How Many Loads You Get Out of Your Brass?

[Rosebud]

There is a laundry list of reasons. One that comes to mind is he direct buried 150ft of extension cord "3x 50ft cords" to get power to a greenhouse. Drives a Tesla with a "ridin' with Biden" bumper sticker but refuses hook up the Tesla charging station in his garage because he doesn't want "them" to know how much he charges the car. Bought a sig cross in 277furry. Put asphalt shingles on a storage building upside down because he liked the color of the underside better. Installed and a water heater in his barn "so that his water troughs wouldn't freeze anymore"....pipes run through the rafters and are un insulated! He learned enough reloading from his father to be dangerous. His father who was a brilliant guy was my middle school wood shop teacher. Oh i almost forgot the most recent escapade. He glued his hands together when a bottle of super glue busted and he "tried to save it" in a ziplok bag. This happened when i was at work and my wife had to drive him the the ER. These are a few reasons why I playfully refer to my neighbor Bobby as "my idiot neighbor".

Yeah, I'm sure most people here know someone like that. Unfortunately I'm related to one of them. My telling him not to do it is an invitation to go for it.

 

[DUCKMAN11]

Yeah, I'm sure most people here know someone like that. Unfortunately I'm related to one of them. My telling him not to do it is an invitation to go for it.

I have in-laws like that!

"Not my pasture...not my BS"

 

[Mike Matteson]

I bought loads of .243 .270win. 30-06 and .308 federal de milled unfired brass about 15 years ago, all F-C headstamps. They seem a bit "harder" than other brands. I got 6-8 reloads out of them before I started seeing signs. Like loose primer pockets and the bright ring at the case head that shows itself prior to separation. I also kept track of how much they stretched and how many times I had to trim them. Being "harder" than most I think they held up well. I don't load hot so wear and tear due to smoking hot loads was never a problem. I load just enough to get the job done. I need the terminal velocity/energy (as recommended by the bullet manufacturer) and my desired max range (usually 300-400 yards) and always load heavy for caliber bullets for that result, hone in on a node then I'm done.
In the .243 100gr to 105gr. .270win 150gr, 30-06 165-180 gr., 308 165gr

You have two different head spacing here. The one you mention are head spaced off the shoulder. The belted mag are head spaced on the belt next to the base of the case. So by FL sizing belted mag case you are going to get separation at the belt almost out the gate. Before I used a neck sizing die only and that stop the case separation. Now I would use FL sizing die and only bump the shoulder back 1 to 2 th. I stumble on to that by using neck sizing die about 24 years ago.

 

[General RE LEE]

There are several ways that a case can fail: neck split, case shoulder split, loose primer pocket, and head separation. The most fatal of these, at least to your hunting trip, is head separation. As all know who have experienced it, full head separation leaves your firearm inoperable until you can get the front of the case removed. If you are loading a high powered cartridge with the higher allowed pressures, I suggest the following safety technique:
1. Take a 16d nail to your anvil and with a hammer, flatten the pointed end until the first 3/4" is an 1/8" thick spear.
2. While beating with the hammer, bend the spear 90° so a sharp point is perpendicular to the main nail shaft.
3. Insert the bent point into the case all the way to the head.
4. With the case horizontal, slowly drag the point back and forth in the area where head separations happen.
5. Rotate the case and test in at least four locations.
6. If you feel the slighted grab or hesitation, head separation has began and the case should be discarded.

This method will detect head separation several reloads before the actual event.

I took an old spinner bait and removed the arm and created a hook with the loop that holds the swivel for the blade.

I check the inside of my cases that are forming lines above the belt. If there is a catch or indention I toss it.

 

[General RE LEE]

You have two different head spacing here. The one you mention are head spaced off the shoulder. The belted mag are head spaced on the belt next to the base of the case. So by FL sizing belted mag case you are going to get separation at the belt almost out the gate. Before I used a neck sizing die only and that stop the case separation. Now I would use FL sizing die and only bump the shoulder back 1 to 2 th. I stumble on to that by using neck sizing die about 24 years ago.

I FL size and bump it one or two thou. I've been getting 3-4 loads until the line starts to appear above the belt and inside the case there is a corresponding slight indention. In the trash it goes.

 

[Mike Matteson]

I would try neck sizing, and stopping short of sizing the full neck. That what I did a long time ago. How I came across it was I shot a 308NM chamber. To the shoulder is shorter than the 300WM case. At the time I could get a Neck sizing die for the 308NM. So I use the 300 WM neck die. That would only let neck size about half of the neck. I don't recall any problem in chambering the cases either with the 300WM neck sizing die. That ended the separation. So I would try using a neck sizing die, and don't size the entire neck. See how that works out for you. I get 3320fps with an 165gr bullet, with 75.5 grs of H4350, primes is a Fed 210. A friend of mine was getting 3400fps in 300 WM with about the same load. So I was loading hot. Primer pocket became the problem after that. Believe me I check after each firing of my cases.

 

[General RE LEE]

Thank you all. Well FL sizing every time is over working my brass so I will FL size first go and then neck size until it gets tight and then FL size and then go back to neck sizing.

 

[Mike Matteson]

Thank you all. Well FL sizing every time is over working my brass so I will FL size first go and then neck size until it gets tight and then FL size and then go back to neck sizing.

Please let me and the rest of us know how that works out for you. It may help others here.

 

[FrogFire7]

There is a laundry list of reasons. One that comes to mind is he direct buried 150ft of extension cord "3x 50ft cords" to get power to a greenhouse. Drives a Tesla with a "ridin' with Biden" bumper sticker but refuses hook up the Tesla charging station in his garage because he doesn't want "them" to know how much he charges the car. Bought a sig cross in 277furry. Put asphalt shingles on a storage building upside down because he liked the color of the underside better. Installed and a water heater in his barn "so that his water troughs wouldn't freeze anymore"....pipes run through the rafters and are un insulated! He learned enough reloading from his father to be dangerous. His father who was a brilliant guy was my middle school wood shop teacher. Oh i almost forgot the most recent escapade. He glued his hands together when a bottle of super glue busted and he "tried to save it" in a ziplok bag. This happened when i was at work and my wife had to drive him the the ER. These are a few reasons why I playfully refer to my neighbor Bobby as "my idiot neighbor".

Love how you casually threw "bought a sig cross in 277 fury" in among all the other idiocies . Made my day

 

[orkan]

I have been loading Remington brass and lately I've started to see the faint case head separation line appearing above the belt. This happens after 3-4 loads. I don't load hot loads, 75.5 grains of H1000 180 grain of Berger VLDH 2990 FPS. I anneal with AMP after every shot.

How many reloads are y'all getting with your brass?

You need this:



And this:



I average 50-60 minimum firings on my Alpha & Lapua brass. I currently have a batch of alpha with 117 firings on it, and it's still going strong.


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[orkan]

Thank you all. Well FL sizing every time is over working my brass so I will FL size first go and then neck size until it gets tight and then FL size and then go back to neck sizing.

This is not the answer.

I FL size every time.


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[Mike Matteson]

This is not the answer.

I FL size every time.


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I've been dealing with belted mag from age 14 with a 300 H & H mag. I have 264 WM, 7mm Rem Mag, 308 NM, 300 H&H mag, and 2 338 Win Mags. I stop the case separation at the belt by going to neck sizing in about 2000. Only problem after that was primer pockets do to hot, loads. I also fully size the neck. That's not the case fault either. I understand bumping the shoulder back, and haven't tried that yet in the belted mag cases.

 

[General RE LEE]

You need this:



And this:



I average 50-60 minimum firings on my Alpha & Lapua brass. I currently have a batch of alpha with 117 firings on it, and it's still going strong.


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Thank you and I watched the videos. Are you talking about 7mm STW belted magnum brass with all those reloads? I've found the 7mm STW brass is a completely different animal than my 6.5 CM brass. No comparison.

 

[orkan]

Thank you and I watched the videos. Are you talking about 7mm STW belted magnum brass with all those reloads? I've found the 7mm STW brass is a completely different animal than my 6.5 CM brass. No comparison.

I haven't played with a 7 STW but a small bit... but 300WM I have extensive experience with. The only way I was able to get 50+ firings was with Lapua cases, a Neil Jones collet die, and a tight control of secondary headspace on the shoulder.



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