split case on 243 cal.

[lonewolf5347]

I did someshooting to day funny thing happen I had one case split clean base separation 3/4" way up almost near the middle of the case,The load not hot was Noslers 95 grain BT @ IMR 4350 39.5 coal 2.750 about 30 thou of the lands.I wonder if this is from full length resizing,the brass must have about 10 reloads on it.I did also notice a few other rounds had a light shiney ring mark around the brass but did not split.

 

[NCsmitty]

You are working the brass with the FL die and perhaps setting the shoulder back. The brass then stretches to fill the chamber which thins the case and eventually separates after so many cycles.
Neck sizing dies will reduce the stretching some, if being used in the same rifle, but 10 medium power loads is not a bad run on brass actually.


NCsmitty

 

[Ol` Joe]

I`d scrap the remaining brass hat shows signs of stretching. NCsmitty has hit the nail on the head. You`ve very likely reached the life of your brass and anymore loads is risking possible damage or injury from case seperation. 10 loads is a good run IMO..

 

[Larry Burchfield]

split

All of the rounds that I have seen with splits in that area have been loaded several times. You could probably get more loadings if you are able to neck size only. The one thing that hurts the .243 is that it grows everytime you shoot it. I have to trim my cases everytime I reload them.
You can rechamber it to an Ackley improved (change the sholder angle) and be able to get more loading out of your brass.
Larry Burchfield
SEABEES/VIETNAM/67/68/69
DAV

 

[Remo-99]

the brass must have about 10 reloads on it

That brass is at the end of it's usefullness, if your looking to extend the life of brass further, as others mentioned neck sizing only for a boltgun and maybe backing off from max loadings will give brass a longer life.

 

[Steve C]

Brass work hardens and get brittle making it split. If you aneal the cases every 4 or 5 loadings you soften up the brass and can get more reloadings out of them. Worth doing on brass that's hard to come by. That which is readily available I just toss them when they start splitting on me.

 

[243winxb]

NCsmitty has it. Controlling the shoulder bump when FLRS gets better brass life. 10 loadings is good. Not sure if annealing is a good idea as most reloaders get to much heat on the brass making it to soft. Heres what the line looks like.

 

[lonewolf5347]

243winxb: that the spot were it split clean

 

[fguffey]

There is no explanation, unless we change the sequence of events, or our perception of the sequence of the events.

F. Guffey

 

[lonewolf5347]

I have to full length resize these 243 cal. cases for the reason after the case is fired the case will not rechamber in the same rifle unless full length resized.
Why I don't know any one have any idea why?
I should mention it is a single shot break open action

 

[NCsmitty]

Single shot rifles and pistols have a tendency to exacerbate the situation by allowing even more brass flow, compared to a bolt action.
It's just the nature of the beast.
As Larry Burchfield mentioned, the 243's sloped shoulder contributes to the problem a bit too.

As I mentioned before, 10 medium power loadings of 243 brass is actually pretty good.
243 brass is fairly cheap, compared to other brass, because of it's popularity.


NCsmitty

 

[243winxb]

after the case is fired the case will not rechamber in the same rifle unless full length resized.

Seen it 1 time, oval chamber.

 

[rcmodel]

+1 to 10 reloads is very good.

Annealing will do nothing at all to prevent it.

The case stretches a little at that break point every time it is fired.
Eventually it gets so thin it breaks.

Take a paper-clip and bend it so you have an L on one end and a handle on the other.
Now reach down inside some cases and feel the stretch ring!
That ring you can feel is where the stretching takes place every shot, and that ring is where it will eventually break.

BTW: It is not particularly dangerous.
By design, the remaining thicker part of the case web will continue to seal the chamber and prevent gas blow-out. Broken cases were so common years ago that solders were issued broken case extractors.

rc

 

[cougar1717]

This is something that I've been meaning to ask for a while, but never got around to it. Thanks for a definitive answer.