[Partyguy816]

I have purchased the RCBS Rockchucker kit a while back and now I'm finally starting to get everything else that I need. I have a couple of questions that maybe someone here could help me out with.

What is neck turning, and will I need to do it?

Should I buy regular RCBS full length dies or should I get the X dies? Right now I don't have a trimmer, but I plan on getting one pretty soon.

What brass seems to be better?

How many reloads can I get out of a piece of brass that is loaded on the warm side? I know about starting mid level and working up. It just seems that most loads are more accurate loaded higher.

Once you pull a bullet, can it be reused easily since there may be pull marks?

I have 3 different reloading manuals, but I'm not at home right now to see if this stuff is in there.

Thanks

[JR719]

I am not familiar with your loader but some of the other questions, here you go.

I have been told (true or not who knows) neck turning is trimming a case. If I'm wrong someone please correct me.

I like full length dies.

I have had great use with Winchester brass for my pistol loading. I have some with 10+ reloads. I have reloaded Speer with not so great luck. Around 2 to 3 loads. The Speer is nice and shiny chrome looking stuff. Tends to stress fracture after a few loadings.

I use a variety of different loads until I find one that is accurate. Be sure to keep track of your different loads. That way you'll know what works best.

If you do pull a bullet, I would suggest tossing it. I've been told it can be reused, but for peace of mind, I toss it.

[SASS#23149]

Our answers will vary depending on what you are loading.Neck turiing,trimming, and x dies lead me to believe you're laoding for rifles.?

[Partyguy816]

Right now .22-250, .243, 30-06, .300wm, and thinking about doing the 45-70 also.

I'm not really into reloading any of my pistols yet.

[Ol` Joe]

Neck turning is reducing the thickness of the case neck. Unless you are shooting a custom tight necked chambered rifle it isn`t needed and likely will cause problems with bullet tension, and case life.

The X dies are said to reduce the need for trimming. I can`t say if they work or not as I haven`t tried them but the reports are good. You should trim the cases on the first loading to even them up in any event, and get them all square and to one lenght. I don`t touch them normally after that until one of the cases measure at or over max SAAMI lenght then all the cases in that lot get trimmed once more.

Laupa is likely the best brass you will find but Winchester or Remington works just fine in most cases and is 1/4 the price.

How many loads you will get from a case depends on the chamber / die relationship. The more you work the brass the shorter the life will be.

Pulled bullets can be reused. They may not give best accuracy, but then again one never knows until he tries. I save them for foulers when I get some or plinking rounds.

[redneck2]

Brass cases are formed by a punch stretching a sheet of metal. The stretched metal may be slightly thicker on one side. The idea behind neck turning it so reduce the high spots and center the bullet in relation to the bore. Problem is, unless you have tight custom chambers, there's typically more variation in the chamber than the brass, so it's pretty much time wasted. I've got a neck turning tool but don't use it.

For rifles, I use WW cases as they are priced right, easy to get and give good life. Life is greatly affected by how hot you load. I've figured out that you can only kill paper and cans about so dead, and an extra 100 fps just makes things harder on me and my equipment without accomplishing anything. Even if you hunt a typical round blows right thru. How fast it exits means nothing.

I'd advise against nickled brass. See Varmint Al's site for an explaination. HTH

[Partyguy816]

Do I need to keep track of how many times I reload a case, or just keep inspecting them before reloading them again? I have some brass that was given to me by a friend that has little spots of green stuff on it. Some of it looks like minor spots of rust, but over all the cases look good inside and most of the outside. Should I just throw this brass away to be safe?

[JoeHatley]

Here is some info on neck turning from Real Guns.

www.realguns.com/Commentary/comar88.htm

Joe

[WayneConrad]

For target practice and plinking, a few marks on the bullet won't hurt anything.

For lead bullets, I've only been able to reuse ones made with the hardest alloy and with very careful use of my collet puller. They're just too easy to mangle. With jacketed or thickly plated bullets, it's pretty easy to leave the bullet with only tiny marks from the collet.

If there's any question about a pulled bullet being suitable, a quick check with the calipers makes sure that it's still round and of the proper diameter.

An inertial (hammer style) puller, although far slower and less convenient than a collet puller, will usually leave even lead bullets in good shape for reuse.

[Partyguy816]

What brand is recommended for a trimmer? Right now I have the RCBS loader and I have all the shell holders that I need right now. If I choose the RCBS trimmer, do I get just the trimmer or the kit?

[WayneConrad]

For the money it's hard to beat the Lee trimmer stuff. Be sure to get the ball-handled trimmer. Then you chuck the shell holder into a drill, spin the sucker, press the trimmer into the case, and watch brass fly. A quick touch with the deburr/champfer tool and a press with steel wool and the case mouth will be just perfect.

The only drawback: You don't get to pick the length. You trim to what the trimmer wants you to trim to, and that's that. But it sure is fast and easy.

[Steve in PA]

I use the RCBS X-Die (.223 and .30/06) and they work great. I highly recommend them.

However, when you read the instructions they say the brass should be resized in a full length die first, then trimmed to the recommended length. After this, you will then use the X-Die for every resize.

[temmi]

Hi,
Neck Turning is “shaving” the neck of a case to a uniform thickness. With some Custom cartridges which are formed from a standard Case this is required, if you are handloading ammunition for a standard round with a good grade hunting rifle you will see only a very small improvement for the work… that said I do it.

You each time you resize a case will need to measure it and if it exceeds the Max length, you will need to trim those cases. I understand with the X-Dies you do not have the need to trim after a certain length, but I have never used them. I would still measure after every time I resize… it is a safty issue

As far as brass I have use Rem. & Win. And do not have a real preference. If you do the prep work they are as good as any. The mainthing to remember is not to mix types of brass. If you work up a load wit Rem brass… and switch to Win you should rework the load. Mixing types of brass will affect the load.

I have never reused a pulled bullet.

Enjoy the hobby