Thread: Brass life

Home sick today so decided to load a few rounds of 7mm Rem Mag. 72g Retumbo (AR2225) with 162 A-Max on top in Norma brass. Fairly bog standard load runs at just over 3K.
I tag my brass each load (rather than each firing) to make it easy to keep count.


I did the first body bump (FL size) this cycle, just because I can, and at 5 firings there was no resistance at all so I'm assuming the brass is still in spec.
Brass was about 0.010" - 0.015" over length of 2.500" which my Nosler book says is SAAMI size so it was all trimmed in the Forster.
Neck bushing die with Type S Redding die to something like 0.0025" tension.
Primer seating was still firm which I am happy with.
This load normally seats like butter but it was a touch firm with the first few rounds. I graphite dipped the proceeding cases and it was considerably better. Pretty sure I annealed this batch a few months ago.
Im thinking I should have more than a few more firings out of this brass.
How many firings do most of us get from their brass?

I anneal every time. After about 8 or 9 goes it is way too easy to seat a primer for my liking so I bin the brass then.
Of all the calibers I have run I reckon that's about the average in case life.

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What do you use to nick the case head? File?

Originally Posted by outdoorlad

What do you use to nick the case head? File?

Yes, just a triangle file from a set of needle files I have. I see some cases that look like they've been hit by an angle grinder!

I like that way of marking the case, never thought of that before. I think case life is more than just the round being fired. chamber dimensions also come into play. 303 is meant to be hard on brass. Im at 9 reloads and counting and the brass is fine.

I thought as far as 7mm REM mag goes, the brass always starts getting the case head separation line.
Not because the die is set up wrong for head space, but just because it's factory head space length is so short the first firing gives it such a big stretch. It's where it starts thinning first. Being soft Norma might help your cause. I usually see the line at about 6 firings with hornady REM mag.

What chamber dimensions should you aim for to increase life?

Neck 4 thou over is a No neck turn

Body is normally 10 thou oversize for SAAMI dimensions

Could the body be tightened up? Could there be extraction issues if so?

Only full length size 270win, 300BLK and 7mm-08 as my mates can use my ammo any time they run out on a trip. Get 7-8 reloads from the 270 and 15 so far from the 300BLK and 6-7 time out of the 7mm-08. Neck size 308win and 223 and they last 8-9 times before the primer pockets are loose.

Originally Posted by bully

I thought as far as 7mm REM mag goes, the brass always starts getting the case head separation line.
Not because the die is set up wrong for head space, but just because it's factory head space length is so short the first firing gives it such a big stretch. It's where it starts thinning first. Being soft Norma might help your cause. I usually see the line at about 6 firings with hornady REM mag.

Nah, I think thats an old wives tale. My brass has flowed enough for me to need to trim after 5 reloads and this is from a book value, not from a known datum. Even then, Ive only removed 0.010 - 0.015" or fuck all. This means my brass is probably not thinning at the web. I would bet, that most issues are due to brass being overworked and there are people who agree with me Interesting read.

Originally Posted by kiwijames

Home sick today so decided to load a few rounds of 7mm Rem Mag. 72g Retumbo (AR2225) with 162 A-Max on top in Norma brass. Fairly bog standard load runs at just over 3K.
I tag my brass each load (rather than each firing) to make it easy to keep count.


I did the first body bump (FL size) this cycle, just because I can, and at 5 firings there was no resistance at all so I'm assuming the brass is still in spec.
Brass was about 0.010" - 0.015" over length of 2.500" which my Nosler book says is SAAMI size so it was all trimmed in the Forster.
Neck bushing die with Type S Redding die to something like 0.0025" tension.
Primer seating was still firm which I am happy with.
This load normally seats like butter but it was a touch firm with the first few rounds. I graphite dipped the proceeding cases and it was considerably better. Pretty sure I annealed this batch a few months ago.
Im thinking I should have more than a few more firings out of this brass.
How many firings do most of us get from their brass?

The healing powers of Dr Reloading Bench are quite remarkable @kiwijames

Unlike pulling a sickie on a Friday which is pretty predictable


Hope your feeling better

Cheers
Pete

7grs of W296 pushing a 70gr lead gas checked projectile at 1680fps out of a 107 year old Winchester 1892 in 25-20wcf.

Cases are as rare as day old purple spotted rocking horse shit so I'm looking after them.

The first 50 cases have now survived 20 reloads with an anneal every 5 reloads, just because I can.

Cheers
Pete

Originally Posted by kiwijames

Nah, I think thats an old wives tale. My brass has flowed enough for me to need to trim after 5 reloads and this is from a book value, not from a known datum. Even then, Ive only removed 0.010 - 0.015" or fuck all. This means my brass is probably not thinning at the web. I would bet, that most issues are due to brass being overworked and there are people who agree with me Interesting read.

Whatever your doing is working.
All my rifles are full length sized. I measure head space off a fired case and basically load it with the same measurment. Less than a thou bump. (Datum on the shoulder)
I see the line at about 6 firings on REM mag. I can at least double the amount of use on other calibres. And then stop for no apparent reason, just because maybe I should.
I recently asked the same question about when is my brass buggered on another calibre as there was no apparent signs after 13 firings.
So I just figured as I use the same method for all my calibres, it's REM mag brass for you, it's the initial stretch iv heard of that ruins case life. Maybe I'm wrong but I have no other explanation when it's compared to my other calibres.
As I say, whatever your doing is working

Originally Posted by P38

7grs of W296 pushing a 70gr lead gas checked projectile at 1680fps out of a 107 year old Winchester 1892 in 25-20wcf.

Cases are as rare as day old purple spotted rocking horse shit so I'm looking after them.

The first 50 cases have now survived 20 reloads with an anneal every 5 reloads, just because I can.

Cheers
Pete

Can you neck down 32-20 as I have some?

Originally Posted by bully

Whatever your doing is working.
All my rifles are full length sized. I measure head space off a fired case and basically load it with the same measurment. Less than a thou bump. (Datum on the shoulder)
I see the line at about 6 firings on REM mag. I can at least double the amount of use on other calibres. And then stop for no apparent reason, just because maybe I should.
I recently asked the same question about when is my brass buggered on another calibre as there was no apparent signs after 13 firings.
So I just figured as I use the same method for all my calibres, it's REM mag brass for you, it's the initial stretch iv heard of that ruins case life. Maybe I'm wrong but I have no other explanation when it's compared to my other calibres.
As I say, whatever your doing is working

My rifle may have a close spec chamber so the initial firing has minimal stretch? Ive only just FL sized this brass today and only because I could, no because I needed to. Would have been good to check with comparator before I bumped it to see. I will have original dimension in my reloading book I guess. Ive never had may troubles with the Blasers as far as fiddling with dies etc to get things to work.

Originally Posted by bully

Whatever your doing is working.
All my rifles are full length sized. I measure head space off a fired case and basically load it with the same measurment. Less than a thou bump. (Datum on the shoulder)
I see the line at about 6 firings on REM mag. I can at least double the amount of use on other calibres. And then stop for no apparent reason, just because maybe I should.
I recently asked the same question about when is my brass buggered on another calibre as there was no apparent signs after 13 firings.
So I just figured as I use the same method for all my calibres, it's REM mag brass for you, it's the initial stretch iv heard of that ruins case life. Maybe I'm wrong but I have no other explanation when it's compared to my other calibres.
As I say, whatever your doing is working

Have you checked it is the start of separation? Maybe just a bit of a polished spot?