Keeping it simple with reloading

[Jud96]

I currently do not anneal because I personally haven't seen any true negatives to not annealing. I have seriously considered getting into annealing, but your results along with Glenn's kind of makes me think more on it. Do you think not annealing is generally better than annealing all the time? Or does it solely depend on the rifle and load combination?

 

[Huntsman66]

Thanks for all the great information, maybe I should fill in some of those Rabbit Holes now…

 

[Alex Wheeler]

How far from the lands and what bullet in the 300 prc? Curious because I've found longer jumps like more neck tension but it's a small sample compared to your experience and maybe it had something more to do with my tuning

My PRC is jumping .060. I normally am closer to the lands or in the lands. I have not seen correlation of nt to jump distance.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I currently do not anneal because I personally haven't seen any true negatives to not annealing. I have seriously considered getting into annealing, but your results along with Glenn's kind of makes me think more on it. Do you think not annealing is generally better than annealing all the time? Or does it solely depend on the rifle and load combination?

If I had to pick between annealing every time or never, Id pick never without a doubt. Now, some combos will respond well to annealing. But I have not seen where you could not achieve an equal level of accuracy without it. I was an anneal every time guy at one time as well. But if you test this stuff a lot on paper targets at long enough distance to see stuff you will see what matters, and it does not always match up with theories or what seems better at the loading bench.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Thanks for the info.

1. What are things a person can try to tune out vertical? You mention neck tension.

2. Horizontal?

1. Almost everything about the load will have an effect on vertical.
2. Horizontal can be seating depth or powder. If a powder wants to shoot wide, I will try a different powder.

 

[Hoppsing55]

In theory your correct. In practice I know this brass will continue to shoot well with the same neck bushing for the life of the brass. The life of the brass is actually longer than I typically keep it. I usually make up 100 cases for each new barrel and just retire them once the barrel is shot out, but theres nothing wrong with them. If I was to anneal this brass it would not shoot as well. I dont anneal it because I have tested it enough times to know that. If you find a combo that likes light neck tension, that will be a combo that will respond better to annealing. While annealing does keep the cases consistent it also softens the necks, in many cases that hurts accuracy far worse than a little inconsistency in the neck tension.

Understood. So, for this exercise, the same brass has the same number of firing's and the same number of resizining's. Hardness of the brass "group" is linear and "should" be closely aligned throughout it's life cycle. Sounds like a good system that works well for you!

1) Do you see a large or noticeable POI change as the brass ages?
2) Does accuracy decline as the brass ages? (I am guessing not, or you would not be using this approach.)

 

[Alex Wheeler]

1. Not that I have noticed
2. If anything it gets better

 

[bigngreen]

Alex, where would you put your money for the most accuracy for the dollar in the loading process?

 

[MLN1963]

I wonder if Alex keeps the same neck tension throughout the life of the brass. I know many people, prior to annealing, used to go to smaller bushings as the brass got more firings on it due to spring back. Is the .005" neck tension due to the brass getting work hardened and springing back more?

 

[Earnhardt]

No gratuitous butt kissin' here…

This is one of the best threads I've ever read!
Thank you!

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Alex, where would you put your money for the most accuracy for the dollar in the loading process?

The one place you cant get around spending good money is your scale. You have got to have a really good scale, something like the A&D fx120i. Its popular enough that they make a nice auto trickler for it too.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I wonder if Alex keeps the same neck tension throughout the life of the brass. I know many people, prior to annealing, used to go to smaller bushings as the brass got more firings on it due to spring back. Is the .005" neck tension due to the brass getting work hardened and springing back more?

Yes, I keep the same bushing in the die. I know what your saying, but I have not had that problem.

 

[dogz]

Alex, where would you put your money for the most accuracy for the dollar in the loading process?

The man/woman behind the trigger..........

 

[LM056]

Alex, thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience with this forum, it is helpful and much appreciated. Your and others' willingness to share testing results and long-term, experience-based observations has made LRH one of the most outstanding and valuable forums available. Thanks to you and to the others who continue to raise the bar of our sport and contribute to this forum.