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Worn out brass?
- Thread starter blues2o
- Start date
throw them all out and buy better brass.
You can use a paperclip or something similar to check the inside of the cases for case head separation signs on the other pieces but I wouldn’t bother, just chuck them.
You will need to restart load development as case capacity varies among the different manufacturers…
You can use a paperclip or something similar to check the inside of the cases for case head separation signs on the other pieces but I wouldn’t bother, just chuck them.
You will need to restart load development as case capacity varies among the different manufacturers…
I get rid of the entire batch. You can check each individual case but its difficult to make sure you did not miss any
and if one has a major failure it may ruin your day.
and if one has a major failure it may ruin your day.
One has to ask why the cases are about to fail with only 3 firings. The first thing that comes to mind is that your sizing die is set to push the shoulder back too far with respect to the rifle's chamber. A magnum rifle's chamber is often about 0.016 inches longer than new brass, so repeatedly sizing the brass back to factory specs results in early case head separation.
Setting your sizing die to push the shoulder back about 0.003 inches from the fired case head to datum length will result in longer case live.
If you do not already have a comparator and caliper to measure case head to datum length, I suggest you get them.
Might want to check your headspace.
Ideally the belt keeps the case held back against the bolt face but if your headspace is off it’s just like an non belted case blowing back instead of blowing forward as the belt is intended to achieve.
Ideally the belt keeps the case held back against the bolt face but if your headspace is off it’s just like an non belted case blowing back instead of blowing forward as the belt is intended to achieve.
It's not worth the gamble to use them. Throw them out and buy new brass. Saving a few cents isn't worth what could occur.
Stay safe!
Stay safe!
Cut one in half lengthwise with a dremel to see exactly what is going on then pitch the rest. Like others have said check with go/no-guage then check how far you are pushing those shoulders back. I shoot for .001-.002”.
I love Hornady and their products but not their brass.....
I love Hornady and their products but not their brass.....
3 firings and out?
Going to be expensive rounds.
I hope someone is right with the fix for you so when you ger new brass it will last a reasonable amount of time.
I suggest getting some first fired range brass to test with till you sort it out before you start in with new of any kind.
I will look through my trade pile to see if I have any for you.
Sometimes " those guys" show up and pop a couple hundred rounds between them and walk off, I just didn't have a need for it.
Good luck
Going to be expensive rounds.
I hope someone is right with the fix for you so when you ger new brass it will last a reasonable amount of time.
I suggest getting some first fired range brass to test with till you sort it out before you start in with new of any kind.
I will look through my trade pile to see if I have any for you.
Sometimes " those guys" show up and pop a couple hundred rounds between them and walk off, I just didn't have a need for it.
Good luck
Ya I have some clean range brass piled up in 5 gallon buckets.
On of those guys showed up next to me on each side of me and rattled my teeth with thier matching 300's. Not one piece of his body moved as he shot it seemed, big guy.
I looked at his target through my scope and thought it looked bad for someone with perfect shooting form. We pulled targets and I had to look. He had shot the center of each grid square the end of each line etc all over the target.
He looked at my ocw test and said this one is looking good and left.
I think I'm to old and wobbly to shoot the magnums.
On of those guys showed up next to me on each side of me and rattled my teeth with thier matching 300's. Not one piece of his body moved as he shot it seemed, big guy.
I looked at his target through my scope and thought it looked bad for someone with perfect shooting form. We pulled targets and I had to look. He had shot the center of each grid square the end of each line etc all over the target.
He looked at my ocw test and said this one is looking good and left.
I think I'm to old and wobbly to shoot the magnums.
Cull those 2. But I suspect the rest will show the same thing during the next couple firings. You bumping the shoulder too much. I can get 12-15 out of mine.
First, use a probe inside the case to see if you have stretching and incipient case separation. If so, you have a headspace problem.
If not, and the raised ring is just a bulge, try a collet sizing die for belted magnum case bodies:
"The main problem with handloading the 300 Win Mag is case expansion that occurs at the pressure ring "just above" the belt. Conventional resizing dies can't properly resize any belted magnum case in this area. These cases soon develop a slight "bulge" around the case (usually after just 2 or 3 firings). When that happens, these cases will begin to stick in your chamber or they will fail to chamber at all. This is a very common symptom when reloading belted magnum calibers. Handloading the 300 Win Mag with our Belted Magnum Collet Resizing Die will increase the life of your cases and insure a perfect fit in your chamber."
Link: Sizing 300 Win Mag cases
If not, and the raised ring is just a bulge, try a collet sizing die for belted magnum case bodies:
"The main problem with handloading the 300 Win Mag is case expansion that occurs at the pressure ring "just above" the belt. Conventional resizing dies can't properly resize any belted magnum case in this area. These cases soon develop a slight "bulge" around the case (usually after just 2 or 3 firings). When that happens, these cases will begin to stick in your chamber or they will fail to chamber at all. This is a very common symptom when reloading belted magnum calibers. Handloading the 300 Win Mag with our Belted Magnum Collet Resizing Die will increase the life of your cases and insure a perfect fit in your chamber."
Link: Sizing 300 Win Mag cases
First, use a probe inside the case to see if you have stretching and incipient case separation. If so, you have a headspace problem.
If not, and the raised ring is just a bulge, try a collet sizing die for belted magnum case bodies:
"The main problem with handloading the 300 Win Mag is case expansion that occurs at the pressure ring "just above" the belt. Conventional resizing dies can't properly resize any belted magnum case in this area. These cases soon develop a slight "bulge" around the case (usually after just 2 or 3 firings). When that happens, these cases will begin to stick in your chamber or they will fail to chamber at all. This is a very common symptom when reloading belted magnum calibers. Handloading the 300 Win Mag with our Belted Magnum Collet Resizing Die will increase the life of your cases and insure a perfect fit in your chamber."
Link: Sizing 300 Win Mag cases
No need to probe the case. Those pics indicate ichs. I have gone through a gang of Hornady 300WM brass and when they ate about to fail they look just like the pics. I’ve sectioned them and confirmed it. Probes don’t do shit.
RCBS Case Master has a probe that is used in conjunction with the dial indicator to identify cases as being normal or showing signs of pending case head separation. No need to destroy cases needlessly.
Properly adjusted sizing dies set to only bump the shoulder a minimal amount will extend shell life. If the case is tuff to chamber than the Larry Willis die mentioned above will size the case just above the belt where normal sizing dies don't size properly. This sizing will allow the cases to chamber smoothly again.
Properly adjusted sizing dies set to only bump the shoulder a minimal amount will extend shell life. If the case is tuff to chamber than the Larry Willis die mentioned above will size the case just above the belt where normal sizing dies don't size properly. This sizing will allow the cases to chamber smoothly again.
Hornady is fine, a lot better than Winchester and light years better than FC or RP.
I don’t really know I’m going to track that on the new brass better. I also am thinking to anneal befor the first firing?
On a belted case with proper headspace it doesn’t really matter because in theory the belt keeps the case against the bolt face letting the soft part of the case blow forward as intended.
case head separation is from the firing pin and/or ejector pushing the case forward excessively and the harder head of the case blowing back under pressure stretching the case at the weakest area where the wall transitions to the head.
A simple but surprisingly useful trick is to put a layer of clear packing tape on a cartridge base, each layer is approximately two thou and you can see appropriate what your headspace is without tools.
Noooooooooooo. That’s not necessary. New brass is annealed.
That’s one mechanism causing chs. Another is the force of the combusting powder pushing against the shoulder and pulling the case walls apart. If you bump the shoulder too much it will cause premature chs.
I do. If you anneal more than they come factory you will set it back to the same baseline. If it’s not as much as factory it won’t hurt anything.
Sure doesn’t seem that way when blowing out wildcat cartridges.
I suppose if you let your brass get rock hard and really push the shoulders back but you’d quickly find brass is so hard you have quite a lot of fun trying to size it.
Now let’s look at the position of typical failure, if case was held back properly the failure point would be up at the shoulder area but instead it’s at the classic area where the thick base cup meets the thinner wall.
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They are separating at the case head just like in the OP’s picture from oversizing, despite the belt.
I think Id replace them , I have been planning on replacing mine now before I really need to . Good Luck with your brass I would not rise shooting it if it all looks like those in the pic you could be hurt or worse that and a good gun is a terrible thing to waste .
unless you got the money to buy the equipment to make your own think of how popular you could be like a god among mere mortals
unless you got the money to buy the equipment to make your own think of how popular you could be like a god among mere mortals
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Exactly
Showing if they truly are separating the cartridge is a good fit forward of the bolt face when it pressures up.
