How can I tell if I've gotten all the life I can out my cases. I've got some federal brass that has been loaded 6 times. To me it looks like it may handle a couple more loadings. Do you guys run them until you starting getting split necks or what? I run a pretty mild load. It's a 175smk over 43.5 grains of RL15. This gives me an average velocity of 2600fps from a 24" barrel
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308 Federal Brass Life?
- Thread starter skep_tic1
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Re: 308 Federal Brass Life?
I would have annealed it after the 4th fireing.just something most of use do.it allows use to load it more times.resizeing and fireing makes the necks of your brass hard.its no the same as steel.brass gets hard when worked alot.then neck tention is lost.
but if your not annealing you necks I would say that your right at its last fireing or close to it..buy not annealing the necks you will start to see a drop in accuracy.the necks want hold the bullet the same as if it was new or 2dn time fired.neck tention is a must for accuracy.keeping it the same means better accuracy each time.
so no I do not run my brass till it splits.run it till it no longer holds a primer,or till the necks seem to be not safe for loading it again.or annealing it doesn't seem to be working anymore.
I would have annealed it after the 4th fireing.just something most of use do.it allows use to load it more times.resizeing and fireing makes the necks of your brass hard.its no the same as steel.brass gets hard when worked alot.then neck tention is lost.
but if your not annealing you necks I would say that your right at its last fireing or close to it..buy not annealing the necks you will start to see a drop in accuracy.the necks want hold the bullet the same as if it was new or 2dn time fired.neck tention is a must for accuracy.keeping it the same means better accuracy each time.
so no I do not run my brass till it splits.run it till it no longer holds a primer,or till the necks seem to be not safe for loading it again.or annealing it doesn't seem to be working anymore.
Re: 308 Federal Brass Life?
Im on the 7th reload on FGMM brass and haven't annealed (yet) and brass still hasn't shown the ring that develops from incipient head seperation and neck tension has not (yet)been affected. I set the shoulders back .001 every time so Im sure that helped with a charge of 42g of varget and 175smk's. I usually anneal after the 4th but got lazy.
Im on the 7th reload on FGMM brass and haven't annealed (yet) and brass still hasn't shown the ring that develops from incipient head seperation and neck tension has not (yet)been affected. I set the shoulders back .001 every time so Im sure that helped with a charge of 42g of varget and 175smk's. I usually anneal after the 4th but got lazy.
Re: 308 Federal Brass Life?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: skep_tic1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Bcrich, can you describe the ring your talking about a bit more? Maybe post a picture of it. On the 6th firing I still was getting great accuracy </div></div>
Well that tells me you have not YET had a head seperation.. but thats good! What I'm reffering to is- after you have full length resized them say 6 times (just an example) and have not minimally pushed the shoulders back .001-.002 for a bolt gun the brass stretches everytime you resize it and after so many resizes the head of the case stretches so thin that a ring will appear on the inside of the case and weaken it ,the case will actually brake off when fired, shine a light down the fired case and you will see what I'm talking about. I still have not gotten the ring with my cases but I make sure the shoulders are set back to minimal headspace which is all controlled by properly set dies. Sorry I dont have a pic but check your brass with a light and see if you have the ring. It will show itself about 1/2" up from the bottom of the case
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: skep_tic1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Bcrich, can you describe the ring your talking about a bit more? Maybe post a picture of it. On the 6th firing I still was getting great accuracy </div></div>
Well that tells me you have not YET had a head seperation.. but thats good! What I'm reffering to is- after you have full length resized them say 6 times (just an example) and have not minimally pushed the shoulders back .001-.002 for a bolt gun the brass stretches everytime you resize it and after so many resizes the head of the case stretches so thin that a ring will appear on the inside of the case and weaken it ,the case will actually brake off when fired, shine a light down the fired case and you will see what I'm talking about. I still have not gotten the ring with my cases but I make sure the shoulders are set back to minimal headspace which is all controlled by properly set dies. Sorry I dont have a pic but check your brass with a light and see if you have the ring. It will show itself about 1/2" up from the bottom of the case
Re: 308 Federal Brass Life?
Make a feeler 'finger' by unbending a paperclip part way and bending the end 1/16" or so into a right angle. Insert the feeler through the case neck and slide its tip up and down along the lower half of the case interior. If there's a groove going around the inside circumference of the caase, it's due for retirement. The less you bump your case shoulders, the less this happens. I only bump mine when bolt closure encounters significant resistance.
Primer pockets are believed to be the weak point with Federal brass, due to reportedly softer Federal brass composition. The lighter the loads, usually the slower the primer pocket growth. Some folks use the RW Hart Case Saver Primer Pocket Swage Tool.
Be sure to read the reviews, apparently the tool itself could use some perfecting. It would appear it needs to be employed with some moderate restraint.
Greg
Make a feeler 'finger' by unbending a paperclip part way and bending the end 1/16" or so into a right angle. Insert the feeler through the case neck and slide its tip up and down along the lower half of the case interior. If there's a groove going around the inside circumference of the caase, it's due for retirement. The less you bump your case shoulders, the less this happens. I only bump mine when bolt closure encounters significant resistance.
Primer pockets are believed to be the weak point with Federal brass, due to reportedly softer Federal brass composition. The lighter the loads, usually the slower the primer pocket growth. Some folks use the RW Hart Case Saver Primer Pocket Swage Tool.
Be sure to read the reviews, apparently the tool itself could use some perfecting. It would appear it needs to be employed with some moderate restraint.
Greg
Re: 308 Federal Brass Life?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: skep_tic1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Great info thanks. So if I find that there is a ring its time to quit loading it right? </div></div>
Yes Sir! it will save your eyebrows and face....from the hot gasses coming back at you from the head & case seperation. Do you have a way to measure headspace? I just use an unfired unprimed 9mm case and slip it over the fired rifle case (308)and mic it. Adjust your dies to bump the shoulder .001-.002 after you resized it. This will help with longer brass life. Ofcourse this is not a true headspace measuring tool but Im from the ghetto and it works!
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: skep_tic1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Great info thanks. So if I find that there is a ring its time to quit loading it right? </div></div>
Yes Sir! it will save your eyebrows and face....from the hot gasses coming back at you from the head & case seperation. Do you have a way to measure headspace? I just use an unfired unprimed 9mm case and slip it over the fired rifle case (308)and mic it. Adjust your dies to bump the shoulder .001-.002 after you resized it. This will help with longer brass life. Ofcourse this is not a true headspace measuring tool but Im from the ghetto and it works!
Re: 308 Federal Brass Life?
Ok, I made the paper clip feeler. I don't notice a seperation ring in any of the cases. So I guess I'm good to go with regards to that. But I have noticed that some of these cases are beginning show a slight ejector mark. They all had the same powder load. Do you find that the more times a case is fired the more prone it is to show slight pressure signs.
Ok, I made the paper clip feeler. I don't notice a seperation ring in any of the cases. So I guess I'm good to go with regards to that. But I have noticed that some of these cases are beginning show a slight ejector mark. They all had the same powder load. Do you find that the more times a case is fired the more prone it is to show slight pressure signs.
Re: 308 Federal Brass Life?
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthre...161#Post2287161
This should help you with finding the problamitic cases that want to come apart...
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthre...161#Post2287161
This should help you with finding the problamitic cases that want to come apart...
Re: 308 Federal Brass Life?
i use it 4 or 5 times just to be safe. but i shoot semi auto and ive seen failures at 6 or 7 reloads.
i use it 4 or 5 times just to be safe. but i shoot semi auto and ive seen failures at 6 or 7 reloads.
Re: 308 Federal Brass Life?
<span style="font-weight: bold">I just use an unfired unprimed 9mm case and slip it over the fired rifle case (308)and mic it.</span>
Interesting.
Nothing like a little Southern Ingenuity.
<span style="font-weight: bold">I just use an unfired unprimed 9mm case and slip it over the fired rifle case (308)and mic it.</span>
Interesting.
Nothing like a little Southern Ingenuity.
Re: 308 Federal Brass Life?
#1 the less you bump shouders back less this happens
-or-
#2 Adjust your dies to bump the shoulder .001-.002 after you resized it. This will help with longer brass life.
which is it ?
I tend to agree with #1 seems to be more logical if you neck size only the area near head gets worked less Right? educate me,.. please
#1 the less you bump shouders back less this happens
-or-
#2 Adjust your dies to bump the shoulder .001-.002 after you resized it. This will help with longer brass life.
which is it ?
I tend to agree with #1 seems to be more logical if you neck size only the area near head gets worked less Right? educate me,.. please
Re: 308 Federal Brass Life?
I never had Fed brass that did'nt have the primer pocket go before any other issues.
I never had Fed brass that did'nt have the primer pocket go before any other issues.
Re: 308 Federal Brass Life?
when you neck size the brass it works the neck less not the head.the head never gets worked other than takeing the blast.
when you neck size the brass it works the neck less not the head.the head never gets worked other than takeing the blast.
Re: 308 Federal Brass Life?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: skep_tic1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">So when the primer pockets go will they just let the primers fall out or what? </div></div>
You will feel the difference when you seat a primer and it just slides in with no resistance (hand primer) I usually use winchester primers but at this point I swap it for Tula/wolf primers because they are a kunt hair bigger and will seat just fine before I toss the brass. But yes they can just fall out and make a mess spilling the powder everywhere!
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: skep_tic1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">So when the primer pockets go will they just let the primers fall out or what? </div></div>
You will feel the difference when you seat a primer and it just slides in with no resistance (hand primer) I usually use winchester primers but at this point I swap it for Tula/wolf primers because they are a kunt hair bigger and will seat just fine before I toss the brass. But yes they can just fall out and make a mess spilling the powder everywhere!
Re: 308 Federal Brass Life?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Huckelberry75</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-weight: bold">I just use an unfired unprimed 9mm case and slip it over the fired rifle case (308)and mic it.</span>
Interesting.
Nothing like a little Southern Ingenuity. </div></div>
I cant take the credit, I took it from MR. Giraud himself if I recall correctly from one of his posts here on the hide.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Huckelberry75</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-weight: bold">I just use an unfired unprimed 9mm case and slip it over the fired rifle case (308)and mic it.</span>
Interesting.
Nothing like a little Southern Ingenuity. </div></div>
I cant take the credit, I took it from MR. Giraud himself if I recall correctly from one of his posts here on the hide.
Re: 308 Federal Brass Life?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: skep_tic1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">So when the primer pockets go will they just let the primers fall out or what? </div></div>
Yes, and it really makes a mess when they fall out, in the magazine of a gas gun!!
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: skep_tic1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">So when the primer pockets go will they just let the primers fall out or what? </div></div>
Yes, and it really makes a mess when they fall out, in the magazine of a gas gun!!
