How often are you annealing your brass?

[FTRinTexas]

After shooting a tournament this past weekend and talking about annealing machines, I went ahead and ordered a BenchSource. To the guys with a machine, how often are you annealing your brass – everything firing or every 3rd, 4th, 5th time?

 

[Travelor]

I used to anneal every third reloading - but I have started doing it EVERY reloading under the hope it will make the ammo more consistent.

It never fails that when I shoot it is a 40, 60, or 80 shot match and they causes me to have some cartridges loaded with more firings since annealing than others IN THE SAME BOX. Hence, annealing every reloading.

George

 

[Erik Cortina]

I anneal every firing, when you get your Bench Source annealer you will realize how easy it is to anneal so I leave it set up and do it every time, it's fast and easy.

I would suggest you anneal every time for about 3 or 4 firings and then as a test, load up some without annealing, you will notice the difference in the force it takes to seat a bullet.

It was good seeing you this weekend.

 

[alf]

I anneal ever firing as well.

Another step to keep things as consistent as possible.

 

[jonbearman]

I bought a benchsource with the 2 torch set-up.It works great,it is hard to keep up with it.I did over 300, 260case's in about an hour.You will not be disappointed.

 

[Cigarcop]

I agree with what everyone has said above. The Bench Source machine is simply too easy not to use everytime, no more keeping track of when to anneal.
Its a well built and thought out machine, definetely one of my better purchases!!

 

[MaxOwner]

Can somone mention the price of the Bench Source machine?

Couldn't find it on their site. :-[

 

[Cigarcop]

about $515 shipped from Grafs

 

[MaxOwner]

Thanx Cigarcop.

 

[Bkluke]

At what temp are you guys annealing? Also, are you going to that temp everytime? ;D

 

[WindSurgeon]

Every 3rd.

 

[ordnancemarine]

I anneal every time! like everyone else, it is simply too easy to do. I have also found that placing an o-ring between the die lock rings and the body of the press does wonders for concentrically... I believe that I read that on one of the threads here on 6mmbr. Anyways, my two cents worth.

 

[Clark]

Never.
I have given up.

I buy no turn neck chamber reamers.
I have sizer dies honed out in the neck.
I buy new brass if it cracks.

It is just not worth the effort for the results I get.

 

[jonbearman]

Annealing is well worth it to save money on overstressed brass from repeated firings.I also do it every time to make sure everything is the same.Reloading ammo after the process is much easier and accuracy seems a bit bettter.Neck tension is more consistent as well. So my answer is it is worth it period.Benchsource makes machines much cheaper than 515.00,I paid 320.00 for mine less than 6 months ago.Buy one and you will be delighted and the owner is a very nice person and will steer you in the right direction with accurate answers to all your questions.He was delightful to speak with and will do business with him again in the future.

 

[dcali]

Another vote for never. Too much trouble for the benefit, which is really just to keep your brass longer, in my view. I dont't think it helps accuracy. I can certainly be convinced otherwise, however.

 

[Jay Christopherson]

At nearly $75 - $100/100 pcs. of brass, that's precisely why I *do* anneal. I anneal about every 5 firings, when the necks stiffen up and stop resizing well. If I had to replace 1000 pcs of brass every 5 firings, my wife would kill me. As it is, my 6BR brass has 12 firings on it (annealed twice) and seems to shoot as well as new. I expect to get quite a few more firings out of it.

I guess maybe your return on investment might change if you are shooting Remington or Winchester brass though... I might not go to the effort in that case.

Another vote for never. Too much trouble for the benefit, which is really just to keep your brass longer, in my view.

 

[ridgeway]

Every 3rd firing for me.

I have a XP chambered for a no turn 6mm BR. Using old cardboard Lapua brass. After the 3rd firing and I resize, I no longer have tension to retain a bullet on some cases. I anneal and everything comes back to normal. So, annealing does work.

 

[Travelor]

Annealing done properly does not harm the cases no matter how many times you do it.

I anneal my 1000 yard F-Open cases EVERY time I reload them. I'm retires and use a annealing machine and it takes very little time. This way every case is the same as far as neck tension is concerned every time. It works for me.

George

 

[jraney]

just wondering, for those of us not shooting competevly and using the cheaper brass like rem or win, when should we anneal if we choose to instead of buying brass? even if i were to just replace what i have that to me is still costly, also what temp do you anneal at. since i am broke most of the time and i do not shoot in competitions is this something that i could do in the oven ( thought i saw that on here somewhere) and also how could this other than cost benefit me?

 

[memilanuk]

jraney,

Try using the search function, both on the forum and on the site itself. This has been covered in gory detail, numerous times.

Short version: NO, do not try doing this in your oven. Even if your oven could get high enough temps (which most can't, unless you soak for hours) you'd ruin the cases by annealing not just the necks but the case head as well, and risk a catastrophic failure. In other words it may blow up in your face if you do this.

Monte