factory cases which average 2.602" while the RELOAD type cases run the whole length
which is by the book 2.610" to 2.620"
This is by memory so a grain of salt but the 45/70 Factory were a lot shorter than minimum.
Any thoughts?
I am sure some F Class guys are going to yell at me. Yesterday at a match, an F Class bud of mine was describing the neck truing he does. These guys are seeing things that I never saw on the 2 MOA target.
Anyway case trim length is safety critical in two ways:
1) The case neck must be long enough to hold the bullet. If the case neck is so short the bullet falls off, then the case neck is too short.
2) You don't want the case neck jammed in the throat and pinching the bullet.
These assume that the case neck tension is sufficient to hold the bullet. If the case can't do that, there is no need to trim the case, because something is really off and you need to figure out what is going on, before going past
Go and collecting your $200.
Notice the clearance I have between a trimmed case neck and the throat on this cartridge headspace gauge.
I have lots of clearance. I trim my cases to OAL minimum because I have had case necks so long they jammed in the throat and blew primers. In my rifles, shooting prone, or even with a bench rest, I cannot tell any difference on target with varying trim lengths. (F Class guys are free to call me a fool, right now) For my 308, 30-06, and some other 30 caliber cases, I use a
Giruard case trimmer. In that trimmer, the shoulder to the neck distance determines trim length, not base to neck length. For my 6.5 and 270 cases, I use an RCBS lathe trimmer and that measures case length from the base. As long as I don't trim too much, and don't trim too little, everything goes, more or less, in the middle.
By the way, I have shot lots of 30-06 cases which I over trimmed, by as much as 0.02", when setting up trim length, and I can't tell on target. Maybe it affects neck tension, may not.
Trim your cases to book minimum and stop worrying about 0.01" plus or minus 0.005"
Don't forget to bevel the case mouths!
