new rifle brass

[thomis]

I've managed to shoot all my handloads and I decided to start from scratch. The brass I've been using is a mix of military brass I inherited from my Grandfather and factory ammo brass. Its been loaded so many times over the years that I've trimmed it and resized it to death, literally. So I'm starting from scratch and I've never bought new rifle brass. Until now. I got some nice Nosler brass and some Hornady match brass. Its what was available locally.
I've always full length sized the brass when reloading. I see a lot of comments regarding just neck sizing.
I intend to inspect all the brass and measure the lengths. But do I need to run them through the FL die first? Supposedly, they are "unprimed and ready to load".
As far as just neck sizing, this idea is new to me. After the first time I fire my handloads in my rifle, is this where I begin neck sizing only?
And the purpose of this is what?
And can I assume neck sizing is just what it says, inserting the brass just as far as the neck enters the FL sizing die?
Thanks for any clarification!

Thomis

 

[FROGO207]

They may be "ready to load" but I always do the same thing I do to once fired range brass. For rifle brass full length size, check and trim if necessary, and then deburr and chamfer the mouths. At that point I know it will be ready to reload for whatever I want the same as all my other brass is/was. I feel the initial case prep is worth it so that all the brass starts out equal. For pistol/revolver brass I do not bother size it these days as they are all the same length---within reason that is. If autoloading pistol brass has fired it should be within specs when resized IMHO. Others will inform you differently I will wager but the "new " stuff has had rough mouths and been too long regarding what I have purchased in the past. YMMV

 

[Rollis R. Karvellis]

+1 to Frogo, I, to like running my new brass through the entire proccess just to be sure it is as good as it can be.

 

[Reloadron]

I would be in that same boat. The initial prep ensures I get uniformity.

Ron

 

[45lcshooter]

Same here. Even though its ready to go, you always want to make sure for yourself.

 

[jim243]

Resize the new brass and after firing use a collet die to neck size only. Problems come when you need to bump back the shoulder of the case to feed into your rifle. Depending on your rifle's chamber and throat you may need to full length resize every 2nd or 3rd use.

Jim

 

[horsemen61]

new brass

Prep it first.

 

[hentown]

I didn't see anything in the OP's post about what type of rifle he's shooting. Just in case it's a semi-auto, then he should f.l. size only. If it's some other action, then he should f.l. size the first batch, keep the brass segregated by rifle, and neck-size later. I like the Lee Collet Die for neck-sizing.

 

[JLDickmon]

trim, full-length size, load & fire, then neck size from then on, checking length every time they're loaded..

 

[Centurian22]

FL size new brass for consistency / safety check.

+1 to hentown. Neck sizing for non semi auto only, only after first firing, and brass MUST be kept sorted by rifle it was fired in. As to the purpose which has yet to be addressed: by sizing the neck only the rest of the case remains 'fire formed' to the chamber of the rifle. This is said to improve accuracy. In my mind I picture / explain it by figuring less energy is wasted expanding the case against the chamber therefore it's more efficient and consistent in supplying energy to pushing the bullet.

Best of luck.

 

[thomis]

I didn't see anything in the OP's post about what type of rifle he's shooting. Just in case it's a semi-auto, then he should f.l. size only. If it's some other action, then he should f.l. size the first batch, keep the brass segregated by rifle, and neck-size later. I like the Lee Collet Die for neck-sizing.

that helps a lot... I'll be shooting a Win Mod 70 Featherweight BTW

 

[howlnmad]

I don't know about the Hornady brass but you payed the extra money on the Nosler because they did all the prep work for you. These cases have all been FL sized, trimmed' reamed and de-burred. They are ready to go and done within specs.

 

[HOWARD J]

I drop new brass into a case gage---if it fits properly I check the neck & if the neck is tight on the bullet I camfer the neck & load them up.

If I run into a number of cases that don't fit the gage I resize the whole batch

 

[FROGO207]

I do not have case gauges for a lot of my brass so it is easier to just size them for the first firing. I don't want to pay for a case gauge for a 25-20 single shot for example, the dies were enough of an expense.

 

[BigG]

Check the length of new factory (name brand) brass and trim if necessary. Chamfer the mouth inside and out, also.

 

[gamestalker]

With bottle neck brass I like to neck them all, trim them to all the same lengths, ream and chamfer and then pre chamber them to make sure they will fit, and then adjust shoulders if necessary in the FL die. But so far as running all of them through the FL die, I find that to be unnessary as most new brass is usually made to a one size fits all specification.
GS

 

[MachIVshooter]

I prime & load with boat tail bullets, put a light chamfer on if using flat base bullets. If any necks are misshapen, those ones go through the sizing die. Been loading 14 years this way, many thousands of rounds, never had a problem.

 

[GLOOB]

I drop new brass into a case gage---if it fits properly I check the neck & if the neck is tight on the bullet I camfer the neck & load them up.

If I run into a number of cases that don't fit the gage I resize the whole batch

This sums it up nicely.

I feel the initial case prep is worth it so that all the brass starts out equal.

I want all my brass to start out equal, too. This is why I'd wait until after the first firing to size/trim them all. When you run the new brass through your sizer, it can't unsize the ones that are too small. If they are within spec, I'd just shoot them first, then properly sort them out after. But I full length size, only.(My sole bolt action centerfire has a really tight headspace that makes neck sizing good for only one reload, or so). If I neck sized, I'd FLR them all to start. Still, I wouldn't bother trimming any that are within spec until after the first firing.

FWIW, when you FLR brass that's already prepped and ready to load, you're redundantly working the case necks, unless you have a body die.

 

[howlnmad]

Read here http://www.nosler.com/Brass/Custom-Brass.aspx

 

[sage5907]

thomis, a good investment for you would be a RCBS case micrometer. They sell for about $58 on eBay. To size brass either new or used I set the sizer die to push the case shoulder back to the SAAMI "0" mark on the micrometer. This lets you fire the round in any rifle chambered for your cartridge and gives a chamber case length about .003 longer than a new case. With this method you're only setting the case shoulder back about .002 on a fired case. Once I size the cases I run them all through a case trimmer to make sure they are the right length and then camfer the necks so they look smooth and new. You can't go wrong. Shooter