Reloading process order

[Bojo]

Ask my cat Tigger. He likes to watch my Girard do its thing. When a live primer went off he about lost his s---.

Did he Bounce ?

 

[Dimner]

My reloading process always begins with cursing at my target results after shooting my latest handloads.

 

[bozo699]

I used to use Hornady 1 shot but ran into some issues. Now use Imperial. I just wipe with a paper towel. 1/2 paper towel will clean 25 cases or more. Bullets seat more consistent with carbon in the neck.

100% spot on Doc!…
Wayne

 

[Dimner]

100% spot on Doc!…
Wayne

Yeah same here. Hornady 1 shot caused me problems as well. Then I bit the bullet and made the DIY Lanolin lube. Good stuff.

 

[drop_point]

Yeah same here. Hornady 1 shot caused me problems as well. Then I bit the bullet and made the DIY Lanolin lube. Good stuff.

99% of the problems with Hornady One Shot are user error. Typically its not cleaning dies prior to use or not allowing the brass to dry.

 

[DLT]

My reloading process always begins with cursing at my target results after shooting my latest handloads.

Haha we have that in common

 

[Dimner]

99% of the problems with Hornady One Shot are user error. Typically its not cleaning dies prior to use or not allowing the brass to dry.

Those were not the issues with my usage. Dry brass and clean dies, I just could not get consistent shoulders on a batch of brass unless I drenched the brass in one shot (and let it dry of course) This was on 30-06 and 7x57 brass. I did have good luck with 223 brass.

 

[jepp2]

I heard or read sometime ago that a vibratory tumbler would dent case mouths that was already sized is why I never sized then tumbled.

I've never had a case mouth dented by using a vibratory tumbler. However, depending on your media and brass loading, it will lightly (or more severely) peen the case mouths. If you wet tumble, it will peen the case mouths more severely due to them contacting the other cases as they fall.

Since you asked, this is how I process my brass, but how you do yours is based on your needs.

1. use a Harvey hand deprimer and knock the primers out
2. anneal using an AMP
3. tumble in corn cob with a polish added. The reason I tumble here is it coats the brass and tends to remove the oxide left on the neck from annealing. If I don't tumble the oxide tends to collect in the sizing die neck and degrades the exterior finish. And yes, I do lube my case necks when sizing.
4. size using bootleg 12:1 ratio. I also polish the interior of my sizing dies. The combination gives very repeatable shoulder movement and reduces sizing effort by ~50%.
5. back in the tumbler to remove the bootleg case lube. 30 minutes is plenty. I use the 20/40 grit size so it never plugs the flash holes.
6. trim if necessary, and outside and inside deburr

Ready for loading.

 

[DLT]

I've never had a case mouth dented by using a vibratory tumbler. However, depending on your media and brass loading, it will lightly (or more severely) peen the case mouths. If you wet tumble, it will peen the case mouths more severely due to them contacting the other cases as they fall.

Since you asked, this is how I process my brass, but how you do yours is based on your needs.

1. use a Harvey hand deprimer and knock the primers out
2. anneal using an AMP
3. tumble in corn cob with a polish added. The reason I tumble here is it coats the brass and tends to remove the oxide left on the neck from annealing. If I don't tumble the oxide tends to collect in the sizing die neck and degrades the exterior finish. And yes, I do lube my case necks when sizing.
4. size using bootleg 12:1 ratio. I also polish the interior of my sizing dies. The combination gives very repeatable shoulder movement and reduces sizing effort by ~50%.
5. back in the tumbler to remove the bootleg case lube. 30 minutes is plenty. I use the 20/40 grit size so it never plugs the flash holes.
6. trim if necessary, and outside and inside deburr

Ready for loading.

Thank you. I use a corn cob media I bought years ago from cabelas, I believe it was even their brand. I just add nu finish once in a while in my vibratory

 

[jelenko]

99% of the problems with Hornady One Shot are user error. Typically its not cleaning dies prior to use or not allowing the brass to dry.

The other I've found is not shaking the can enough. It really needs shaking to get the lube mixed with the propellant. I've resized over 10,000 223 cases with One Shot. I did almost stick a case when I didn't shake it enough. I also found that not shaking enough caused sizing inconsistencies.

 

[drop_point]

The other I've found is not shaking the can enough. It really needs shaking to get the lube mixed with the propellant. I've resized over 10,000 223 cases with One Shot. I did almost stick a case when I didn't shake it enough. I also found that not shaking enough caused sizing inconsistencies.

I've had really good luck with it myself. The volume I load just doesn't make sense to rub lube on each case individually. In the last month alone I've loaded 5,000 5.56 rounds.

 

[jelenko]

I've had really good luck with it myself. The volume I load just doesn't make sense to rub lube on each case individually. In the last month alone I've loaded 5,000 5.56 rounds.

That's a bunch!
I go through about 1500 a month - also too much to rub each one.
But, then, I suspect our accuracy requirements aren't close to what benchrest competitors need.

 

[drop_point]

That's a bunch!
I go through about 1500 a month - also too much to rub each one.
But, then, I suspect our accuracy requirements aren't close to what benchrest competitors need.

Not for my bulk stuff, but I use it on my f-class loads too.

 

[Webster]

Do you guys anneal, size then tumble ? Or anneal, tumble then size and why do you do it your chosen way ? I hardly ever tumble my brass, I heard or read sometime ago that a vibratory tumbler would dent case mouths that was already sized is why I never sized then tumbled. I’m trying to get consistent seating pressure is why I ask. I’m going to get a stiff nylon bore brush for the case mouths and see if that was to help any. Thanks

I never put a lot of thought into it. My rifles shot under 1/2” no matter what I do. Good enough for me. Cannot believe a vibrator cleaner or tumbler, would ever dent or change the shape of a case mouth. The impact is almost zero. My cases are already neck turned. Anneal optional? I never trimmed a neck and tumbled to look for a change to the cut shiny end. A thought I just had, should you chamfer before putting the madrel in the case neck end in case i.d. roughness interferes somehow with the mandrel?

If you want the necks fixed up a little I would:

• Tumble
• Chamfer to make the mandrel enter without burrs?
• Mandrel in the neck to make it as round as possible. You get a mandrel with your neck turner.
• Trim even if it only removes 1 or 2 thou
• Chamfer.

I doubt you will see a difference on the target unless you can shoot in the 1s. There has to be at least 10 unknown variables all acting at once that determine accuracy.

 

[10XSHOOTER]

Deprime
clean (vibratory tumbler) with course walnut shells
Anneal
size with water soluable lube
put on pegs in dishwasher. run a full cycle with just hot water. let dry overnight
prime
load
Shoot again!

 

[divingin]

anneal or not if i clean in walnut before annealing, it leaves a red residue in the neck that does not all brush out.
clean in walnut, de-primed cleans primer pocket also

Red is usually from jeweler's rouge added to the corn cob (or walnut shell) media. If you buy untreated media, you can add a touch of rouge and get rid of the iron oxide dust left on the cases (or go without the rouge altogether.)

I've never seen a vibratory tumbler do anything to the primer pocket ash as far as cleaning goes.