Case Maintenance

[JWFilips]

Opinions needed again:

After 10 firings of my 30-30 brass through my "Bolt Action" Savage 340 I decided it was time to Citric wash, tumble an re-anneal my cases. Now the question becomes; should I go back and full length size them the first time again ( I have only neck size these each time after the initial FL size case firing about a year or so ago)
Would it be best to FL size all of them one time to bring everything back to square one or can I just keep neck sizing? Since they head space on the rim I'm not sure if anything nasty happens to this type of case as apposed to rimless cases.
Keep in mind these are only bolt action shooting cases they will never be swapped out for use in my lever actions ( they have their own batches of brass)
Thanks

 

[Rick]

I mostly only neck size my competition bottle neck brass, I only F/L size again if it seems any of the brass seems to be getting a little snug when chambering. If/when that happens I F/L the entire lot. It could depend on the chamber in your rifle and how much room the brass has to grow. You might also want to check brass length to be sure they haven't stretched.

 

[JWFilips]

Yes brass length will be checked once I decide on a sizing procedure. I do know in all that brass there were a few that started to tighten up my bolt lift ....so you may have answered my question already

 

[Kevin Stenberg]

Rick even if the cases had stretched. Wouldn't it be OK to keep neck sizing. Because the cases are continually being shot in the same chamber and will not stretch any more than the chamber will allow. And if or when they do lengthen and cause problems then FLS.

 

[Rick]

Possibly Kevin but the way my mind works keeping an eye on brass length is always a good idea. Should it become too long for the chamber it can crimp the case mouth into the bullet and raise pressure. Only takes a minute with calipers for a little piece of mind.

 

[fiver]

most rifles I have checked can go quite a way past the 'book' maximum case length.

you do have the possibility of them getting into the ball seat area and you need to check for that, especially after full length sizing, but in reality most rifles would be hard pressed to make brass grow that much before the cases give up the ghost.
a quick squaring up of the case mouths, or just cutting them to the same length again isn't a bad thing.
just be aware that when you re-fireform them after sizing they will shrink in length as the cases swell out to fit the chamber again..

 

[Ian]

At the most, bump the shoulder back just a thousandth or so. No need to go more than that, ever, unless you're loading generic ammo to minimum specs to feed a bunch of different rifles.

 

[Rick]

Ian is correct and I should have mentioned that. When I do F/L size I smoke the cases and adjust the die to just touch on the shoulder, doesn't take much. The are also tools available if you wish that attach to the calipers and measure case length from the case head to the datum line, they are caliber/cartridge specific.

 

[popper]

My 30/30 brass goes in a lever gun so I FL size anyway, use a case gauge to check OAL & shoulder. Don't anneal very often. Thin neck will usually crack before it's trash. Mouth will get a little ragged after several shots so may need a slight cleanup. Around here 30/30 range brass is easy to find so I don't worry much about case life. Yes bolt accuracy may be a good reason to treat brass differently but this is a Marlin @ ~40yds, offhand sitting fired from the tube mag. Not bad for a full power (leverE) load under a RD cast.

 

[JWFilips]

We you say "just touch on the shoulder" are you refering to the center point of the shoulder , the juction of the shoulder and the neck, or the junction of the shoulder and body? I guess this isn't clear to me

 

[Ian]

The whole sloped part.

 

[JWFilips]

Got It Thanks!

 

[KHornet]

Jim, at the vols you are shooting them, I don't see
much of a problem as long as they are chambering
easily. Would trim however and press on.

Paul

 

[Intheshop]

Are these cast or JB's? .... if the former,what level loads?

On bolt guns,I want a .001 or 2 clearance on case..... cause being mostly a CB "jammer",I want to feel a little resistance on loaded rounds. Don't need to add to that with tight cases."My" way.... which is rather Fred Flintstone is,on bolt's to have maybe one in 10 "bullet sticks" on cycling ammo( bullet hangs up on extraction of loaded round).

To me this represents real world data better than trying to measure OAL to the umpteenth degree..... which is fine and gets done but,dosen't take into account the firearm's dynamic conditon( hot chambers,rough trips up through the mag,carbon buildup in chamber,yada).Most folks avoid this like the plague,haha choosing to back off the land's .010" .

Good luck with your cases.

 

[JWFilips]

I only shoot Cast bullets ( no need for jacketed) and usually at light to moderate loads ; 30-30 's in my rifle never exceed 1600 fps and are mostly about 1200 fps

 

[M3845708Bama]

Ian is correct and I should have mentioned that. When I do F/L size I smoke the cases and adjust the die to just touch on the shoulder, doesn't take much. The are also tools available if you wish that attach to the calipers and measure case length from the case head to the datum line, they are caliber/cartridge specific.

The RCBS Precision Mic is really good for checking brass stretch. I also use it to set sizing die so I don’t overwork the brass. I also reset two 6x45 to have matching case lengths on a pair of savages for interchangeability. I only neck size and brass really lasts because it is not overworked.

 

[Eutectic]

most rifles I have checked can go quite a way past the 'book' maximum case length.

Lamar is correct here...... Many chambers allow over max length and actually (usually) shoot better without trimming.

Reloading is a precision endeavor done right. Part of that precision is knowing the chamber. Not only appearance here; but actual measurement with a pound cast or chamber cast. I find the pound cast best....... The chamber of the gun you work with will tell you its maximum cartridge case overall length...... not your book.

Pete

 

[RBHarter]

Some ,a couple of Savages come to mind , will take an OAL that makes it hard to keep a bullet in the case .

I have a couple of 45Colts that will take 1.305 ........long ways from 1.285 as a max .

 

[Intheshop]

I use small hole gages to check chamber neck dimensions. These are usually sold in sets of 4.... check ebay.

Happened to be checking the new ADL this a.m.( factory chamber)..... I take the appropriate sized gage,wrap a little electric tape around the,arse end of handle.Then slide it up into an old aluminum arrow.This allows you to reach up into neck area,real easy.

Looking for a nice snug fit on the handle arrow fit because,it is now the part you turn but also,it's a way to really fine touch the sliding fit that small hole gages can get the most from.Just posting as a head up.These gages have so many uses on a handloading bench.

BTW,neck is a cpl "tenths" below print spec of .253"

PS,this neck measure has relevance on your bullet sizing diameter. I usually compare the above measure... loaded neck dimension.... then what the case comes out,fired.

 

[Intheshop]

That's a 40 y.o. 2018 arrow,haha.