Is the AMP Annealer an essential piece of equipment for all reloaders regardless of skill level?
- Thread starter shoedo
- Start date
BoydAllen
Gold $$ Contributor
If you have to ask the question, you absolutely don't need one. Out of curiosity, if you took the most accurate rifle you own, went out on a good morning (wind wise) and shot five groups, after first fouling the barrel with a few shots, what would you guess the average size of those groups to be? For most shooters, there are a lot of other things holding them back that need to be addressed first. Buy the best brass. Shoot it in rotation so that the cases in a particular set are fired and sized the same amount of times, and when you are shooting at a level that would be competitive in top sanctioned matches, you will know if you want to anneal. BTW, people have successfully annealed for years before the advent of the AMP machine. On the other hand, if the cost does not faze you, go for it. I assume that you know that many competition winners do NOT anneal. Some do, and some do not.
NorCalMikie
Gold $$ Contributor
If you HAVE TO HAVE ONE, go for it. You'll use it a bit then it sits on the shelf, collecting dust for who knows how long and that $$$ you spent could have been used for more bullets, brass and powder.
Kinda like a Bore Scope. You shoot bug holes then wonder why a crappy looking barrel you see with that EXPENSIVE thing can shoot so good. Something you REALLY didn't need to know after all.
Kinda like a Bore Scope. You shoot bug holes then wonder why a crappy looking barrel you see with that EXPENSIVE thing can shoot so good. Something you REALLY didn't need to know after all.
I've been reloading, shooting and hunting for close to 50 years now. All that means is that I've done it a lot and I by no means claim to be an expert on anything except on ground hog behavior. 
Precision is important to me because those little beasties are small and often partially concealed in hay so you don't often get a perfect profile so you better have an accurate rifle / load. For my varmint rifles I like to be in the 1/2 moa range.
With regards to annealing, I've never done it and I'm too old to start now. I get about 15 to 17 reloads on my 223 Rem, 243 Win, and 308 cases. I do closely monitor case head space and sometimes have to adjust the full length sizing die as cases age to obtain the desired set back. But this isn't a big deal, I use Skip Shims and it's fairly easy to make such adjustments when necessary. I do dedicate a group of cases to a specific rifle and rotate their use as Boyd Allen suggested in his post.
So I personally wouldn't consider annealing equipment essential or even desired. I would consider have bump gauges and an accurate caliper essential for properly sizing your cases.
In my game, while accurate rifle / load combo is obviously important, more is gained by learning to become a more proficient field marksman which means learning to read the wind, mirage, and shooting accurately under field conditions at various ranges in various environmental conditions.
Precision is important to me because those little beasties are small and often partially concealed in hay so you don't often get a perfect profile so you better have an accurate rifle / load. For my varmint rifles I like to be in the 1/2 moa range.
With regards to annealing, I've never done it and I'm too old to start now. I get about 15 to 17 reloads on my 223 Rem, 243 Win, and 308 cases. I do closely monitor case head space and sometimes have to adjust the full length sizing die as cases age to obtain the desired set back. But this isn't a big deal, I use Skip Shims and it's fairly easy to make such adjustments when necessary. I do dedicate a group of cases to a specific rifle and rotate their use as Boyd Allen suggested in his post.
So I personally wouldn't consider annealing equipment essential or even desired. I would consider have bump gauges and an accurate caliper essential for properly sizing your cases.
In my game, while accurate rifle / load combo is obviously important, more is gained by learning to become a more proficient field marksman which means learning to read the wind, mirage, and shooting accurately under field conditions at various ranges in various environmental conditions.
If you are just plinking or pulling the trigger as fast as you can, then annealing is not necessary.
MikeMcCasland
Team Texas F-T/R
I have one and anneal everything with it. I can tell a fairly significant difference on the bench (in terms of bumps, and seating pressures). I can't see a definitive difference on target or the chronograph. I'm just an average TR dude, so I may not be able to shoot the difference; that or it's so slight that it's masked by noise from other variables.
I wouldn't consider it essential, but it's nice to have. I keep doing it because the best in my discipline do it. Monkey see, monkey do type thing.
It's unlikely to get posted to a public forum, but it'd be neat to see a top LR BR, or top LR HM F-Open guy post test targets.
I wouldn't consider it essential, but it's nice to have. I keep doing it because the best in my discipline do it. Monkey see, monkey do type thing.
It's unlikely to get posted to a public forum, but it'd be neat to see a top LR BR, or top LR HM F-Open guy post test targets.
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I think if you were going to reload and want to get decent life from your brass you must Anneal but I don’t necessarily think you have to have an amp sure I want one but there are many cheaper ways to do it
Retired Grunt
F Open Shooter
I bought an AMP because I do shoot quite a bit. I have annealed both 6.5 CM and .224 Valkyrie, not sure if it has helped the Valk in the AR, but I think it helped my groups at 500 yards in my last match and my score increased 10 points. I know that is not scientific (for some reason I couldn't get my Tablet to capture my Shotmarker Target), just my observation. I only bought it because it seemed simpler than fire and templaque (sp). I debated for months if I was even going to buy it. glad I did though.
What annealing does : annealing makes metal easier to work by reducing the hardness of the metal and increasing the ductility and malleability of the metal making it easier to size (increased malleability) and expand when fired (increased ductility). The heat could also add a thin layer of oxides to the inside of the neck which may or may not have a minor effect on surface friction when seating.
No in that there are plenty of examples out there that demonstrate world class precision without annealing.
However if you have large neck clearance to the chamber - in that you are working the neck/shoulder area a lot from firing to resizing and you want to get the maximum life out of your brass you might consider an annealer.
This is because brass work hardens and it eventually splits in the neck/shoulder area. The more you move the brass firing/sizing the greater the possibility of hardening the brass and bringing on splits wrecking the brass before you have extracted what the manufacturer would consider full life. For Lapua I understand they suggest ~10 firings.
The reality is you can often get a lot more firings than that.
jackieschmidt
Gold $$ Contributor
It depends on which shooting Discipline you are involved in.
I am primarily a Short Range Group and Score Shooter. I do not anneal cases. I have 30 BR cases that have been fired 20 times with no annealing. It simply doesn’t seem to make any difference.
I my 6 PPC cases, the primer pockets are generally trashed before annealing becomes an issue.
Many long range shooters do anneal, some after every firing. Extreme Spread and Standard Deviation is vastly more important at the longer ranges than in the Point Blank game. Consistent neck tension is a big player in that realm.
I am primarily a Short Range Group and Score Shooter. I do not anneal cases. I have 30 BR cases that have been fired 20 times with no annealing. It simply doesn’t seem to make any difference.
I my 6 PPC cases, the primer pockets are generally trashed before annealing becomes an issue.
Many long range shooters do anneal, some after every firing. Extreme Spread and Standard Deviation is vastly more important at the longer ranges than in the Point Blank game. Consistent neck tension is a big player in that realm.
farmerjohn
Gold $$ Contributor
Best thing that you can do is talk your son into buying one and use his, I do 200 6bras in about 30 minutes and go home with all the latest gossip... John
Keith Glasscock
Gold $$ Contributor
In a word, No.
That said, if your shooting is competitive in nature, and you are looking for an easy, safe, consistent method of annealing, the AMP is my first choice.
That said, if your shooting is competitive in nature, and you are looking for an easy, safe, consistent method of annealing, the AMP is my first choice.
Medic505
Gold $$ Contributor
Great answer.
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