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Brass life cycle

VikingsGuy

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I am new to reloading this year and am now getting to the point that how many reload cycles can brass be reused is a relevant question. I have not been annealing and at this point am more likely to throw out old brass and buy new rather than resort to annealing, but this may change. The loads I have spent the most time on have been 25-06 (pushing a 100grain TTSX about 3250 fps) and .270Win (pushing a 130grain TTSX about 3050 fps). I began with new "prepped" Nosler brass, sprayed it with Hornady One Shot and ran through my Lee full length resizing dies, champfered, deburred, primed and loaded. After firing once, I cleaned in a tumbler, full length resized and repeated the process - everything was simple with no surprises. After firing a second time, cleaning and full length resizing I need to trim - so I did. But this brass was a little harder to push through the die, and the cases seem to have little visual blemishes - no puckers or dents but some seem to show faint "rings" in the case body that seemed to be rubbed out, but not always or light black vertical striations around the neck -- but no structural cracks.

Now I am getting a little paranoid. Basis my reading/investigation, it seemed like with decent quality brass and loading within book specs that 3 fired cycles without annealing should be expected (and safe). Now I am wondering if that is true - maybe the Nosler brass isn't up to the task, or maybe the little items are cosmetic and I just need to clean the inside of my dies, or maybe the light resizing I did to the new brass ended up being enough "working" that this cost me a cycle and I should have just loaded straight out of the box, or maybe I am not lubing enough before resizing, etc.

Any thoughts, reactions, advice?
 
I swear that I've heard of people shooting their brass at least 8 times before annealing, but you know that I'm even less experienced than you. Interested to see what everyone else says.
 
I've never annealed. If you shoot stout loads your primer pockets will get loose rendering your cases be put in the brass scrap barrel.
 
I've never annealed. If you shoot stout loads your primer pockets will get loose rendering your cases be put in the brass scrap barrel.

How loose - like falling out or moving to the touch, or just a little less squeeze needed to seat them? If the later, how do you know?

As for "stout", does that imply above published data or top of published data or upper quarter of published data?
 
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How loose - like falling out or moving to the touch, or just a little less squeeze needed to seat them? If the later, how do you know?

As for "stout", does that imply above published data or top of published data or upper quarter of published data?

If they seat with little to no effort they are loose. Stout loads would be max loads or those on the cusp of excess pressure territory. 3-4 firings would be max IMO. I've got notes in some boxes of old ammo about primer pockets getting loose.
 
I am new to reloading this year and am now getting to the point that how many reload cycles can brass be reused is a relevant question. I have not been annealing and at this point am more likely to throw out old brass and buy new rather than resort to annealing, but this may change. The loads I have spent the most time on have been 25-06 (pushing a 100grain TTSX about 3250 fps) and .270Win (pushing a 130grain TTSX about 3050 fps). I began with new "prepped" Nosler brass, sprayed it with Hornady One Shot and ran through my Lee full length resizing dies, champfered, deburred, primed and loaded. After firing once, I cleaned in a tumbler, full length resized and repeated the process - everything was simple with no surprises. After firing a second time, cleaning and full length resizing I need to trim - so I did. But this brass was a little harder to push through the die, and the cases seem to have little visual blemishes - no puckers or dents but some seem to show faint "rings" in the case body that seemed to be rubbed out, but not always or light black vertical striations around the neck -- but no structural cracks.

Now I am getting a little paranoid. Basis my reading/investigation, it seemed like with decent quality brass and loading within book specs that 3 fired cycles without annealing should be expected (and safe). Now I am wondering if that is true - maybe the Nosler brass isn't up to the task, or maybe the little items are cosmetic and I just need to clean the inside of my dies, or maybe the light resizing I did to the new brass ended up being enough "working" that this cost me a cycle and I should have just loaded straight out of the box, or maybe I am not lubing enough before resizing, etc.

Any thoughts, reactions, advice?

New Nosler brass is supposed to be ready to load right from the box. I suppose one could use their RCBS rocket deburring tool to lightly chamfer the inside and outside of the case mouth, otherwise there is no reason to do more. The cases are weight sorted and the flash holes are deburred. If you can't seat a bullet by hand there is no reason IMO to resize the cases, esp. if an expander ball is used. Once they are fired, I'd put the expander ball back in the die box and size them just enough so that they chamber in your rifle with little to no effort.
 
I get many, many loadings from my brass without annealing. But annealing is a good idea for getting the most.
My 25-06 brass has had 12-14 loadings without annealing.

Just inspect your brass before each loading for cracks in the neck or anywhere else for that matter, and be sure the primer needs a reasonable amount of pressure to seat.
Keep shooting em till they show a problem.

I resize the brass only as much as is needed. Only sizing the neck is the norm, unless chambering becomes tuff from body swell or shoulder deformation.
The magnums have a tendency to expand primer pockets and crack necks quicker than medium and smaller calibers.
Don't stress over how safe it is to keep loading a piece of brass. Just keep up the inspections and all will be good.
 
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Both the cartridges your load for aren't know to eat brass quickly and your velocity seems normal. The faint ring in the brass is probably the end of your chamber if it's near the rear of the case. Also are you lubing inside the neck each time you size? You should easily get 8-10 firings. You will know a primer pocket is loose once it won't hold a primer or pops the primer out a little once fired.
 
I load on the upper end of hot and generally get about 5 loading's. What happens is my primer pocket's shoot loose. Awhile back a guy put me onto a tool from Hart that tighten's up the pockets again Actually works too! I never annealed much, no reason I can see as I shoot pocket's loose in five or so loads. How do you know how to tell if you have the brass hot enough? Depends on who you talk to! Your need to trim case's doesn't come from firing as much as from re-sizing in an FL die with an expander button. It come's from pulling the case down over the expander after you've sized it. I don't have much problem with having to trim more often but it is a pain in the buttocks!
 
Anybody here use the UniqueTek Primer Pocket Gauge to confirm primer pocket not over-expanded in a way that doesn't rely fully on "feel" and doesn't waste the inserted primer when it doesn't "feel right"? Apparently this tool uses a "go/no-go" approach for quick testing.
 
I suggest using something to measure your brass after firing and after sizing, such as the Hornady headspace comparator. Full length sizing can often resize excessively and that will wear on your brass. You want to adjust your die just enough to bump the shoulder back a very small amount.
 
Anybody here use the UniqueTek Primer Pocket Gauge to confirm primer pocket not over-expanded in a way that doesn't rely fully on "feel" and doesn't waste the inserted primer when it doesn't "feel right"? Apparently this tool uses a "go/no-go" approach for quick testing.

If a seated primer doesn't "feel" right, it's not wasted. Gently pop it out with a decapping die and use it somewhere else.
 
If a seated primer doesn't "feel" right, it's not wasted. Gently pop it out with a decapping die and use it somewhere else.

Bought the $11 gauge on way home tonight. Checked 50 pieces of brass in 2 minutes - worth it for the simplicity and peace of mind.
 
just curious why you full length re-size your brass after each shot? are you using the brass in different guns? i always use a neck die after firing, i've found a little better accuracy in my rifles from that. i also don't anneal my brass, or shoot max loads and have been able to get 12-14 reloads out of my brass before i just replace them with new.
 
just curious why you full length re-size your brass after each shot? are you using the brass in different guns? i always use a neck die after firing, i've found a little better accuracy in my rifles from that. i also don't anneal my brass, or shoot max loads and have been able to get 12-14 reloads out of my brass before i just replace them with new.

Setting gun specific seating depth so not using across rifles. In doing a bunch of reading on reloading processes I found a fair number of precision shooters are now saying full size resizing, but with careful setting of amount of bump is the better way. Like so many things in the gun world there are strong opinions on both sides, but for my purposes (hunting) it seemed like the right choice. I just want to get 5-6 safe hunting accurate cycles from brass so not to worried at this point.
 
Setting gun specific seating depth so not using across rifles. In doing a bunch of reading on reloading processes I found a fair number of precision shooters are now saying full size resizing, but with careful setting of amount of bump is the better way. Like so many things in the gun world there are strong opinions on both sides, but for my purposes (hunting) it seemed like the right choice. I just want to get 5-6 safe hunting accurate cycles from brass so not to worried at this point.

Basically one wants to size until the cases chamber in the rifle with minimal effort.

One can set the sizing die so that the bottom of the die just touches the shellholder. Next instead of backing the die out, I'd try to get some shims/spacers say 5 each of .005 thickness. Put the spacers between the die lock ring and the top of the press. FL size a case and see if it chambers. If not, remove one spacer and repeat. Remove and repeat until the case is sized the way you want it. One could buy a couple sets of spark plug gapping blades and use those for spacers. Or if enough people want them, find a way to supply them for a profit.
 
I full length size any brass when it's new, before i load it.
I only full length size for pump, lever, break open, or semi-autos. Crimp with those also.
For bolt action i collet size only, no crimp. Anneal after every 5th loading. ( i use the propane torch and water method).
I've noticed in my 7mm Rem Mag i'm getting about 5 loadings per case before primer gets loose.
Shooting stout loads, but below published maximums.
 

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