Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Annealing brass for off beat hunting rifles/big bore revolvers

Well I have decided to try and see what I can do to extend the life of hunting brass. I have some common chambering firearms (308, 223, 30-06, etc) that I will probably just buy new brass for but some of my more rare/seasonal/expensive brass I am interested in trying to make last as long as possible. (7mm SAUM, 454 Casull, 30-40 Krag, etc). Is it safe to anneal brass used in hunting reloads? I have read a TON about it and it sounds safe as long as you are careful. Does bullet slip ever beome an issue which could seat a bullet too deep in a rifle case in the magazine or lock up a cylinder on a revolver? Are there other reasons it's not a good idea not to anneal cases assuming you are doing it PROPERLY? (not too hot, not affecting the case below the neck, etc). Thanks guys

I have no tested information and so no opinion. I am however curious as to the specific meaning of hunting reloads in this context?

Myself I tend to use newish brass for loads that push any limits and older brass that may well be annealed Tempilac style for loads that don't matter so much - I don't necessarily mean lower pressure (but there's a difference between peak and area under the curve too) but maybe a faster powder and a cheaper bullet for plinking, short range practice at different field positions that sort of thing.

I'm inclined to think that annealing is good thing with magnum revolvers where a stiff roll crimp is applied as suggested with 296 and other such loads.

Cody,

Yes, it's safe to use properly annealed brass in hunting handloads. Sometimes, however, the rear end of the case (which as you noted shouldn' be annealed) becomes so work-hardened to to repeated firing and resizing that it loses the ability to spring back from the chamber walls, the reason cases fired quitea few times may tend to stick in the chamber even with safe loads.