Reload question - brass longevity
Michael R Conners
and I'm wondering what the life span is for new brass. I'm looking to
load b/w 160 to 180gr.
Any tips?
--
*** Michael Conners - Beer drinker, Patriot - THE Ohio State University ***
An untapped energy source: our Founding Fathers spinning in their graves.
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Bart Bobbit
* Doesn't reduce fired case diameters too much.
* Has its neck diameter lapped out to about 2 to 3 thousandths
smaller than loaded round neck diameter and no expander ball
is used.
* Is set in the press so it doesn't set the fired case shoulder
back more than 1/1000th of an inch.
it is possible to get over 40 to 50 reloads per case even with
maximum loads. No neck annealing is needed during the case life.
A lot of case life depends on how much the brass is moved each time
it's reloaded. Dies that reduce fired cases from larger chambers
will significantly stretch them in length and they'll need trimmed
more often in addition to thinning more quickly in the pressure
ring area. And dies using expander balls often resize the neck
too much which also work hardens the brass in that area resulting
in shorter case life.
Full-length sizing dies vary in their inside diameters much more
than chambers do. Finding one that is on the large size will
allow more resizings per case.
BB
Paul Donehue
browning A-Bolt 300 Win Mag. In reading a Lyman reloading manual, it mentions
the banded magnum shells are only good for around 3 loadings. Is this number
realistic or overly conservative on their part so as to avoid being sued? I have
heard that "neck only sizing" can extend this?? Also, is there a good way (with a minimal set of tools) to determine if a shell is safe to be reloaded. 300 WM brass
is fairly expensive, and I would like to find ways to extend brass life. I also
have a high regard for safety.
I am also reloading for my 9mm beretta. Any idea as to the number of reloads
possible, and any tips for extending brass life?
Paul Donehue
MS SUN02-302
Sun Microsystems Computer Corp.
2550 Garcia Ave.
Mt View Ca, 94043
Phone: 408 774-8531
Email: p...@Eng.Sun.COM
James Warren
: How many times can brass be re-loaded? I would like to reload .30/06
: and I'm wondering what the life span is for new brass. I'm looking to
: load b/w 160 to 180gr.
: Any tips?
If you shoot a bolt gun and just neck size (and bump the shoulder, if you
want or need to) you should have no problem getting well over 25 reloads
(more than 50 would not surprise me). Any other action which allows this
limited resizing should be just as good.
If you shoot a gun which requires full length sizing (typically
auto-loaders, most levers, and most pumps), you will get fewer
reloadings. You can extend the life of these brass by sizing only as
much as absolutely necessary.
If you have to full length resize (especially using a small base die), and
your gun has much excessive headspace, your brass life may be 3 shots, or
even less. In this case, you can have dies modified to match your gun,
or have it rebarreled/rechambered.
Use good lube, don't resize any more than necessary, and aneal the
neck/shoulder area before it gets brittle.
--JDW
Bart Bobbit
: In reading a Lyman reloading manual, it mentions
: the banded magnum shells are only good for around 3 loadings. Is this number
: realistic or overly conservative on their part so as to avoid being sued?
I've no idea why Lyman says belted cases last about 3 reloads. I've got
as many as 21 on one batch of cases and full-power loads were used.
Most folks don't understand the case sizing issues regarding belted
cases. If they full-length resize, more often than not they set the
shoulder back way too far and that really shortens case life. Belted
cases when new often have their shoulders 25/1000ths of an inch back
from the chamber's shoulder when they are fired. Some stretching may
well occur with the first firing. When full-length resized and the die
touches the shell holder, the shoulder is probably set back too far and
this just happens every time the case is fired/sized. No wonder they
last less than 5 reloads. If the die is backed up in the press to set
the fired case shoulder back only one or two thousandths of an inch,
case life will be around 20 reloads or more.
Backing off the full-length sizing die will solve the case stretching
problem, but it often exposes another problem. If the belted case is
loaded too hot (too much powder for the load), the case diameter in
front of the belt may not get sized down enough as the base of the die
doesn't touch it. That may prevent the case from easily chambering
in the normal, out-of-round chamber. So, to solve this problem, you
must screw the die down. But that sets the shoulder back too far.
Reloading belted cases is not as simple as regular rimless cases. If
one notes all of the dimensional changes their belted cases go through
from firing a new case to several reloadings, they'll understand the
grief that many people have due to short belted case life.
Although neck sizing may extend the case life, it typically reduces
accuracy with belted cases.
BB
James Douglass Del-Vecchio
#I am also reloading for my 9mm beretta. Any idea as to the number of reloads
#possible, and any tips for extending brass life?
I reload 9mms forever. I have no idea how many times, because
I have so much brass, I mix it up, and I constantly glom up new brass
and mix it in. I just know that I haven't bought 9mm brass in years.
;^)
Jim D
James B. Millard
: Although neck sizing may extend the case life, it typically reduces
: accuracy with belted cases.
I'm not sure I agree with this, as most of the 1000 yd shooters shoot
belted magnums and neck size only. I shoot a wildcat 30 cal (300 H&H
blown out with a 40 degree shoulder, neck size 0.333") and I get
about 15-20 loads per case. My primers start falling out, long before
I have any splits. (My neck sizer only sizes about 0.001" of an inch.)
Brad Millard
jmil...@nmsu.edu
James Warren
: I just purchased a RCBS RC Reloading kit and am starting to reload for my
: browning A-Bolt 300 Win Mag. In reading a Lyman reloading manual, it mentions
: the banded magnum shells are only good for around 3 loadings. Is this number
: realistic or overly conservative on their part so as to avoid being sued?
If you full-length resize the brass and your chamber is on the loose side
(which is fairly common), you may only get 3, or so, loadings. If you
set your dies to just bump the shoulder a thousandth or two (should be
fine in an A-bolt), your brass life should be about the same as non-belted
brass.
In a properly designed, and built, firearm, the problems we often hear
about belted brass is just a bunch of nonsense. The problems only exist
in poorly designed and built actions. (On a 300 Win mag, the belt has no
useful purpose, but it does no harm, either.)
--JDW