case life

[trevort]

How do you know when to junk them?

I have loaded my rem 204 brass 5 or 6 times. Yes I should have kept a record but I know a lot more now than when I started.

Pockets seem ok, no flattened primers or leaks ever. ADI max for the 40 gn is 27.7gn 2206h. Nick Harvey lists 28gn. My load with the 39BK is 27.9 so its up there.

First few loads where FL sized and then a body die and neck die were added. At least 2 neck sized loads and no body die needed yet.

I can see the difference in the brass were the head section doesnt stretch or expand while the rest of the case does. Its like a colour difference and on some cases that runs like a line round the case. it is not line like a dent in the case and I have done the wire in the case thing dragging a hook over the line to sse if there is any resistance to indicate the brass has thinned there. No problems encountered this way.

I did just read that if the firing pin dent on the primer has a raised ring around it then that is a sign of high pressure even if there is no flattening or leaking. That raising is happening. Funnily enough that 6/250 load JB 747 mentioned was getting near max exhibited that sign while no others did. Must be something in that.

I dont want to find out cases are past their use by date the hard way but since I take a deal of time and care in the case prep I dont want to junk them un necesarily.

So how do you know?

[kjd]

I reload with safe loads and don't tend to record how many times my brass is used and yeah I dont reload to target shoot I reload to get sub moa and I chuck my brass when necks start to crack or when primer pockets are loose.

I don't like reloading I do it for economy and better accuracy!!!

[trevort]

.

I don't like reloading I do it for economy and better accuracy!!!

when I look at all the tools and nick nacks I have bought it sure isnt for economy. I agree with you on accuracy. Factory ammo gives me the same reaction as cigarettes give a reformed smoker


I talk for a living and am relatively useless at working with my hands so this actually gives me enjoyment from the process.

[trevort]

just noticed my calibre upgrade! when can I be a 204?

[kjd]

just noticed my calibre upgrade! when can I be a 204?

In another 200 posts champ!!!

[Drew Jaeger]

I reload with safe loads and don't tend to record how many times my brass is used and yeah I dont reload to target shoot I reload to get sub moa and I chuck my brass when necks start to crack or when primer pockets are loose.

Same here,... still going with original Remington and Norma brass for the 223 and 30-06 respectively. The 243 brass is all new single fired Remington factory.

Have 200 new Remington 204 brass now. Rifle is coming!

[ogre6br]

I find I loose cases over the side of the ute or stand on them or bugger them some other way before i wear them out.

after having a 6.5x55 swede 96 with a chamber fault that used to gas cut cases i gave up on high pressure/over max loads as a bad idea- not knowing that the case failure was being cased by a chamber fault.

I now load for accuracy using the best load UNDER an average of the max's listed between uncle nick loading manual and ADI listed.

All except my 6.5x55 loads as I use Euro brass (65k tested) and a strong tikka action.

Mostly I use the bent paperclip feeling for the thinning of the web method as I rarely trim cases to length

later
P

[Kenny]

Trevort

I think its really a personal thing......without being foolish of coarse
But if you feel safe using the brass, use it.

It seems to be largely caliber/case dependant and how hot you run the loads as to what a beating the case has had, if in doubt chuck em out...

I have been guilty of being a tight arse and experienced a case head seperation once........so never again
I chuck em into an old drum and when the drum is full I will sell it to the scrap dealer, jeez I might get enough cash to buy a packet of primers

Some brand primers are softer in the cup than others so you may have a tougher primer in your 6/250.

Have you got a pic of 'the ring' around your cases that you can post on here ?
It may be just a rough spot in the chamber, a rub mark from your ammo box or bullet belt........or it could be where the head is about to ............seperate

KY

[Ned Kelly]

G'Day trevort
In my experience the 22-250 I owned was the hardest on cases and I got 10 reloads before the WW cases were junked, mainly because the primer pockets were loose due to hot loads. My Hall BR rifle regularly causes extruded primer cups. I've tried bushed bolt faces with smaller firing pins etc, I havent yet tried different primers (I've got 5000 to use up first!) So I just back the load off a little!

I use hard bolt lift and cratered primers as a guide to pressure, if the bolt lift after firing is harder, then case has stretched on firing, if you run a finger nail over the fired primer and can feel a burr on the indentation, you have pressure that is greater than the firing pin spring force......the primer cup is being forced back into the firing ping hole in the bolt face. This can also be caused by a poor fit of the pin to its hole in the bolt face. A larger diameter pin can also lead to this, that's why BR shooters prefer smaller than standard pins to allow hotter loads.

Easiest solution just back the load off a little or try primers made with harder primer cups.

You were right to check for thinning case wall thickness as I lost 25 6ppc cases within one firing because I had set the dies incorrectly and they all failed during the NSW LV/HV titles on year (I was lucky enough to borrow 10 cases to finish the weekend!). I keep them as a constant reminder to me of my stuff up. I had created about 0.010" head space and the cases were doomed from day 1.

Different primers and brass can bring on these symptoms at different pressures. Also buy a hand primer like the lee auto prime as you can feel the primers seat with great sensitivity to see if the pockets are loosening up. Also try different brands of primers as they do vary in diameter to that can help tighten up primer fit to case primer pocket.

Where you found the ring near the case head is I suspect it is the thinner case walls are expanding to fit your chamber, you need to watch this area but if you do not excessively FL resize the case it should be ok

I also find that when the cases become tight to chamber, FLS just enough to allow easy closing of the bolt on a sized case makes life easier and this helps reduce work hardening of the brass. Redding make competition shell holders that allow you to control sizing in 0.002" increments, I have found them to work well for me. Keep a case that has been fired say 3 times as a control/reference case to compare to your many fired cases. 3 firings usually give the cases a chance to become work hardened enough to be consistent in size. This case can be used to compare headspace using a stony point tool as well as checking case tightness in the chamber etc

Do this with the firing pin assembly removed to allow you to accurately feel the changing fit of the case to the chamber. Sinclair int'l sell firing pin removal tools for Remingtons bolts and others. The best solution is a custom FLS die that matches your fired brass and chamber. An expensive solution, and it is cheaper to junk the brass and get new stuff

So some rough rules of thumb:-

rule #1 buy good quality brass lapua RWS etc for longer life (usually more concentric for better accuracy)

rule #2 change primers to find tougher primer cups, I use Federal and WW with good results and I believe rem 7 1/2 and 9 1/2 primers are some of the toughest available

rule #3 FLS only when needed and no more than 0.002" or when bolt closing is easier than a fired case Use a stoney point gauge to accurately approach this point.

rule #4 Change your brass if you have any doubt as to its condition for safety's sake!

I hope this is not too wordy or complicated!

Cheerio Ned

[trevort]

Ned, its more advanced than I am but thats what this is about, learning. Thanks.

I use the rcbs primer seater. I use rem 7 1/2s small cals and 9 1/2 large cals. I just bought a stoney point HS guage but havent used it as am currently only neck sizing.

I think the brass is fine but was asking for the 'better safe than sorry" thought"

I havent worried about brass quality as I didnt think it would make much difference in factory rifles with my ability (accuracy wise) but bought Nosler custom for the 6/250 and will buy norma for the new 204 when I get the $$ to finish it.

I have learned that i should be counting the number of loads and will do that with all new brass in future (labelling the boxes seems easiest)

[Ned Kelly]

G'Day Trevort,
Any hand operated priming tool it miles better than the press operated tool as you should be able to "feel" the primer seating. When you feel the resistance at the end of the stoke the primer is slightly crushed ain the pocket which is suppose to ensure consistent reliable ignition

In order to simplify the junk or not to junk answer, provided you have batches of brass, I use a 50rd MTM ammo box to be say "Box A", when you find that box has primer pockets that are more loose than normal, junk that box and buy new brass, likewise if case necks are splitting junk them.

Provided you reload all of the cases together you will know that the work hardening of the brass will be about the same for all of the cases in that box. As soon as they start to fail regularly, then junk them.

Naturally this system only works if you dont mix up brass from different boxes!

BTW if you have the Stoney Point HS gauges, you should also get their bullet seating comparators, they are brilliant.

Cheerio Ned

[trevort]

Sinclair had no comparitor inserts for the Stoney point so they sent me theirs instead. They arrived this morning. They are supposedly built to fit the stoney point body. Going out to try them now!!!!!