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Vance, if you don't mind my asking, what type of cleaning solution do you use and what's your main purpose for ultrasonic cleaning, is it for general cleaning or specifically degreasing? In your routine is cleaning and annealing done after case prep and just before loading?
Annealing is nothing to do with case life, it's to do with consistency of neck tension,one of the most important things when trying to achieve long range accuracy.Case life is determined by charge weight and head space.
Ok I anneal so can give you data on what I shoot only as every round is different, every caliber is different, every brand of brass is different and it all depends on how you load! There is no one size fits all and there is no general assumption! That said! In general I can on average extend my brass life in magnum rounds by 4 reloads if loaded normally! My non-magnum rounds by up to 6 reloads. Also annealing every other time will put too much stress on the brass as you are only annealing the neck and shoulder and not the whole case which also creates two dissimilar qualities of metal eventually. I anneal every three reloads, why! Because I have kept good logs over the past 20 years and that is what works! The primary stress or fracture points when annealing move from the shoulder and neck to the primer pocket and base, especially if it's a belted cartridge! Always is a pick to check case wall deterioration internally! I currently use an AMP annealer which I have found to be the most reliable! I have also found going through my log book that RWS seems to be on average the most durable brass, even over Lapua and ADG, remember I said most durable not most consistent!!!!
Like you, I would love to aneal but find the equipment a bit pricey. During these "trying times of Covid", I'm not shooting as often mainly due to the primer shortage. IF and when the shortages are resolved, I will probably get into it. I really think the AMP machine is the most effective but really pricey especially for multiple calibers. Way back in the dim recesses of my memory, I remember annealing my 25-06 brass, sized from LC military surplus 30-06 brass. It was the old Templaw and drill method, effective but time-consuming. When things settle down if ever, I'd think I'd try the Annealeez |system. I did see some real case life improvement on the 25-06 brass, finally retired when the necks started to split after more than a dozen load cycles.
We anneal to get more consistent neck tension. Yes, it does help with the brass life. But it's a race with the primer pockets where annealing has no effect. With most brass you will more likely start to loose primer pocket tension before you see over working of the neck shoulder area, thus whether you anneal or not, your brass has the same life span.
corsair4360: Not to change the subject but I just got an EP Integrations 2.0 annealing machine for $268 shipped. I love it and it is very easy to set up for different cases. Check them out on YouTube. I was like you (as for the high pricing) until I found this machine. I never annealed before this.
This is a longer answer than you likely wanted, sorry. As far as rifle cases I use the One Shot Cartridge Case Solution from Hornady. I only clean cases with this system for annealing. On my off cycle I use a vibration standard corn media system. The sonic seems to do a good job of getting all the exterior carbon off before applying heat to the brass. This keeps the exterior, which touches the dies, as smooth as possible. It does remove a lot from the insides and the primer pockets as well so the cases turn out in very good condition. The carbon in the necks doesn't seem to ever completely come out and I haven't really been able to notice any practical issues with the in-neck carbon, so I ignore it. Hornady has a gun part cleaner that works great on muzzle brakes and pistol parts etc. You can also clean things like jewelry for example with the right cleaning solution. My cleaner has a heat setting but I have never used it. Might be good for really greasy stuff but it will dis-color firearm brass. If you are going to use a water based cleaner I would strongly suggest using Distilled water. I keep 2-3 gallons in my reloading room, it cost like 0.60 a gallon. It usually takes almost a whole gallon for me to clean 1 batch of 50-70 cases (about what fits in the machine) because I do 2 cleaning cycles (with solution) and 1 rinse cycle (no solution). I'm lucky I have a toilet in my reloading room so I can dump the dirty solution down the toilet when switching solution. Make sure to take out the case basket before dumping solution or you'll be picking brass out of the toilet, don't ask.
See Basinmans post about the EP Integrations 2.0 annealing machine for $268 shipped, looks like a great machine at a very affordable price. I looks similar to my Annealez which I love.
I believe that you would extend the life of brass however no telling how long. I believe the true benefit of annealing is consistent neck tension. When you say you have shot those 270 round many times with no annealing and shot great still, I agree with that however if you extend that out to 700,800,900, or 1000 yards say, I believe you would be all over the board. I believe that because your es/sd numbers would be all over the place due to inconsistent neck tension. There are all kinds of vids on YouTube of guys testing different neck tension with same loads and their velocities are all over the board. Which again would not change much at 100,200 ect but when you extend that out you will see it. In my opinion, which is Worth what ya paid for it, neck tension is the MOST important variable in an accurate round. So why not do everything in your power to stay consistent.
