Long Range Rifle Brass Prep

[RMH]

I have recently started loading for my 6.5 CM long range rifle. To start me off I bought 200 pieces of Lapua SRP brass. I am getting to the end of the first loading and would like to get opinions on prep.

Please explain what and why you do what you do. I don't want to do anything that will damage or degrade the accuracy of my brass.

My goal is 1000 yd paper punching and banging steel at monthly club match.

Thank you in advance.

Edit: To clarify, My brass is now once fired

 

[Nature Boy]

I would take your new brass and run them through your sizer to get the neck tension uniformed. I would also chamfer and deburr the mouths, also for uniformity.

That’s it.

 

[AJC1]

Round one use a good expander mandrel to ensure good round necks and back off factory tension. Load and shoot.

 

[koni]

1st Firing:

1. Full length size (just so I know everything is the same and my process doesn't change)
2. Expander Mandrel to set my neck tension i have mandrills .002 and .003 under sized but mostly stuck to the .002 (I use 21st century http://www.xxicsi.com/caliber-specific-expander-mandrels.html )
3. Clean to get any left over lube off the cases.
4. load

2nd and all other

all the steps above with a little different order

1. Decap and clean
2. Anneal
3. Size (Full length and use expander mandrill)
4. Clean
5. Trim to length
6. Chamfer and Deburr

 

[RMH]

I would take your new brass and run them through your sizer to get the neck tension uniformed. I would also chamfer and deburr the mouths, also for uniformity.

That’s it.

That is pretty much what I did for my first firing. I also used an expanding mandrel .

I meant to say that that my brass is now once fired. I will edit my OP.

 

[RMH]

1. Decap and clean
2. Anneal
3. Size (Full length and use expander mandrill)
4. Clean
5. Trim to length
6. Chamfer and Deburr

1. Clean. How do you clean your brass? wet? dry?

2. Anneal. How often? Every firing? Every other firing?

3. Size. Why do you full length size instead of neck size?

 

[RMH]

Round one use a good expander mandrel to ensure good round necks and back off factory tension. Load and shoot.

I am sold on using an expanding mandrel. I could feel the difference in the seating pressure. Other than using premium brass, I think that has made the largest difference in my Std Dev.

After working up a load, I shot 30 rounds across my chronograph with a Std Dev of 6.82.

 

[bluejay75]

I am sold on using an expanding mandrel. I could feel the difference in the seating pressure. Other than using premium brass, I think that has made the largest difference in my Std Dev.

After working up a load, I shot 30 rounds across my chronograph with a Std Dev of 6.82.

Suggest an expanding mandrel die set up for 308 and 6.5 Creedmoor with links please. Been interested but didn’t know which one.

 

[The Glockodile]

Suggest an expanding mandrel die set up for 308 and 6.5 Creedmoor with links please. Been interested but didn’t know which one.

Can't post links from work, not from sites of "ill repute."

Look up the stainless steel sizing and carbide turning mandrels from Sinclair / Brownells.

They also sell dies to go with them.

 

[bluejay75]

What is a good target under bullet diameter .306 for 308 and .261 for .264?

 

[AJC1]

What is a good target under bullet diameter .306 for 308 and .261 for .264?

With jacketed around. 002. Some like less most dont want any more.

 

[.38 Special]

After fireforming 100 pieces...

Wipe with steel wool - I don't need match cases shiny. They just need to be clean so they don't scratch dies.

Decap with a universal decapper - I don't yet want to do any sizing

Trim to length - they need to be perfect, for obvious reasons

Chamfer outside and inside - to minimize bullet damage during seating and improve entry into dies

Inside neck turn - the most effective way to ensure consistent wall thickness and bullet concentricity

Deburr flash holes - arguably unnecessary, especially on drilled rather than punched cases

Uniform primer pockets - probably unnecessary, but only needs to be done once, even if just for peace of mind

Check neck concentricity - runout greater than .005 or so now indicates a problem with your tooling or your chamber

Weigh cases - how many do you need for sighters and the match? For benchrest I kept the best 15 out of the original 100

Neck size with bushing die - I always used Sinclair or Wilson dies on an arbor press, but I understand that many/most "accuracy" competitors are using standard 7/8x14 presses these days.

That's the bulk of it. Assuming the cases will only be used in one bolt action rifle, reloading consists of wiping with steel wool, checking for the "dreaded donut" (which really should not occur if you are neck sizing without a shoulder bump) de- and re-capping, neck sizing, charging, and seating.

 

[RMH]

Suggest an expanding mandrel die set up for 308 and 6.5 Creedmoor with links please. Been interested but didn’t know which one.

LE Wilson / Sinclair ones are sold by Brownells
Here is the Brownell's link.

The one that I am using is the 21st Century version and the Tin coated mandrels. It looks like 21st Century is not taking orders right now because they shut down for a weeks vacation for the whole shop and due to heavy backlog.

Here is the 21st Century Shooting link.

 

[koni]

1. Clean. How do you clean your brass? wet? dry?

I wet tumble with a F.A.R.T. Does it need to be that clean? No. Sometimes if I’m lazy I’ll toss them in corn cob for the night and be done.

2. Anneal. How often? Every firing? Every other firing?

I anneal after every firing. Does it need to be done? Idk…I figure I spent good money on the brass and I want to keep it good for as many firings as I can. I also worked it into my routine. I haven’t found anything significant that tells me that not annealing after every firing is better.

3. Size. Why do you full length size instead of neck size?

oh boy that’s a question that has been argued for a long time. This is the way I learned, all my dies are full length dies, So that’s the way I do it. I also don’t think I’m an expert so, for me to say witch way is better is beyond my scope of knowledge.

 

[koni]

Oops I put some of my reply in the quote…

 

[AJC1]

If you are turning necks and using mandrels get a forester full length sizing die with the neck ground to give you the neck tension you want and be done. No reason to spend piles on bushings and mandrels.

 

[RMH]

Oops I put some of my reply in the quote…

No worries. Thanks for your reply. I am trying to gather as much information as I can.

 

[irishlad]

If you are turning necks and using mandrels get a forester full length sizing die with the neck ground to give you the neck tension you want and be done. No reason to spend piles on bushings and mandrels.

That's what I did for my 6.5 CM and 308.

 

[Blue68f100]

If your going to anneal, do it every time, keeping things consistent. If you don't you will have increasing neck tension.

Full length size or have a custom die made like suggested.

 

[Walkalong]

Decap and tumble.
Anneal.
Size with a honed out FL sizer, or a bushing style FL sizer, don't size down necks too much at one time, your concentricity gauge will tell you if you are.
Uniform primer pockets, chamfer, deburr, don't over do it.
Tumble.
Expand with a quality expander, I have Sinclair and 21st Century nitride expanders and they work great. I have a PMA, Sinclair and 21st Century expander die bodies. Size the necks so the expander does a little bit of work on all cases. Better brass makes this easier, turning to make necks uniform makes it even easier, but isn't absolutely needed for your application.

O yea, use the best bullets, and a true match grade barrel, with a good to great action. Nice triggers are good too.

 

[RMH]

Decap and tumble

How do you tumble? Wet w/pins? Dry?

Anneal

How often do you anneal? Every firing? every other firing?

Size with a honed out FL sizer, or a bushing style FL sizer, don't size down necks too much at one time, your concentricity gauge will tell you if you are.

Why FL size and not just Neck size only? A concentricity gauge and a primer pocket uniformer are two thing I have not bought yet

 

[AJC1]

How do you tumble? Wet w/pins? Dry?



How often do you anneal? Every firing? every other firing?



Why FL size and not just Neck size only? A concentricity gauge and a primer pocket uniformer are two thing I have not bought yet

Anneal every time to keep consistency

Full length size every time for the same reason. Do and do over again

 

[RMH]

Expand with a quality expander, I have Sinclair and 21st Century nitride expanders

I have the 21st century expander. I was wondering if the mandrels are interchangeable with the Sinclair?

 

[AJC1]

I have the 21st century expander. I was wondering if the mandrels are interchangeable with the Sinclair?

Try it. You ar now part of the solution

 

[Walkalong]

I have the 21st century expander. I was wondering if the mandrels are interchangeable with the Sinclair?

They are.