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fire forming new brass

bgblue1978

I have been reading this forum since i started reloading about a year ago but this is my first post. i tried searching on the subject but what i found was about wildcats so i apologize if this basic question has been answered before.

Up to now my reloading has been with once fired factory cases (mostly federal gold medal) but i picked up some brand new winchester cases because im starting to wear the priner pockets of my brass. i have fl sized, uniformed primer pockets, and deburr flash holes. should i just shoot some generic middle load of a cheap bullet and powder to fire form before i neck turn and start working back to a precision load? This is for a factory savage model 10 in .308

Thanks
 
I MUCH prefer to neck turn on virgin brass. AND if you neck turn, make sure the neck tension is where it is supposed to be, then ANNEAL that brass and run a mandrel back thru it... Then prior to charging / seating use Imperial DRY Neck Lube. Your brass will be as good as if you are on your second firing!
 
I know this isnt a hobby for the "frugal" but it seems wasteful to me to just shoot a box of bullets and powder just to form the brass. is there any information that can be gained during this shooting?
 
yes you can work up load data, it may not be perfect but will be close and you can fine tune from there.

powder and bullets is the cost of getting better.

bgblue1978 said:
I know this isnt a hobby for the "frugal" but it seems wasteful to me to just shoot a box of bullets and powder just to form the brass. is there any information that can be gained during this shooting?
Click to expand...
 
Ok thanks guys I'll start some preliminary load development with the new cases and the fine tune once they are fire formed.
 
To fireform brass without expending expensive bullets and powder, try the C.O.W. method (Cream of Wheat). In your .308 brass prime, use about 12-14 grains of Unique, and fill the rest of the case up to the neck/shoulder junction with Cream of Wheat, then plug the neck with a piece of toilet paper. Shoot these outdoors and your cases will be fireformed to your chamber. I saw another method of plugging the neck, in this one they used Crisco.
 
If you are switching brands or lots of brass...Check the weight of the brass you are using, Then check the new stuff..I've found some lots heavier enough to raise pressures...Be safe...Mike in Ct
 
Is there a reason for neck turning with a factory chamber? You might not need this step. I only turn on tight neck custom barrels.
 
Probably not needed. i enjoy the reloading process and wanted to see if it added any consistency to my reloading. i thought it might give more consistent neck tension, especially since im not using lapua or norma brass which ive read is more consistent thickness. That and im dead set on out shooting some buddies with my factory 308 so ive been trying to squeeze everything i can out of my reloading. in my short testing so far, possibly a slight decrease in ES but its too early to tell.

But yes you are correct i could absolutely cut that out and still be accurate enough for my use (mostly prone bipod shooting steel plates out to 1k.)
 
Joe R said:
The Holy Trinity of precision reloading are:
  1. Powder.
  2. Seating depth.
  3. Neck tension.
The first two are easy to deal with. Neck tension is a tough nut to crack. Neck turning and annealing are important factors that contribute to neck tension. Those apply regardless whether you're shooting a factory rifle or custom built one.

Joe
Click to expand...
So are you using neck turning in place of a bushing? Not trying to be a smart ass, just trying to figure it out
 
What I was asking was if you are just turning more of the neck off instead of changing to a different size bushing. But you are talking about turning to uniform the neck and not turning for clearance.
 
Yes that's basically it, im turning in hopes of more consistent neck tension shot to shot. getting off topic but i currently use a universal decapping die, an rcbs fl sizing with the expander taken out, and then an expanding mandrel. would there be any benefit to a bushing die? My thought is that if the last thing is the exoanding mandrel going through then it sets neck tension regardless of what squeezed it down correct?

By the way i love the comment "its simple only to simple minds." feel like ive tried to explain to buddies why handloads are so different and always get the same confused look saying "gold medal match shoots good in all my guns i dont see why you test so many different things.?"
 
Im using the sinclair expander and mandrel, and the sinclair nt 4000 turning tool with turning mandrel but spinning the case with a cordless impact rather than by hand.
 
The process has gotten much longer than when i started but using 3 separate dies to decap, size (bump the shoulder), and then expand has worked very well for me so far. Also the forster micrometer seater is nice.
 
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