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Rifle casing prep is...

Smitty500magSmitty500mag Member Posts: 13,603 ✭✭✭✭
my least enjoyable thing to do involving reloading but it's gotta be done.

I resized and swagged 550 .223 cases yesterday morning and commenced trimming them last night. Got about 200 trimmed and beveled this morning before I decided to take a break. Got about 200 more to trim before I start reloading.

I used my CH-4D primer pocket swagging die to swag them with and a Lee trimmer chucked up in a cordless drill to trim and bevel them.

The CH-4D die is faster and easier than reaming them as I used to do.

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Comments

  • AdamsQuailHunterAdamsQuailHunter Member Posts: 2,015 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hello - I thank you for the information about sites to host photos. I have a Samsung galaxy S5 cell phone that I am going to try to take some photos of some items I want to put up for auction. However - I do wish to get a digital camera in the future for better photos such as the ones you post. The two black body Nikon F's I have are film cameras and I need to get a digital camera. Might I ask what camera you use?? The pictures are very good. Best Regards - AQH
  • Smitty500magSmitty500mag Member Posts: 13,603 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I use a Nikon Coolpix S9700 camera. It's a pretty simple point and shoot pocket camera with a 30X zoom.

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  • TfloggerTflogger Member Posts: 3,277 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    This makes me glad to be a bolt action, lazy, 6 reloads per case type of guy.
    Trimming is quick and easy, no beat up cases.
  • Smitty500magSmitty500mag Member Posts: 13,603 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Tflogger
    This makes me glad to be a bolt action, lazy, 6 reloads per case type of guy.
    Trimming is quick and easy, no beat up cases.


    I shoot a .30-06 bolt action 03-A3 sporter rifle a lot to. I just loaded up 500 rounds a couple of weeks ago. If I just shot 6 rounds on occasion I'd give up reloading. In fact that would be a lot like giving up shooting too.
  • TfloggerTflogger Member Posts: 3,277 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Smitty500mag
    quote:Originally posted by Tflogger
    This makes me glad to be a bolt action, lazy, 6 reloads per case type of guy.
    Trimming is quick and easy, no beat up cases.


    I shoot a .30-06 bolt action 03-A3 sporter rifle a lot to. I just loaded up 500 rounds a couple of weeks ago. If I just shot 6 rounds on occasion I'd give up reloading. In fact that would be a lot like giving up shooting too.


    I said 6 reloads per case, not 6 rounds.
    I can get more reloads with light loads.
    Going to the range usually means 50 to 200 rounds get fired.
  • noyljnoylj Member Posts: 172 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    >my least enjoyable thing to do involving reloading but it's gotta be done.

    Trimming only needs to be done if the case exceeds max length.
    Anything beyond that will do little good unless you have a sub-0.5 MOA rifle.
    If you don't like it, don't do it and see how results compare.
  • Smitty500magSmitty500mag Member Posts: 13,603 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by noylj
    >my least enjoyable thing to do involving reloading but it's gotta be done.

    Trimming only needs to be done if the case exceeds max length.
    Anything beyond that will do little good unless you have a sub-0.5 MOA rifle.
    If you don't like it, don't do it and see how results compare.


    I trim all the cases to the same length so that when seating the bullets they're all the same not because of any performance gains. Some can't be trimmed because they are shorter than the Lee trimmer so I set them aside and load the shorter ones together later.
  • noyljnoylj Member Posts: 172 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    >I trim all the cases to the same length so that when seating the bullets they're all the same

    Please explain HOW the case length effects COL. COL is from where the seating stem contacts the bullet to the case head in the shell plate and case length has nothing to do with it.
    Have fun trimming.
  • 375H&H375H&H Member Posts: 1,545 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The RCBS 3 way trimmer is a blessing for this task , best money ever spent [:)] Trims , chamfers , & deburrs , all in one step [:0]
  • 375H&H375H&H Member Posts: 1,545 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Please explain HOW the case length effects COL.

    It doesn't , what it will effect is weather or not you can get a good crimp in the bullets cannelure , assuming your using a bullet that has a cannelure . If your cases are too long or too short , or not all uniform the bullet seating depth will be all over the place .
  • Smitty500magSmitty500mag Member Posts: 13,603 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by 375H&H
    quote:Please explain HOW the case length effects COL.

    It doesn't , what it will effect is weather or not you can get a good crimp in the bullets cannelure , assuming your using a bullet that has a cannelure . If your cases are too long or too short , or not all uniform the bullet seating depth will be all over the place .


    Exactly. How could anybody that's done any reloading at all not know that?

    Plus if your loading max loads bullet depth can become critical to your health.
  • noyljnoylj Member Posts: 172 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    >If your cases are too long or too short , or not all uniform the bullet seating depth will be all over the place .

    Again, prove it. I have never had any problems crimping to a crimp groove or cannelure, as the width of each is greater than the case length variations and, even if it wasn't, the COL is still not affected by case length.
    Now, you could have a COL change as you chamber a round- if that is your issue, to prove it, take 20 regular cases and just seat the bullet, crimp, and feed. Remove and measure COL and compare to COL before feeding. Do the same with your trimmed cases and prove that there is a significant difference in delta COL. Then, if you loaded those rounds, you could compare the average velocity and S.D. for the trimmed and untrimmed cases and we would have some data to look at.
  • Smitty500magSmitty500mag Member Posts: 13,603 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by noylj

    Please explain HOW the case length effects COL.


    Nobody said anything about COL besides you.

    The difference between the max. trim length of a .223 casing (1.76) and the length that the Lee trimmer cuts a casings to is nearly .02" @ 1.742. The dimension of the cannelure on the .223 bullet is approx. .055" on the ones I use from Everglades Ammo. Then when using brass at various lengths it makes the finish product look like S*it when the bullet is crimped half on or half off of the cannelure. Some of us like our ammo to look like factory ammo and not like some hack did it.
  • noyljnoylj Member Posts: 172 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Dear Smitty:

    Maybe you know some secret, but you can't have a seating depth without seating a bullet and that means a COL.
    Seating depth is only all over the place if you consider case mouth to base of bullet as being a critical measurement. I see case volume as the critical measurement and that is internal case head to bullet base. The only time I have ever heard of folks worrying about seating depth was in terms of case volume as they believe that as long as the case volume is the same, they can switch bullets of the same weight without needing to do any load workup.
  • TfloggerTflogger Member Posts: 3,277 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by noylj
    Dear Smitty:

    Maybe you know some secret, but you can't have a seating depth without seating a bullet and that means a COL.
    Seating depth is only all over the place if you consider case mouth to base of bullet as being a critical measurement. I see case volume as the critical measurement and that is internal case head to bullet base. The only time I have ever heard of folks worrying about seating depth was in terms of case volume as they believe that as long as the case volume is the same, they can switch bullets of the same weight without needing to do any load workup.


    Thank you for putting it into plain english.
  • Smitty500magSmitty500mag Member Posts: 13,603 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by noylj
    Dear Smitty:

    Maybe you know some secret, but you can't have a seating depth without seating a bullet and that means a COL.
    Seating depth is only all over the place if you consider case mouth to base of bullet as being a critical measurement. I see case volume as the critical measurement and that is internal case head to bullet base. The only time I have ever heard of folks worrying about seating depth was in terms of case volume as they believe that as long as the case volume is the same, they can switch bullets of the same weight without needing to do any load workup.


    Evidently you can't understand plain English. I'm speaking of nothing but trimming all the brass to one length in order to crimp the bullet in the cannelure without keeping on adjusting the seating die to make the cartridges uniform. I don't give a damn what the COL is.

    Now this is the last time I'm going to open this thread up so if you still want to argue about it then do it with yourself.
  • noyljnoylj Member Posts: 172 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Sorry, but my bullets all have cannelures that are much wider than the range of case lengths.
    Sorry if I though that you were discussing COL.
    Really, have you simply tried using the cases as is and comparing accuracy?
    Now, sorry I wasted your time trying to discuss the mechanics of reloading.
  • Okie743Okie743 Member Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yep case prep sucks big air.


    Something that is really worth while is the RCBS 90375 trim mate case prep and I converted a RCBS 90366 manual case trimmer so as a small rechargeable battery operated screwdriver could be permanently attached, (type coupling and screwdriver that has the quick connect chuck)I made my own coupling shaft from the drill to the trimmer so as the electric screwdriver could be used to withdraw the pilot from the case while the drill is running.

    The RCBS 98930 trim pro drill convert kit for use with the 90366 manual case trimmer is not of a very good design. RCBS needs to go back to the drawing board on this kit.

    RCBS needs to issue a ECO for the design of the kit. (political term for screwed up engineering flaw)

    Engineering Change Order
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