Load Development v.HighPressureSigns

[TSFineGuns]

My original work up for the .280AI using Nosler Brass, found that 61.9gr of 7828SSC, a CCI LR primer, and a 162gr ELD-X was the most accurate.

When .280AI Petersen Brass showed up at Graf’s a few months ago, I picked up 100rds.

Using the Petersen Brass, Federal LR, 162gr ELD-X, I loaded five (5) rounds of each at 59.0, 59.5, 60.0, 60.5, 61.0, 61.5, & 62.0gr with 7828SSC and headed to the range.

This time at 60.5gr, on the second shot of the five (5) rounds, I had a slightly stiff bolt lift and a very light ejector mark on the case head. I’m fine with that as there are new/different components involved and I was happy with the velocity of avg 3,050fps at 60.0gr.

Now I have 18 rounds that I won’t be shooting. I know I can just pull the bullet and dump the powder. But my question is about reloading those 18 cases to 60.0gr and messing around with seating depths.

Do I just neck size those since they weren’t fired? Or do I full length size them?

Just curious what you’re all doing in the situation where you’re pulling bullets because you’ve hit signs of pressure and need to back down the charge.

 

[1K Luver]

I would pull the pill and run them through a
Redding Type S Neck Sizing Die.

https://www.opticsplanet.com/redding-reloading-type-s-neck-die-set.html

 

[Old Navy]

My original work up for the .280AI using Nosler Brass, found that 61.9gr of 7828SSC, a CCI LR primer, and a 162gr ELD-X was the most accurate.

When .280AI Petersen Brass showed up at Graf’s a few months ago, I picked up 100rds.

Using the Petersen Brass, Federal LR, 162gr ELD-X, I loaded five (5) rounds of each at 59.0, 59.5, 60.0, 60.5, 61.0, 61.5, & 62.0gr with 7828SSC and headed to the range.

This time at 60.5gr, on the second shot of the five (5) rounds, I had a slightly stiff bolt lift and a very light ejector mark on the case head. I’m fine with that as there are new/different components involved and I was happy with the velocity of avg 3,050fps at 60.0gr.

Now I have 18 rounds that I won’t be shooting. I know I can just pull the bullet and dump the powder. But my question is about reloading those 18 cases to 60.0gr and messing around with seating depths.

Do I just neck size those since they weren’t fired? Or do I full length size them?

Just curious what you’re all doing in the situation where you’re pulling bullets because you’ve hit signs of pressure and need to back down the charge.

I am never fine with a stiff bolt lift or ejector marks.

 

[TSFineGuns]

I am never fine with a stiff bolt lift or ejector marks.

Neither am I. Which is why I immediately stopped shooting after that second round of 60.5gr and will be pulling the bullets and powder of all of the remaining rounds.

 

[RegionRat]

Do I just neck size those since they weren’t fired? Or do I full length size them?

If you are picky, then you either size them over or just use them as-is for blow-off rounds and replace them with fresh ones in the test.

I find it interesting to see if they go into family with the others, but I don't count on that so I replace them with unmolested ones.

I like to run ladder work while loading real time at the range. Now you can attest to one of several reasons why that tends to be an advantage if you have the latitude to load at your range.

 

[NZ_Fclass]

I always pull the bullets carefully, and reload. Sometimes neck sizing, but if the case springs back, I just check it with a mandrel. Price of components these days....

 

[William Vogel]

There’s always the chance that the new brass is going to form out and increase its internal volume after the first firing then resizing cycle. I doubt it’s going to be back to the Norma 61.9. I always anneal and size necks with new unprimed brass. Because you have many more cases to fire, I’d size them back and compare them to the new only. I’d also prep some of the new and make a comparison. Bullet depth tests are important but I’d like the brass to be fired once before I got to focused on it. You might get lucky that the bullet likes the same spot in the barrel.

 

[wkdickinson]

Whenever I have had situations like this, I never resized the cases or the necks and could never tell the difference.

 

[Doom]

There is really no reason to resize the brass. In removing the bullet the bass responds in the elastic range so the neck tension will be very close to the same when the bullet is replaced. There is some potential minor change due to work hardening of the brass.

 

[Ned Ludd]

My original work up for the .280AI using Nosler Brass, found that 61.9gr of 7828SSC, a CCI LR primer, and a 162gr ELD-X was the most accurate.

When .280AI Petersen Brass showed up at Graf’s a few months ago, I picked up 100rds.

Using the Petersen Brass, Federal LR, 162gr ELD-X, I loaded five (5) rounds of each at 59.0, 59.5, 60.0, 60.5, 61.0, 61.5, & 62.0gr with 7828SSC and headed to the range.

This time at 60.5gr, on the second shot of the five (5) rounds, I had a slightly stiff bolt lift and a very light ejector mark on the case head. I’m fine with that as there are new/different components involved and I was happy with the velocity of avg 3,050fps at 60.0gr.

Now I have 18 rounds that I won’t be shooting. I know I can just pull the bullet and dump the powder. But my question is about reloading those 18 cases to 60.0gr and messing around with seating depths.

Do I just neck size those since they weren’t fired? Or do I full length size them?

Just curious what you’re all doing in the situation where you’re pulling bullets because you’ve hit signs of pressure and need to back down the charge.

Sounds like you might have experienced a variance in internal case volume between the two brands. You can always simply re-size the pulled cases. However, then the re-sized cases will off compared to the others in terms of annealing cycles. There is no "perfect" answer as to how to handle this situation. I usually just re-load the pulled cases without re-sizing and use them as foulers/sighters on subsequent testing sessions. Merely fouling the barrel doesn't require super-consistent neck tension. Regardless, I would not recommend using them for any serious testing unless you re-size them first, as the neck tension will no longer be the same after seating and then pulling a bullet.

 

[TSFineGuns]

Thanks so much for all of the replies everyone! So much great information.

 

[arlaunch]

I am always looking for range pick up brass, in the calibers i have, from other manufactures.

I prep those, put a primer in, and then add the powder charge of a known load, then look for case fill differences.

This really helps me in these type of situations. If the case clearly does not hold the same volume of powder, I do not work up nearly as far until i see the velocities over the the Lab Radar.

When you start seating bullets way out, you are on your own again with data.

It is thought by some folks who work in a lab that when your bolt gets heavy, your are in the 70's

My dad loaded up some rounds long ago that where so over pressure, he loosened the gun up and had headspace issues. A gunsmith fixed that and that rifle still shoots.

The difference in case capacities from different manufacturer's will blow your mind. I have seen, all things being equal 150fps difference from one case brand to another.

The point is... Expecting that due to the comparison you did on the bench, prior to loading.

 

[jepp2]

Just curious what you’re all doing in the situation where you’re pulling bullets because you’ve hit signs of pressure and need to back down the charge.

Your case is slightly different since this is new brass that has never been fired. What I would do would depend on:
- what did you do for brass prep with these before you loaded them?
- if you expanded the case neck, I would pull the bullets, measure the OD of the case necks with something more accurate than your calipers and compare that with the OD of the cases you prepped but haven't loaded yet. If close, I would just change the charge and seating depth.
- when I pull bullets where the cases have been loaded for more than a week, I would resize the case necks and proceed.

You are still in the fireforming state with this brass. So it will be slightly different after the first loading and firing anyway.

 

[just_jon]

Suspect the Peterson has slightly less case capacity than Nosler. SAAMI lists 74 grains H2O, but a 10 round sample my 280AI Peterson brass was 69.7 grains new. After three firings, resized brass capacity 72.6.

As for resizing after pulling bullets, check out this video.

 

[TaperPin]

There are different levels of straightness in pulled bullet cases. Smack the puller straight and the neck stays straight, smack it off kilter enough to side load the case and all bets are off. I’d never reload a pulled case without full length sizing after seeing a case neck visibly deformed. Test your puller and technique - smack a bullet half way out and check runout.