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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 60,437 Likes: 13
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 60,437 Likes: 13 |
In the instance of making things worse, no, but generally if you think it helps, then it does.
Everything from cleaning primer pockets to washing the dishes in the sink before putting them in the dishwasher.
Who am I to pass judgment? In my spare time I like to watch cartoons, so I have less time to perform extra case prep steps.
I am MAGA.
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 10,430
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 10,430 |
I'll normally give the case mouths a look and round the uglies with a nail set punch, look to see if all the primer holes exist, and use a bushing necker at a thousandth under slip fit (at least for the 22 CFs. Really not extra work because I prime on my 650 anyway, as I run a batch I can feel the outliers both coming and going. After sizing and priming, I kiss the case mouths with a countersink in the drill press, and will measure ten cases to see if any are over maximum length, if not, good to go for first firing. I watch for flyers or bad misses and put those cases aside for later exam at the next loading cycle. After fireforming, that's when I'll do a batch trim and precise mouth chamfering.
Up hills slow, Down hills fast Tonnage first and Safety last.
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,300
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,300 |
Well John, I haven't been on here in ages. But when I come back, I see you are still posting very sensible stuff based on logic and data! shotgunjock,
The "technique" of resizing new cases has been discussed before on the Campfire, and I'm always surprised at the number of people who actually do it.
Or at least they claim to always full-length size new brass, though I've wondered how they deal with factory ammo. Do they break it down and resize the cases, then load the cases up again, just in case the factory didn't get it right? A lot of today's factory ammo is VERY accurate, which would seem to indicate the new cases are OK.
Running an expander ball inside the necks of new cases is one thing, since they often get dinged up, especially when sold in plastic bags. But otherwise brass is always "full-length sized" by factories, because they use full-length dies to form the cases.
Now, once in a while factories run their case-forming dies until they're very worn, usually when making brass for unpopular or semi-obsolete cartridges, because there's no profit in replacing the forming dies very often. But in common cartridges they normally replace the forming dies regularly, because they know they'll be selling .223's, .243's, .270's, .308's, .30-06's, etc. for a long time, either as component brass or for factory ammo.
I also wonder how many handloaders who always full-length size new brass have actually run tests on whether this results in smaller groups. The expander balls in the typical dies used by most handloaders tend to pull necks out line with the case body, resulting in poorer accuracy because the seated bullet will be misaligned.
In contrast, new brass is normally very straight through the case body and neck, because the necks AREN'T pulled over an expander ball. Just pushing the necks over an expander ball usually doesn't cause any misalignment, but full-length sizing often does. I know this because I've experimented with new and resized brass considerably, rather than assuming resizing brass (whether new or fired) always results in finer accuracy.
I normally do measure 3-4 cases out of a new batch to see if by some strange chance they left the factory too long I don't trim cases if it isn't necessary, for whatever reason, and after 50+ years of handloading can't recall encountering many new cases that were over SAAMI maximum length.
Oh, and I generally don't do anything more with new brass than running the neck over an expander ball, especially when loading rounds for shooting hundreds of burrowing rodents, because I generally shoot boattailed bullets that don't require case-mouth chamfering to seat easily. If loading flat-base bullets, whether I chamfer inside the case mouth depends on the bullet. Quite a few have enough of a bevel around the base to seat easily anyway.
I'll also note that a LOT of handloaders like to use time and energy on stuff that doesn't make any measureable difference, apparently because they prefer spending time in the loading room to other activities. I handload a LOT as part of my job, so don't prefer wasting time, but if handloaders who aren't making super-accurate ammo for, say, benchrest match shooting like to spend hours on irrelevant "recreation," then they should. But I'll also note that out of all the benchrest competitors I know, not a single one resizes brand new cases.
Al
Spend your life wisely.
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 18,243
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 18,243 |
Who (re)sizes brand new brass before using?
In comparing notes while at the range with another shooter (he is a full on "benchrest" type), I told him I had some new brass on order, and I was going to chamfer the case mouths, prime them and load them up. This brought a howl from him...
It seems I've been doing it wrong the last 40 years. According to him I need to: 1) Weight sort them (+/- 1 grain) 2) Neck size them 3) Trim to length 4) Chamfer case mouths 5) Load...
This is new Federal brand brass that is intended for high volume ground squirrel control. It will be shot out of multiply factory bolt action rifles.
Anyone else use this routine with new brass? I certainly do all that with fired brass. Maybe I should just buy once fired and save the extra cash over factory fresh... Yep. You've been doing it wrong....and once you shoot them remember to clean the primer pockets, the flash hole, and check for concentric neck thickness each time.... Then brush AND floss 6 times daily.... That's not necessarily true.....I just saw a blurb on the news yesterday that claimed that after the government telling us for years how important it is to floss they have ZERO data to back that up....
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 9,730
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 9,730 |
That's true. And there's no evidence that flossing your brass will make it last longer either.
I just clean up the case mouf and neck, loade and shoot.
Safe Shooting! Steve Redgwell www.303british.comGet your facts first, then you can distort them as you please. - Mark Twain Member - Professional Outdoor Media Association of Canada
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