Most Consistent Trimming Method?

[JFrank]

Agreed. If I am loading benchrest loads, I use a manual handtrimmer. But for my plinking ammo, I want to get through it as fast as possible but want it to be consistent enough to still chamber and extract in my semi autos. MOA accuracy isn't critical on this project.

Its not about accuracy it’s about not having chamber problems that could leade to other things.

 

[jmorris]

I can't visualize grinding a single notch would work across multiple calibers. That is why I'm locked onto the Lee trimmer. The chamfer and deburring blades are spring loaded and work for every rifle case I've thrown at it, but a caliber specific die is needed. Not saying your idea won't work, I just can't visualize it. Thoughts?

Well, my idea would be to grind the notch into the carbide insert. Keep them in a container labeled for caliber If you use these things to speed up your process, once you get them set you won’t want to change them over for every caliber. As you can recreate Aesop’s fable The Tortoise and the Hare. Certainly wouldn’t want to have to adjust everything again, every time you need to index the cutter (every 25,000 cases or so). The single counter sink retaining scre puts the cutter in the same spot every time.

That said, the way Giraud does it, is one blade for everything that the user slides back and forth for different diameters. What you give to one side is taken away from the other but one insert/head/notch location, works for everything and you lock it in place with a set screw.

But for my plinking ammo, I want to get through it as fast as possible but want it to be consistent enough to still chamber and extract in my semi autos.

The reason I haven’t done anything to any of my Dillon trimmers is because they work fine for what I use them for. It’s not like they leave burrs (unless you should have already indexed the insert) and I use 55 gn FMJ for my 3 gun ammunition and the boat tail (tapered) base doesn’t seem to have the slightest problem with the cut they leave.



Even using, “set the bullet on top” style feeders.



I don’t load 5 gallon buckets full of ammunition for everything I own so I don’t have setups for every caliber I own though. For most of them, it’s faster to just trim a hand full with a Wilson of Forster trimmer I have sitting preset in a drawer for them.

 

[entropy]

Its not about accuracy it’s about not having chamber problems that could leade to other things.

Pun intended?

 

[Varminterror]

Pun intended?

Exactly what I thought.

 

[JFrank]

Nah’ I just misspelled it.

 

[NuJudge]

I started in the 1970s with a Wilson. It was very accurate, suitable for Benchrest, but I am mostly a Service Rifle shooter, for which that level of precision is not needed.

When I got out on my own, I got a Forster, which was almost as accurate as a Wilson, but spinning that Mini-Lathe by hand will give you Carpal Tunnel issues. Forster came out with a spud that I could attach a electric hand drill to, and I could do a season worth of .223 in a week of long evenings.

Eventually, Giraud came out with his machine, and it is almost as accurate as a Forster, but incredibly quick, and I can do a season worth of .223 in one evening, and I can change calibers in a couple minutes.

I have not used them yet, but I have RCBS X-dies for .223 and .308, which may eliminate the need for trimming after the first trimming.

 

[Walkalong]

Trim off the base of the case or the shoulder of the case is another debate, but for raw consistency, you can't beat the Wilson. It's what I used to trim my 6 PPC cases for matches.

 

[lightman]

I was in the loading room last night and got to thinking about trimming. I dug out my Lee Case Gauge trimmer, attached it to a new sharp cutter and trimmed 40 308 cases. I used a cordless drill and fed the case into the cutter slowly. All 40 cases ended up being within .001 of each other. I wish the cutters would stay sharp longer! I had 2 times that the case came out of the shellholder and the shellholder ran up my arm! Kind of a Lee thing, it seems like!

I may dig out some more brass after while and try a few other trimmers just for something to do, but my experiences pretty much already knows how this will end. The Wilson with the carbide cutter will be within .001 and so will the Giraud. The RCBS, Forster and Lyman will be between .001 and .003. Thats all the trimmers I have access to.

In my opinion, the carbide cutter, if offered, is a worthwhile option, although its expensive.