Anneal .308 Brass

[gsg5pk]

I'm new to annealing brass. So, need some suggest for proper anneal brass.


I found that most clip on youtube has suggest about anneal method but would like to know how to determine proper temperature anneal .308 win brass.

Lastly after annealing, the process between let them cool by room temperature and drop the anneal brass into water. Which process is better?

 

[necchi]

This comes up alot.
Here's 4 pages with alot of really good info that we finished just a wek or so ago.
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php?topic=3799444.0

Most of the basic questions where asked and answered,,,and then some,,

 

[gsg5pk]

Thanks

 

[XTR]

My personal opinion, be that what it may, is that if you are annealing for target accuracy you need to buy an annealer in order to get truly consistent results. In the long run a $499 annealer from Bench Source or Giraud is money well spent and a one time investment.

 

[spclark]

Forget the water quench. Not necessary, air cool works fine.

As for proper temp: 800°F is the temp to reach; for cartridge brass you don't need to keep it there for long, just get there & let cool.

I run my 308 cases for a seven- or eight count (one thousand one, one thousand two...) while they're spinning in a deep-socket chucked up in my Milwaukee drill @ ~ 75 - 90 RPM just off the inside blue flame's tip on my trusty (old) Bernz-o-Matic propane torch.

Set that inner flame for about 3/4 " - 7/8", a hardware store bottle'll do maybe 2,000 cases.

If case necks begin to glow they're too hot but probably not ruined unless you really cook 'em. Couple years ago a forum member here cooked a few necks way beyond what's needed & they still shot X's for him & didn't split.

Don't let the case side walls get too hot though; 1/4" below the shoulder's enough but not too much. That's why a deep socket works well - the socket acts as a heat sink & keeps the case wall cooler.

Dedicated machines for this are a wonderful development but if you're at all mindful of disposable income you can do a fine job if you use your head and some stuff from the hardware store....

 

[kelbro]

Forget the water quench. Not necessary, air cool works fine.

As for proper temp: 800°F is the temp to reach; for cartridge brass you don't need to keep it there for long, just get there & let cool.

I run my 308 cases for a seven- or eight count (one thousand one, one thousand two...) while they're spinning in a deep-socket chucked up in my Milwaukee drill @ ~ 75 - 90 RPM just off the inside blue flame's tip on my trusty (old) Bernz-o-Matic propane torch.

Set that inner flame for about 3/4 " - 7/8", a hardware store bottle'll do maybe 2,000 cases.

If case necks begin to glow they're too hot but probably not ruined unless you really cook 'em. Couple years ago a forum member here cooked a few necks way beyond what's needed & they still shot X's for him & didn't split.

Don't let the case side walls get too hot though; 1/4" below the shoulder's enough but not too much. That's why a deep socket works well - the socket acts as a heat sink & keeps the case wall cooler.

Dedicated machines for this are a wonderful development but if you're at all mindful of disposable income you can do a fine job if you use your head and some stuff from the hardware store....

Agree 100%. I have annealed thousands of cases consistently with nothing more than a torch, cordless screwdriver, and the Lee caseholder for trimming brass.

If spending money on an automated tool is not an issue, go for it. If the payback is not there for you, my setup cost less than $30.

 

[necchi]

As for proper temp: 800°F is the temp to reach;

Wow!

 

[Nomad47]

Completely agree with spclark and kelbro.

 

[Zia Hunter]

Started annealng cases with a Hornady kit and it worked fine when properly setup with the appropriate Tempilaq. My issue was with the speed and the lack of consistency in the process (I guess I have problems counting seconds) Finally sprung for a Bench Source and never been happier. If you are going to process big quantities of brass it is worth the investment.

 

[gsg5pk]

I will use for F-TR competition.

Do, is it must have those Annealer machine?

I had tried a different time with lapua brass and here are the result

Anneal with Butane Torch

1-4 from left were anneal for 6 sec.
5-6 from left were anneal for 8 sec.

In dark room, It seem like the case nk was start to glow orange at 8 sec. So, is it too heat for that?

My volume was around 200 - 300 pcs per time.

 

[gsg5pk]

This is my heating level

Hold with 1/2" bolt and rotated by electronic screwdriver.

Do I need to reduce gas? How long of inner fire is proper for anneal .308 win brass?

The current inner blue tip was around 1" from Torch.

 

[kelbro]

With your setup, based on the pix that you provided, 6 secs does not look like enough. 8 secs looks good.

One inch blue flame is fine. Mine is about 3/4 inch and I do 8 secs on 308/6mm brass.

 

[Frankr]

gsg5pk the only way to know if you are hitting the right temp is to use tempqla heat paint.
read this artical.

http://www.6mmbr.com/annealing.html

http://www.mcmaster.com/#temperature-indicating-paint/=kswoz7

 

[nosualc]

gsg5pk the only way to know if you are hitting the right temp is to use tempqla heat paint.
read this artical.

http://www.6mmbr.com/annealing.html

http://www.mcmaster.com/#temperature-indicating-paint/=kswoz7

+1

You can't tell with any degree of certainty by just looking, during or afterwards; you're just guessing.

If your trying to lengthen the usable lifetime of your brass, annealing by hand may work. Very very easy to over or under anneal. Either way, the result will be inconsistent.

If you're trying to increase your consistency by annealing for competition, you'll need a machine.

No benefit to water quenching. Air cooling is fine.

-nosualc

 

[spclark]

Butane's not propane (pretty close though, close enough for annealing case necks) but from your pics it looks like 8 sec. works to about the same result as what I get.

My only suggestion is move the case necks out a little bit. You want them just at the tip of that inner blue flame, that's the point with highest flame temp. Closer in & you're in a fuel/air mixture that's a little cooler.

A little glow seen in a darkened room is OK. For safety reasons I prefer annealing in a well-lighted workspace. Early on when I was climbing the learning curve I used Tempilaq as an indicator, also tried a few in the dark. Ended up deciding dwell time & reasonably consistent flame appearance were reliable enough for my needs. Now my brass resizes far more consistently than before & I haven't had a split neck in years.

 

[gsg5pk]

For Lapua brass, how many time can be reload without anneal case nk?

I clean brass with ultrasonic.


My load was 185 LRBT @ 2,590 fps out of 24" barrel 1:10tw

43.0 of Varget
COAL 2.906"
CCI BR2

 

[Nomad47]

A little glow seen in a darkened room is OK. For safety reasons I prefer annealing in a well-lighted workspace. Early on when I was climbing the learning curve I used Tempilaq as an indicator, also tried a few in the dark. Ended up deciding dwell time & reasonably consistent flame appearance were reliable enough for my needs. Now my brass resizes far more consistently than before & I haven't had a split neck in years.

Agreed. Since I live in a motorhome, I anneal outside. I prefer in the shade late in the day. I watch for that bluish color at the shoulder/body junction.

 

[gsg5pk]

These batch was 2 fired.

Should I anneal before reloading 3 time or can use 3 fired before anneal?

 

[gsg5pk]

Butane's not propane (pretty close though, close enough for annealing case necks) but from your pics it looks like 8 sec. works to about the same result as what I get.

My only suggestion is move the case necks out a little bit. You want them just at the tip of that inner blue flame, that's the point with highest flame temp. Closer in & you're in a fuel/air mixture that's a little cooler.

A little glow seen in a darkened room is OK. For safety reasons I prefer annealing in a well-lighted workspace. Early on when I was climbing the learning curve I used Tempilaq as an indicator, also tried a few in the dark. Ended up deciding dwell time & reasonably consistent flame appearance were reliable enough for my needs. Now my brass resizes far more consistently than before & I haven't had a split neck in years.

Which part of case that I should put the tip of that inner flame?

Case nk
Case Shoulder

 

[spclark]

I anneal cases to ensure more consistent neck tension as well as shoulder set-back during resizing operations.

This being the case I prefer to aim the heat at the shoulder/neck junction; I can make sure the shoulders are annealed as I wish them to be while the necks get a little hotter.

They key point is not too much hotter. After all I don't want to burn (over-anneal) them.

As for how many times? That depends a lot on your specific situation: too many variables to put a reliable solid number on but I'd expect, with reasonable care & not more than maybe 0.002" shoulder set-back (or less) you ought to get seven or eight rounds on a set of cases, maybe more.

My usual indicator for reload vs recycle is the primer pocket & whether primers are a snug fit. (I use Wolf, a little bit bigger than domestic brands.)

If I have time I prefer to anneal after every firing (Palma rifle) but it's not necessary. Also, if it's been awhile since the brass was last fired I anneal before resizing; brass will "work-harden" some just sitting around in the dark. I clean with the SS pins / wet method.

Let your brass' performance during resizing tell you if it needs it or not.