catorres,
The following may seem over the top, but I've learned in the long run that it saves time:
1) I normally use only one lot of brass for each load in a certain rifle. If that can't be done, then I check a new lot to make sure it's basically the same weight and neck thickness of the older lot.
1) As noted earlier, with new brass I run it over the expander ball in my sizing die--or if I'm using a collet or bushing die, I check the neck thickness to make sure it's basically the same as older lots of brass, and run it into the die. Either is done to make sure the INSIDE of the case necks are the same diameter. Otherwise neck tension varies from shot to shot.
2) After brass is fired, I keep it in zip-lock bags marked with how many times it's fired. I learned the hard way that mixing up brass that's new with brass that's been fired several times just doesn't work when loading for consistent accuracy. I then anneal each batch regularly. In a couple of rifles I anneal after every firing, but usually it's after every 4th firing.
3) I record lot numbers of powder, and when I buy a new lot I test-fire it to make sure it's close to the old lot. I do this on the same day at the range, with brass that's the same for both lots of powder.
Primers don't seem to matter as much, but have encountered primers that changed enough from lot to lot to require tweaking a load. But the BIG problems in primers usually come when a company makes significant changes in primers without any announcement. I know for a fact, due to talking to one of the long-time employees of a major company, that their magnum primers went through three significant chamges in either the amount or type of priming compound in the years I've been handloading.
Fantastic, thank you!
I have not been running the new brass over the expander, from now on, I certainly will.
As for the brass, I usto shoot lots of 375, so was afraid of short life and case separation, so have always kept each 'batch' in different cartridge boxes with the number of loadings written on the label. In this particular case, I only have one lot of brass, all from the same box of Lapua. And each batch has been kept separated.
On the powder. Fail. I have not been keeping track until yesterday. Lesson learned. I have now written down the lots on both the cans I have currently (they are the same). Unfortunately, I need to hunt up some more, so looks like I'll have to drag that Chrono out again in the future. This time when I buy, however, I will know it's the powder I want, and will buy in quantity. I did not this time, because I did that in the past, and then was left with a quantity of powder I cannot use. Anybody need a 5lb keg of RL15?
On the annealing, never done it before. Guess it's time to learn.
I'll report back hopefully next week when I shoot all those loads. Hopefully, it's conclusive and simple and I can move on a little wiser!
