New brass question

[Bfh_auto]

Do you full length size unfired brass it it chambers in your rifle?

 

[forty_caliber]

Yes. Size and trim as needed. While sizing is not really needed and there is little resistance, the expander ball is needed to clean up the necks.

.40

 

[Texas10mm]

If accuracy and brass life are important to you then you can neck size and be fine.

However if we're talking about a semi-auto rifle you're better off to full length size.

 

[Bfh_auto]

If accuracy and brass life are important to you then you can neck size and be fine.

However if we're talking about a semi-auto rifle you're better off to full length size.

Just an old e Eddystone that was re-chambered to 300 WM. I'm not planning on setting the world on fire with it.
I thought about expanding to 32 cal, then sizing till it will just close on a case.
I'm more worried about case life.

 

[Texas10mm]

Just an old e Eddystone that was re-chambered to 300 WM. I'm not planning on setting the world on fire with it.
I thought about expanding to 32 cal, then sizing till it will just close on a case.
I'm more worried about case life.

Then just neck size the brass. You'll be fine.

 

[spitballer]

Not for my bolt rifle.

 

[lordpaxman]

Do you full length size unfired brass it it chambers in your rifle?

Yes, since I don’t chamber every piece of brass, and I know somewhere in that lot is one or two that’s different enough. If I don’t know the genealogy of the brass, it goes through the full length process just to be sure. Good luck!

 

[edwardware]

Do you full length size unfired brass it it chambers in your rifle?

Depends on what you mean by Full Length.

For bolts, I use FL dies set to uniform the brass without touching the shoulders. I repeat this until the cases grow enough that I can find the shoulder position, them set the die for 0.002" shoulder setback.

For floating pin autos (Garands and ARs), I do the same, but never let a case chamber at speed if there's a chance it's too long. Load gently until you find the shoulder and size for 0.003"+ setback.

Unless you're loading for a cartridge instead of a specific weapon, I don't know of any reason to blindly set a FL die to cam-over. I don't own a single weapon for which that die setting is ideal.

 

[Bfh_auto]

Depends on what you mean by Full Length.

For bolts, I use FL dies set to uniform the brass without touching the shoulders. I repeat this until the cases grow enough that I can find the shoulder position, them set the die for 0.002" shoulder setback.

For floating pin autos (Garands and ARs), I do the same, but never let a case chamber at speed if there's a chance it's too long. Load gently until you find the shoulder and size for 0.003"+ setback.

Unless you're loading for a cartridge instead of a specific weapon, I don't know of any reason to blindly set a FL die to cam-over. I don't own a single weapon for which that die setting is ideal.

The only die that's set to cam over is my 556 AR. I get ftf if it isn't.
I guess I could have worded it differently.

 

[edwardware]

The only die that's set to cam over is my 556 AR. I get ftf if it isn't.

Nice! That sounds like a minimum chamber, and you should get very consistent results with die/shell holder contact.

 

[jmr40]

I used to, but have seen enough evidence to prove to me that in most case it does nothing to help and may in fact degrade accuracy. I prime and load new brass right out of the box anymore.

 

[AJC1]

Depending on manufacturing company, the mandrel to uniform neck tension and make perfectly round and loadem up.

 

[rdnktrkr]

I recently purchased 100 6.5 grendel brass and checked them before loading and found 10 that were long and needed trimming to give consistent lengths, I FL sized and trimmed before priming. I feel consistent lengths are necessary especially if you crimp.

 

[Bfh_auto]

I recently purchased 100 6.5 grendel brass and checked them before loading and found 10 that were long and needed trimming to give consistent lengths, I FL sized and trimmed before priming. I feel consistent lengths are necessary especially if you crimp.

I did check for length. Then I de-burred the flash hole.
I don't crimp brass except 30-30 and 357.
Different length brass bugs me even in loads where it doesn't matter.

 

[Legionnaire]

For my bolt actions, I want to make sure new brass has consistent necks. For some of my cartridges I have neck sizing dies, for others I use FL dies.

 

[mdi]

For me, when I get new to me brass, new, "once fired" or range pick ups I F/L size and rifle brass gets trimmed along with a thorough inspection. I like to have a known starting point, sorta a " Ground Zero" for all my brass and after that my answer is "it depends"...

 

[Grumulkin]

Do you full length size unfired brass it it chambers in your rifle?

This question comes up on every well attended reloading forum I've been on at least every 2 or 3 months. The answers usually are to resize "to be safe" or in order to be sure that the ammo manufacturer who makes brass all the time didn't get it wrong. There is the usual story about necks out of round, etc. Here is how I've found it.

1. I have NEVER in my life resized new brass with one exception. That one exception is for cartridges to be shot in a 460 S&W Magnum revolver. Without resizing the brass for the revolver, I can't get enough of a crimp to keep the bullets from moving under recoil. For my Encore handgun chambered for that cartridge I don't resize new brass.

2. Frequently the most accurate handloads will be from those made with new unmessed around with brass. And no, I don't trim it to get a consistent crimp.

3. Obviously if a case is significantly deformed you'll need to resize it but when loading cases with the mouth a little deformed (and even a lot deformed with boat tailed bullets) a bullet can almost always be seated with no problem. New cases should be inspected because occasionally you might find one with a flash hole so eccentric that a primer could not ignite the primer.

I think the compulsive ones who resize new brass ought to disasemble factory cartridges, weigh the powder, weigh the bullet, resize the brass and put it all back together just to be safe and to be sure Remington, Winchester, etc. got everything right.

 

[Demi-human]

Remington, Winchester, etc. got everything right.

They frequently get it wrong. Ever try one of their rimfire cartridges?

Though I understand illustrating the obvious with examples of the absurd, I don’t think it’s a mental health deficiency to ensure the time spent on the rest of the handloading isn’t wasted.

Does the factory know my chamber is short? Do they account for oversized cast bullets? Do they know my rifle likes a tighter/looser grip than they come?

I don’t equate loaded brass held in a styrofoam rack in a box, to loose brass shipped in a bag hanging on a peg.
And especially not if it’s been handled by the UPS hub that services West Michigan, I don’t know if the packing machines are old or they drop kick them into the truck, but yes, I size brand spankity spanking new brass.
(Despite Starline’s best packing efforts. They deserve an “Atta Boy!” )

 

[TonyAngel]

I always resized new brass. When I was shooting .308 a lot, I had a customish 700. The chamber on it was so tight that some factory ammo wouldn't chamber in it. After that initial sizing when new, I only sized to get neck tension and bump the shoulder a bit.

 

[Hikingman]

Two points-
Do you have a small quantity, or a limited qty. of brass, or want to avoid having to obtain more?

Are you okay with keeping brass separated for each firearm where the brass will be neck sized?

 

[Grumulkin]

They frequently get it wrong. Ever try one of their rimfire cartridges?

Though I understand illustrating the obvious with examples of the absurd, I don’t think it’s a mental health deficiency to ensure the time spent on the rest of the handloading isn’t wasted.

Does the factory know my chamber is short? Do they account for oversized cast bullets? Do they know my rifle likes a tighter/looser grip than they come?

I don’t equate loaded brass held in a styrofoam rack in a box, to loose brass shipped in a bag hanging on a peg.
And especially not if it’s been handled by the UPS hub that services West Michigan, I don’t know if the packing machines are old or they drop kick them into the truck, but yes, I size brand spankity spanking new brass.
(Despite Starline’s best packing efforts. They deserve an “Atta Boy!” )

I understand. I'm always in the minority on this one. Resize away with my full approval.

 

[Demi-human]

You do have to be. We can be friends.
Come to the dark side! Muhahahaha!
(Ahem!) I mean, we have cookies and refreshments!

See you at 7:06!

That’s 6:66 O’Clock! Muhahahahaaaa!

 

[CptnAwesome]

For my bolt rifles (which is all I reload for) I always FL size chamfer/debur my new unfired brass regardless of the make or perceived quality of that make.

It gives me peace of mind if nothing else knowing my brass is like I want it before I load it.

With that being said, my die setup doesn't always bump the shoulders to where I want them on unfired brass but at least I know everything else is uniform.

 

[Bfh_auto]

Two points-
Do you have a small quantity, or a limited qty. of brass, or want to avoid having to obtain more?

Are you okay with keeping brass separated for each firearm where the brass will be neck sized?

My thought was, each piece chambered. Case length was at minimum. All they needed was a chamfer and the primer pocket de-burred. I figured if the trimmer fit without issue, there was no need to resize.