How to handle new brass?

[SWThomas]

I've been reloading lately with fire-formed Black Hills and Nosler 308WIN brass. I recently ordered some Lapua 308 brass and would like to know how to handle it when I get it. Should I just load it up with some bullets without resizing it and shoot them to fire-form them? Or should I measure a fire-formed case and duplicate its measurements on the Lapua brass during sizing? I just want to make sure I don't shorten the life of this expensive brass by accident.

Thanks!

 

[MtnCreek]

At a minimum, neck size before loading. It's been very common for me to get out of round necks on new brass. Also back your charge off a couple of grain from your black hills brass load.

 

[USSR]

...should I measure a fire-formed case and duplicate its measurements on the Lapua brass during sizing?

How are you possibly going to make brass that is smaller in dimensions larger with your sizing die? The only thing I have found with new Lapua brass is the necks are tight which gives excessive neck tension. Assuming you have normal sizing dies with an expander ball, just run the expander ball thru the necks to open them up a bit and then load them. The only way you will shorten the life of the brass is if you bump the shoulder back too far and create an excessive headspace condition. Simply no need to resize new brass. If the case mouths are "dinged", just open them up with the expander ball.

Don

 

[Walkalong]

I recently did some new .308 Lapua brass. Since I did not have a .30 cal expander (Such as Sinclair sells) the size I wanted, I just loaded it as is, and Don is right, the neck tension was way to heavy, so I just used the first firing to get an idea of what powder charge to use, and after that I used the FL bushing style die to size with light neck tension while barely bumping the shoulders and tweaked my load then. Next time I'll have the correct mandrel for my Sinclair die body.

http://www.sinclairintl.com/reloadi...air-expander-mandrel-oversized-prod33134.aspx

 

[243winxb]

New 243 Win brass

Win. or Rem. Brand- Before loading the brass, as it came from the factory, a few things have to be checked. 1. Out of a bag of 100, 10 must chamber in the rifle with no problems. 2. The trim length must be at or under maximum. 3. The bullet should not fall into the case. I measure the neck diameter before and after seating a bullet. This tells me what i need to know about neck tension. 4. Bump the case mouth with an expander to make it round if needed. At this time you can also check cartridge head clearance, head to datum. 5. Use a boatail bullet to expand the neck on seating. If you did run the new brass into my FL die, the shoulder may not move forward at all. Only firing will do this. Factory new brass is undersize for the most part. Now the flash hole gets uniformed. If trim length is all the same or close, i sort by 1/10 th gr. Hoping to get 50 brass that are within 3/10 gr. After firing the first time, brass is neck turned for the Rem 40X, not for the Rem. 600. In the 40X, groups on the first firing will average right around 3/4" @ 100 yds. About the 3 loading,using a FL bushing die, the unsided part of the neck will have expanded to the chamber ( sizing about 1/2 of the neck) Groups will be smaller now, some under 1" @ 300 yds if i do my part & read the wind correctly. Just how i do it. Your result may be different. Berger Bullets @ 300Yds. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=736941

 

[243winxb]

This will be fired in an AR-10. Just FYI...

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=537844 After finding this out, i am thinking, run thru FL die. Reloading for Semi-Autos and Service Rifles http://www.exteriorballistics.com/re...sgunreload.cfm

 

[James2]

I would try it in the rifle and see if it chambers Ok. If so I would neck size it and inside neck expand just to make sure the bullet tension will be constant then load it.

 

[scottishkat]

I full length resize all new brass just to get them all started the same. The Lapua brass has really good quality and should out last all others. The necks are thick and you will find case capacity probably lower than the others you've tried. That's probably why it lasts through 12 eloadings in my 260's.

 

[SWThomas]

Thanks for the advice!

 

[lightman]

I usually resize any new brass that I buy. The die probably never does anything to the shoulder or body of the case, but it does uniform the necks and straightens out any dings or bent case mouths. I also debur the flash hole and uniform the primer pocket. And yeah, I even do this to Lapus and Norma brass! I usually don't trim until they are fired the first time.

Everyone has their methods. It depends on what you want and what makes you feel good about your ammo. Some of these steps may not show any improvement on target, but I still do them.

 

[45lcshooter]

Any brass i get (new or range) gets FL sized, because that will knock out all the dents of the case. Then fire-formed to the chamber, for my higher caliber rifles. They will get 2 or 3 neck sizing before they FL sized again. But anything comes in contact with concrete floor gets FL sized.

 

[hentown]

Brass coming in contact with a concrete floor, in my humble opinion, doesn't require f.l. sizing, just because it came in contact with a concrete floor.

Minor dings in brass are inconsequential. I do recommend neck-sizing new brass for the reasons previously mentioned.