Trimming rifle brass question.

Just did the same thing learning on the new to me hornaday trimmer. I had 2.003 to 2.006. I'm not worried in the least. The correct answer is as long as they meet the sami minimum case length their good.

A few thousands won't make much difference. The main thing is to not be very much past max or you could have high pressure problems.

Different trimmers have their own quirks too. The collet type trimmers can vary their trim length by how tight you tighten the collet. I can maintain .001 with both my Wilson trimmer and my Giraud trimmer. I've not owned another trimmer that I could hold tolerance that tight.

You will be safe with those . Chances are you have plenty of room for growth in your chamber . I have two Remington 700s that are .041" and .045" over SAAMI Specs , I never have to trim unless I choose to uniform all my brass .

The 2.005 is a recommended trim length. The max length is 2.015. As long as you are in the 2.000 - 2.015 range you will be fine. I have my trimmer set to 2.008 and usually end up between 2.005 - 2.010. Never had an issue.

+\- .0015 ... are you trying to brag? because that’s expert level trimming.

Once again I am glad that I took up reloading prior to the existence of the internet.

Hoping to not hijack the thread, but as someone relatively new to metalica reloading, when rounding up the equipment needed the one thing that seems out of whack far more than anything else....are case trimmers. Not sure about the Lee kits, but others, such as RCBS do not include a case trimmer in their kit. Then you find it's an additional $150.....or more. And that at their normal retail. The high end case trimmers on ebay with start prices of $200 or more.

Then there are the Lee trimmers.......$10 per caliber. That is what I went with.......and had money left over for 3 pounds of powder.

Howa 9700 said:

Hoping to not hijack the thread, but as someone relatively new to metalica reloading, when rounding up the equipment needed the one thing that seems out of whack far more than anything else....are case trimmers. Not sure about the Lee kits, but others, such as RCBS do not include a case trimmer in their kit. Then you find it's an additional $150.....or more. And that at their normal retail. The high end case trimmers on ebay with start prices of $200 or more.

Then there are the Lee trimmers.......$10 per caliber. That is what I went with.......and had money left over for 3 pounds of powder.

Click to expand...

What case trimmer is right for you is highly variable. If you do all one case, a dedicated trimmer makes life a breeze. Lots of guys shoot semiautomatic pistols and one rifle. Only one case type needs trimming then something like a worlds finest trimmer is a good bet. If you shoot mag handguns in multiple calibers a rcbs or hornaday trimmer is a better choice

Don't worry about being off a little bit in size: BUT 1) When you measure your case always measure from dead center on the mouth of the case and use that as your final measurement 2) If you are trimming a lot, the brass case can heat up so put it down for a minute or two and do a different case and come back to the first one afterwards. 3) Your trimmer may be set too low; you shouldn't end up with a trim smaller than your ideal size. 4) Sort your trimmed cases according to actual length because when you get to seating bullets the shorter cases will affect your total length. 5) Shoot the cases according to size and watch for their accuracy. You may find one size that your gun really likes.

usmc0811 said:

Why's that? I've been reloading for 15 years and the internet has been a big help.

Click to expand...

Because if - among many other things - I had been taught to worry about a .001 variation in case length, I would have given up immediately.

I’ve found no matter what the trimming or measuring equipment, consistency in all steps can help minimize variations. As pointed out above, collets can be tightened more or less and lead to variations. I had an RCBS trimmer that I needed to keep track of the turns to tighten the collet or the case length would vary quite a bit. If you’re crimping you’ll want to minimize variations as much as possible, I try to stay +/- .005 as a max. Sometimes it happens. Good luck.

For people who will load and then discard their "once-fired brass", trimming is probably not a concern.

But then, how do you know that brass sold to you as "once-fired" has only been fired "once" before? There are many reloaders, like me who collect our "previously fired brass" until they have been through our hands as many as six- or even ten-times.

A brass-trimmer (and a good set of calipers - perhaps more important than the trimmer) can not only help you judge how much your brass has elongated, but also how much you need to trim back. Between the maximum and minimum trim length, you should develop a "feel" for where your brass is within the range and how much (if any) you need to trim.

Hugh