How many times for brass?

[shooter444]

delta6, so sorry, never said, never meant,... to insinuate a clean pocket, or interior alone, would result in better accuracy. But I don't think it could hurt! :ugeek: Do you?

I'm sure we all know what combination of consistent procedures are required for best accuracy. And that the inequalities within anyone of those individual procedures are compounded exponentially when added to inequalities of all the individual procedures, when put together in one cartridge.

OCD is a bitch!!!

So, with all the procedural steps to make a cartridge, that I want equally consistent, I like to include on that list, that my cases equally hold the same amount of powder,... WITHIN the same amount of space,... for more consistently matched ignition. I believe varying volume of space between the powder level and the bottom of the bullet, is one procedural step that, without consistency, could ultimately effect accuracy when compounded with the possible inequalities of the following procedures.

Now,... tell me THAT ain't a mouth full!!! :lol:

Could this, my A personality / OCD inspired concept of procedure consistency possibly be measured, to validate my theory?

Nah,...!!!,... No way!!!

But it makes me feel good! :violin:

But, there is one thing I absolutely do know! CONSISTENCY is a re-loaders friend, imo.

So, when I consider all the steps entailed in processing many components, in many steps, into a finished cartridge, I just like to know each step starts at an equal and level starting point,... to the best of my ability.

Crazy?

Maybe?

But I REALLY like the cartridges I produce and the performance they produce.

Which is all that matters,... RIGHT!!!,...NO?

 

[delta6]

delta6, so sorry, never said, never meant,... to insinuate a clean pocket, or interior alone, would result in better accuracy. But I don't think it could hurt! :ugeek: Do you?

I'm sure we all know what combination of consistent procedures are required for best accuracy. And that the inequalities within anyone of those individual procedures are compounded exponentially when added to inequalities of all the individual procedures, when put together in one cartridge.

OCD is a b****!!!

So, with all the procedural steps to make a cartridge, that I want equally consistent, I like to include on that list, that my cases equally hold the same amount of powder,... WITHIN the same amount of space,... for more consistently matched ignition. I believe varying volume of space between the powder level and the bottom of the bullet, is one procedural step that, without consistency, could ultimately effect accuracy when compounded with the possible inequalities of the following procedures.

Now,... tell me THAT ain't a mouth full!!! :lol:

Could this, my A personality / OCD inspired concept of procedure consistency possibly be measured, to validate my theory?

Nah,...!!!,... No way!!!

But it makes me feel good! :violin:

But, there is one thing I absolutely do know! CONSISTENCY is a re-loaders friend, imo.

So, when I consider all the steps entailed in processing many components, in many steps, into a finished cartridge, I just like to know each step starts at an equal and level starting point,... to the best of my ability.

Crazy?

Maybe?

But I REALLY like the cartridges I produce and the performance they produce.

Which is all that matters,... RIGHT!!!,...NO?

Yes...well said :clap:

 

[shooter444]

OTOH, I don't care about primer pockets and case interiors so I stick with dry tumbling. Heck, I dry tumble before I decap except for precision rifle.

I have only used corn cob for dry tumbling. Once I tried de-priming before tumbling,...
NEVER AGAIN. I got real tired of poking bits of cob, out of flash holes! :naughty:

 

[Harrier]

I have only used corn cob for dry tumbling. Once I tried de-priming before tumbling,...
NEVER AGAIN. I got real tired of poking bits of cob, out of flash holes! :naughty:

Try using walnut -its finer and cleans better IMO but I usually mix some corncob in with it as the cob does a better job of polishing- no where near wet pins though.

On the dryer sheets- cut them in half- they really pick up the dirt in the media.I use used ones from the laundry.

I just got done processing 100 cases from the last range session. After I sort them by HS, I use a .173+zz pin gage to check the primer pockets. Prior to being loaded the last time, very few of them let the gage go in easily, let alone come back out easy (a sure sign of a stretched pocket).

This time about 50% allowed the gage to enter and exit with ease- with very very light finger pressure... this told me those pockets are starting to loosen up since the gage is slightly undersize to a typical primer (.175"). I marked the 1/2 of the head solid with a red marker to indicate a loose pocket... This also signifies (to me) that the case is to be used for a lower pressure load and to use a slightly tighter fitting CCI primer (these loads are often for bolt guns and slam fires are not a concern so I use CCI-400 instead of 450's).




I prime these with a RCBS hand priming tool so can feel how loose the pocket is- if the primer slips right in without any resistance at all -I then try to deprime it by hand with just a depriming stem from a die- if the primer pops out easily(which it usually does if there isn't any resistance putting it in), I crush the case and throw it in the recycle box.

I check these red heads very carefully after the next firing to see if any are past reuse- I rarely have a primer blow out and sometimes I can get a few more loadings out of them.

I can't say how many loads I have gotten out of any of them, but some have blue paint in the groove that I stopped doing several years ago to ID cases. All I know is I'm getting at least one more from em...

 

[shooter444]

Harrier, I have not worried so much about flash hole diameters, now that wet tumbling cleans them real good for me.

I do as you do, ALMOST, when priming, if a primer (in my single stage) doesn't resist insertion enough, I just throw the brass and all in my brass box. I don't bother trying to save the primer, because my OCD won't let me use one, thinking the anvil has been damaged from extraction. It has to be as perfect as it came out of the box, or I just can't accept it.

Primer resistance on insertion, for me, MUST be consistent, period! I think about it as another one of the process steps that, when added to all the other processing steps, must be as consistent as I possibly can do, because I know about compounding faults.

Again, my OCD won't let me compromise, I have always believed EVERY cartridge has to be as good as I can make it, because I will never know if that cartridge is the one my life will depend on.

 

[Harrier]

I can't seem to feel the insertion pressure from a bench press, that's why I use the hand ubit- it give you a much better feel for that resistance. If a primer goes in without force, you wont seat the anvil unless you bear down on it, I have never had a lite-strike or misfire from reusing one (and I mark them to ID in case I did)... even so those could be used for foulers, sight-in or plinking... don't throw away good primers.

 

[Flash]

I can't seem to feel the insertion pressure from a bench press, that's why I use the hand ubit- it give you a much better feel for that resistance. If a primer goes in without force, you wont seat the anvil unless you bear down on it, I have never had a lite-strike or misfire from reusing one (and I mark them to ID in case I did)... even so those could be used for foulers, sight-in or plinking... don't throw away good primers.

I also reuse primers (unfired ones ). Not for hunting ammo and not for precision ammo, but practice ammo. Yeah, I know they're only 2-¢ each, but if you look up "cheap" in the dictionary, you'll find my picture.

 

[shooter444]

I can't seem to feel the insertion pressure from a bench press, that's why I use the hand ubit- it give you a much better feel for that resistance. If a primer goes in without force, you wont seat the anvil unless you bear down on it, I have never had a lite-strike or misfire from reusing one (and I mark them to ID in case I did)... even so those could be used for foulers, sight-in or plinking... don't throw away good primers.

Yeah, I have been doing single stage only , since I started. I find it very ZEN! :dance:
As soon as I figure how to decrease my pic's, I'll get some up, of my bench.
Good to hear about large pockets anvil removal, you obviously have it all covered!

 

[A_C Guy]

Do you have a formula for how many times you reload a case? Do you track the number of times you reload it? How do you track it?

I generally load my rounds on the light side and I inspect them after I clean them, but I have not really kept track of how many times I have reloaded them. I this point it may have only been 3-4 times so far.

I didn't read all the replies, so if this has been aready said, then take this for what it cost you....

If you anneal your cases, they can last indefinitely. I personally have loaded the same case over 20 times with no issues at all. This topic has been discussed on other forums that are primarily considered long range accuracy shooters a few years back before annealing was common. Everyone that has tried annealing will tell you it is a beneficial step for both accuracy and long case life.

The other factor that affects case life is how much you resize. If you resize to the minimum size, you work the brass more than if you resize just enough to reload and have the round cycle through the action properly. Even semi auto shooters don't need to fully resize each case every time, just size it just enough to cycle dependably.

 

[pcklst]

I basically use it till I loose it. If everything goes well during the prep and loading process and pass the gauge it is good for me. I don't load anything near max specs or precision though.

 

[tharger]

Don't usually keep track. But, I have checked on a couple lately. 6.5x284, brass was not acting right, cked records and were reloaded 13 times. Scraped and got new. 280 improved started to show signs of case separation, 7 reloads. Time for new. 223 I use till primer pockets get loose. Long time.