AJC1
Member
I'm fighting with some Hornaday 223 cases....
Range brass!!!
- Thread starter AJC1
- Start date
thump_rrr
Member
I've become too spoiled at my range.
If it's not Lake City I'm not picking it up.
I'm fortunate enough that US Border Patrol and ICE both shoot at our range.
They don't even bother picking up their brass.
I size and trim on the Hornady LnL AP Progressive with a Dillon RT-1200 trimmer.
If it doesn't pass the case gauge out it goes.
Soonerpesek
Member Shnember
Sounds like they are too far pushed back to begin with…
Obviously not knowing where or what they were ejected from is the gloriousness of range p/u stuff….
Obviously not knowing where or what they were ejected from is the gloriousness of range p/u stuff….
OP
OP
AJC1
Member
I size to 1.459 and they are a thou or two long... my head space Is 1.460
Soonerpesek
Member Shnember
I musta misunderstood your OP then….
OP
OP
AJC1
Member
I am selective, I use lc for bulk, Hornady I'm testing, Norma and pmc for conversion to 6x45. Nothing else.
edwardware
Member
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2010
- Messages
- 4,484
I would say that if you're measuring shoulder position. . . you should have been using an iso-headstamp, hand-sorted, bathed-in-the-tears-of-virgins, and annealed, batch of brass.
If I'm sizing random pick up brass for a gas gun, they ALL get pushed back, more than enough that I don't need to measure.
eta: once upon a time I measured case weights across pickup headstamps, and I think I found that Hornady was one of the lowest dispersion non-premium.
If I'm sizing random pick up brass for a gas gun, they ALL get pushed back, more than enough that I don't need to measure.
eta: once upon a time I measured case weights across pickup headstamps, and I think I found that Hornady was one of the lowest dispersion non-premium.
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conan32120
Member
Like thump_rrr if it ain't LC (or federal) I let it lie. There's never a shortage of .308 or .223 range brass so if they dont size away it goes.
Blue68f100
Member
I anneal all my brass before sizing. I know from experience that Mil spec brass is longer than most due to the crimp and trimming is going to be required. Annealing the brass makes it easier to size but you still need to inspect if you don't know the history of the brass.
kmw1954
Member
I once had 100 pcs of Hornady 223 brass that I was going to try and use. Started with 25. 1st reload worked very well. 2nd ok, 3rd was all over the place. After that 3rd try I threw it all away, even the stuff I never reloaded. Now if it isn't Norma or PMC I don't even bother picking it up.
Hooda Thunkit
Member
I don't spend too much time and effort on (free) 223 brass. If it ain't right it goes in the recycling bucket. Replacement brass is laying on the ground waiting for a new home.
Every time i go to the local gun club I pick up from a handful to a bucket full of brass. I'm not fighting any that is recalcitrant.
Every time i go to the local gun club I pick up from a handful to a bucket full of brass. I'm not fighting any that is recalcitrant.
OP
OP
AJC1
Member
Interesting, this is my first cycle with it so I may end up where you did. I got the competition shell holders to see if things improve....
OP
OP
AJC1
Member
I was and am seriously considering sending them to the recycling bin. A problem at the start isn't going to magically go away I think... the quality of the lot goes up as you purge problems
kmw1954
Member
The strange past in this, I have Hornady 6ARC brass that some has already been reloaded 3X and it does not show that same sign.
Used to gather a lot of 223 range brass. Learned after the first batch to sb size and trim them right off the bat. After picking up friends once fired brass from a Ar-15 shorty, found one good reason why. Also learned not all sizing dies have the same capability, and using same brand shell holder as the die may help. And if you are using a standard die setting you used on other batches, might consider changing it specifically for these cases.
I always anneal before sizing. That usually allows sufficient sizing. Anymore I seldom gather anything but commercial headstamp with no crimp. I won't be bothered with removing crimps, any nobody wants to pay enough for 223 brass to make it worth picking it up and shipping it.
OP
OP
AJC1
Member
Maybe I should check the crimp and see if it's messing up my numbers
OP
OP
AJC1
Member
I anneal, small base size with rcbs die, expand trim and polish. This small problem set may get reannealed and sized again if the crimps aren't the problem.
