Annealing. KISS

[Gargoyle]

Really. All you need. I practiced my technique with some junk brass and 5-6 minutes I’m cooking with gas!

Place in flame in same spot, same rotational speed and wait for the flame to change color. A light cherry glow on the neck and you’re golden. Drop on to cookie tray to let cool. Stupid easy. Easiest reloading step I’ve known outside bullet seating.

 

[urbanrifleman]

I did that. Brass shot worse.

 

[Gargoyle]

I did that. Brass shot worse.

Mine shoot better. Wonder what you did wrong?

 

[urbanrifleman]

Mine shoot better. Wonder what you did wrong?

I think annealing is mostly voodoo. I'm know I'm in the minority.

 

[Gargoyle]

I think annealing is mostly voodoo. I'm know I'm in the minority.

Ohhhhh, man. I am quite the skeptic. I had a batch of 4-5 times loaded brass that the seating force was so strong I blamed it on RCBS and called them for help. No help from them. Discovered flame annealing and that same brass went back to normal and consistent seating pressure. I also did an annealed and not annealed group test. Annealed won. I am skeptical of these high dollar machines for a task that can be done so simply cheap. (Team Brad!)

 

[Eric Leonard]

Just make sure none of your cases have live primers. Lol.

 

[bozo699]

It may in fact work and I have done it that way years ago but there’s no way to be 100% consistent with this method it’s why most of us that anneal have moved onto a machine that’s constantly consistent
Wayne

 

[Gargoyle]

It may in fact work and I have done it that way years ago but there’s no way to be 100% consistent with this method it’s why most of us that anneal have moved onto a machine that’s constantly consistent
Wayne

In theory that might matter, but in practice it doesn't. Yes, liberalism is a mental disorder!

 

[6bra1k]

been there done that IT AINT SIMPLE.
it really is SCIENCE...guess work is a guess
i went with AMP...and with the current analyzer,
YOUR brass DETERMINES how it is annealed.
ALL my long range competition brass is annealed, EVERYTIME

 

[bozo699]

In theory that might matter, but in practice it doesn't. Yes, liberalism is a mental disorder!

Yes Liberalism truly is a mental disorder!… and at shorter ranges your correct but from 600 yards on out it matters
Wayne

 

[Gargoyle]

Yes Liberalism truly is a mental disorder!… and at shorter ranges your correct but from 600 yards on out it matters
Wayne

They're just machines! We are the weapons! Sorry, been wanting to use that a long time. I found out my annealing is spot on with CBTO within .0015 variance. I don't shoot under 1000yds anymore with my ELR gun. Maybe I'll dump some hogs on a feeder someday at 600 though! Can't wait!

 

[3Sigma]

That's how I do it. Add some 750F Tempilaq in the necks to verify temperature, and use propane for a lower flame temperature. Cleaning the Tempilaq afterwards is a pain, but only way I know how with the tools on hand.

First ones I did was 22-250 lapua brass with 4 firings that wouldn't resize the necks on a lee collet die. They would spring back to .224 and not hold a bullet. It was either pitch the brass or give it a try.

Gun shot better afterwards as well. .3 to .4 MOA.

Not voodoo... but I do minor metallurgy at work, so I'm pretty comfortable with the science.

 

[Big_Daddy]

I have posted this before...The only difference was annealed vs unannealed.
Both groups shot during the same session.

These are 10 round groups shot at 200 yards.
.223 with 53 gr V-Max bullets.

Everyone needs to make up their own mind.
Annealing definitely works for this rifle.

 

[JimSC]

I have 12 year old Lapua .308 Palma cases that have almost 30 loadings on them. Only anneal they ever knew was the method in the OP.

edit here is my 300 yard anneal test I have posted before, the unprepped had various numbers of firings on the cases. The prepped were from the same batch and flame annealed on a Annealeeze. Made me a believer

 

[Gargoyle]

I have posted this before...The only difference was annealed vs unannealed.
Both groups shot during the same session.

These are 10 round groups shot at 200 yards.
.223 with 53 gr V-Max bullets.

Everyone needs to make up their own mind.
Annealing definitely works for this rifle.

Did you receive the two test groups blindly as to alleviate experimenter bias?

 

[bozo699]

They're just machines! We are the weapons! Sorry, been wanting to use that a long time. I found out my nnealing is spot on with CBTO within .0015 variance. I don't shoot under 1000yds anymore with my ELR gun. Maybe I'll dump some hogs on a feeder someday at 600 though! Can't wait!

Best of luck on the hogs
Wayne

 

[JFrank]

I have posted this before...The only difference was annealed vs unannealed.
Both groups shot during the same session.

These are 10 round groups shot at 200 yards.
.223 with 53 gr V-Max bullets.

Everyone needs to make up their own mind.
Annealing definitely works for this rifle.

Nice testing and thx for posting, you gave me a good idea for a test I’ve been thinking about.

 

[Big_Daddy]

Nice testing and for posting, you gave me a good idea for a test I’ve been thinking about.

Please make sure to report back.
I look forward to what possible good idea I could have inspired...LOL

 

[Big_Daddy]

Did you receive the two test groups blindly as to alleviate experimenter bias?

I actually had 2 targets set up next to each other and alternated between them.
Rounds 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17,19 were annealed
Rounds 2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20 were unannealed.

They were fired in numerical order 1 thru 20. Just shot the odd #'s on the left target and evens on the right.
This did away with any potential bias...

 

[darkangel_r2]

I feel the need to point out that a load developed on brass annealed every time can shoot significantly different in unannealed brass. Extraction forces for different levels of neck hardness can be significantly different. So if the pictures you guys are posting are of loads that were developed on brass annealing every time and you're shooting that same load in unannealed brass its not a fair comparison. After a cartridge is fired two or three times its hardness plateaus and sizing and seating becomes more consistent.

So in my opinion a load developed on brass that has reached the hardness plateau should be able to compete with brass annealed (correctly) every time. The down side to this is useless shots to harden the dang stuff and higher risk of split necks if chamber is a little sloppy.

Can anyone tell me what the real measurable effects of "over annealing" are? Are we worried about turning necks into accordions when seating or is it really only case head softening we are concerned with?

links for reference.

https://ballisticrecreations.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Ryan-Stevenson-Dissertation.pdf

Annealing Brass - Science vs Myths

There is an approach that some of us less educated people use that is based around "does it work when I do this". I have been annealing brass for over 40 years, as mentioned earlier, some was the caveman method. I got acceptable, sometimes even great results on work hardened brass using the...

www.snipershide.com