• This Forum is for adults 18 years of age or over. By continuing to use this Forum you are confirming that you are 18 or older. No content shall be viewed by any person under 18 in California.

New Cases - What order of steps?

OK, I'm not new to reloading, but I am new to "reloading for accuracy" so I'm starting to do things like weighing/segregating cases, chamfering flash holes, turning necks for consistent neck thickness and concentricity, etc.

The tools I have at my disposal include:
• Redding 3-die set with FL sizer and neck-only sizer (these are not "bushing" or "mandrel" dies)
• Redding micrometer bullet seater
• Flash hole chamfer tool
• Nielsen pumpkin neck turner

What's confusing me is the proper order of steps.

I normally segregate new cases by weight into three groups in a "bell curve" with maybe 66% to 75% of the cases in the middle of the bell curve and the remainder divided between the "light" and "heavy" sides.

But (for example) I'm not sure whether to segregate by case weight before or after chamfering internal flash holes, since that will change weight.

Anyway, here is my proposed "order of steps" starting with brand-new, unprimed, unfired cases. If anyone disagrees with this order of steps, could you put the steps into the order you would follow (if you were limited to my tool set) and, if possible, explain why you prefer a different order?

Many thanks for any help.

ORDER OF STEPS

1. Buy new, unprimed, unfired brass
2. Weigh and segregate cases by weight into three groups in a bell curve fashion.
3. Chamfer flash holes.
4. FL resize cases, just to make sure there are no surprises when I go to fire loaded rounds.
5. Chamfer/deburr case mouths .
6. Prime cases with hand primer tool.
7. Load and fire with a full-power load (assuming that such a load has been "worked up to" in that particular rifle).
8. After cases have been 1X fired, anneal necks.
9. Trim cases to length (if needed).
10. Chamfer/deburr case mouths.
11. Check neck wall thicknesses and neck turn to improve consistency of neck wall thicknesses.
12. FL resize and clean / uniform primer pockets
13. Prime, charge, fire as above.
14. Anneal necks.
15. After cases have been fired once, neck turned, FL resized and fired again, only "neck size" thereafter (assuming they will always be used in the same bolt rifle).

Does this sound about right to you guys, given my limited tool set? Anything look out of order?

(This is for 6.5/284, if that matters. I've heard people say that cartridge should probably have the cases annealed with every loading.)

Thanks in advance for any help/advice, and thanks for reading my long-winded post.
 
JRS said:
Why would you consider weighing your brass before prep work?

I weigh before prep on new case. I've found a few that are at the extreme of heavier or lighter than the rest. I usually use those as fouling rounds.
 
Syncrowave said:
JRS said:
Why would you consider weighing your brass before prep work?


I don't know ... why are 90%+ of your posts on this forum snottier than a 16-year-old crack hoe in lockup?
What are you talking about? Having never been in lockup with someone such as you, I really wouldn't know. There is certainly nothing "snotty" about asking why you would weigh your brass before prep work. You might be surprised to find how much closer to acceptable weights your brass is by prepping them all the same before weighing. Brass is pretty heavy.
 
Syncrowave said:
JRS said:
Why would you consider weighing your brass before prep work?


I don't know ... why are 90%+ of your posts on this forum snottier than a 16-year-old crack hoe in lockup?

So why WOULD you consider weighing before prep?
 
It makes more sense to me to weigh the cases AFTER PREP but then at an age of 74....I'm probably just a senile old goat trying to find my way home!! :-[ :-\
 
Ackman said:
So why WOULD you consider weighing before prep?


Read the OP. Because I'm new to this and don't know any better.

I had thought that any changes to weight from minor flash hole chamfering would generally be nearly the same to all cases (and that cases would all have identical lengths, making case trimming moot), thus leaving their distribution under the bell curve undisturbed.

Hence the question.
 
Syncrowave said:
Ackman said:
So why WOULD you consider weighing before prep?


Read the OP. Because I'm new to this and don't know any better.

I had thought that any changes to weight from minor flash hole chamfering would generally be nearly the same to all cases (and that cases would all have identical lengths, making case trimming moot), thus leaving their distribution under the bell curve undisturbed.

Hence the question.

Case in point , You have a virgin case un-prepped that weighs 198grns and then you have another virgin case un-prepped that weighs 198grns...
After the trimming , turning , reaming pockets , possibly cleaning up flash hole the first 198grn case weighs 196.5grns and the second 198grn case now weighs 194.. It's telling you something , it's better to weigh after prep because that's the finished product and not all cases are going to require as much uniforming to get to a certain level of consistency. The weight variance you are seeing is in places where you have no control over , short of culling the grossly obscure ones or using for foulers etc.
 
raythemanroe said:
Good luck with an addictive hobby



Ray

Aint that the truth lol....
To add to the OP's questions I would also say that if you are using Lapua brass to NOT touch the flash hole in any way , ream the primer pockets to a uniform depth but leave the flash holes.
Digging around in the area that by design has no "Flap" if you will is a great way to merely make the inside of the flash hole larger , and that is counter productive. (other makes of brass sure , grab the de-burring tool and fill your boots)

Speaking of addictive , wait until you realize you will need a bushing die or have to send your standard die in to get honed so as not to overwork that brass you painstakingly prepped ;)
 

Upgrades & Donations

This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.


Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.

You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.


To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.

Forum statistics

Threads
165,561
Messages
2,198,298
Members
78,961
Latest member
Nicklm
Back
Top