How many times can brass be used and

[Bassfish1952]

How many brass casing do you guys go thru in a year ?

I have been watching the posts on brass and got to wondering how much brass do you guys go thru ? I got into reloading to have a different hunting round for my 6ARC but if I never shoot any of my other rifles for target practice but the 6arc AND only use it for all hunting never using my 6.5CM and  depending on number of times I can use the same brass , I have enough for  10 years. At 71 with a bad heart that could be a life time 

My only concern at this time is powder and I have been told powder in a cool dry place  can last 10 years so if true 2 8lb cans of powder, 3 packs of 1,000 primers, 2400 bullets and 600 brass casings will last me my lifetime +/- a little, any more will just get handed down to whoever gets my cz.

Do any of you figure lifetime use ?


Thanks

[GRH]

I've got Starline 6.5Gr cases going on #6 reloading process. Poke out the old primers and toss them in the tumbler for 1-1/2 to 2 hours then anneal every time and have at it.

No splits, cracks or excessively loose primer pockets, but I'm using Fed 205's which are soft compared to others.

The only indications so far is the bases have grown as evidenced by "The Ring" forming near the base, and the case OAL has started shrinking a few thou.
Haven't measured the bases yet, or maybe I did and don't remember, but have not experienced any feeding or extraction problems.

I need to load up a batch today so I'll have to check that and see where it's at.

[CZ527 Guy]

To what pressure you load & whether you anneal the shoulder neck area, will be a factor. The more you push the shoulder back the more you are working the brass & the shorter the brass life will be.

I'll expect 7 firings, give or take 3 firings, depending on loading practices. Some real tight chambering have done considerably better by some.

[CZ527 Guy]

Eric uses an amp annealer which is likely the most controllable process available. He suggest 10 to 15 firings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIx52oS2Sk4

[Bassfish1952]

Eric uses an amp annealer which is likely the most controllable process available. He suggest 10 to 15 firings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIx52oS2Sk4

Ok I'm going to anneal and tighten up on my resize to only do the amount needed.


Is there a neck sizer       out for the 6arc ?

[CZ527 Guy]

"Is there a neck sizer out for the 6arc ?"

If there is you should not be interested IMHO. A slight shoulder bump back (.002") & body size, will offer the optimum accuracy.

As precisely round, as your chamber is, it is probably not perfect. With this said if you do not size the body of the brass you would need to clock the brass in the chamber the same, each time you fire the brass to achieve top accuracy. Perhaps even to fit the brass in the chamber.

[GRH]

I do not use the de-prime and neck size ball that comes with the die. I use the 21st Century mandrel die with a .002 mandrel as a separate step.

Whatever you do in whatever order you do it, just do it the same way every time. Otherwise you'll be inadvertently adding variables that might/will effect consistency.

[Old Bob]

Midway USA has Hornady Custom Grade New Dimension Neck Sizer Dies. I use a LE Wilson Full length sizing die with interchangeable neck bushings. I use a .266* bushing when loading for my gas gun & a .267* bushing for my bolt gun. * - Neck outside diameter

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1011096636?pid=116484

https://lewilson.com/wilson-full-length-...shing-type

Redding makes a neck sizing set ...

https://store.prophetriver.com/redding-n...tom-82674/

One other neck sizer for 6 ARC I saw during my search was $325! OUCH!

[CZ527 Guy]

Expect Lee offers a collet neck sizing option that likely comes with good reviews. With a process like Old Bob presents There may be merit to be realized.

For what it is worth, https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1011211120?pid=321320

[Bassfish1952]

"Is there a neck sizer      out for the 6arc ?"

If there is you should not be interested IMHO. A slight shoulder bump back (.002") & body size, will offer the optimum accuracy.

As precisely round, as your chamber is, it is probably not perfect. With this said if you do not size the body of the brass you would need to clock the brass in the chamber the same,  each time you fire the brass to achieve top accuracy. Perhaps  even to fit the brass in the chamber.

Not sure I understand, after firing I remove the brass casing but if I then put it back in the rifle it will chamber it. After I resize it full length it no longer fits and I have to trim it to fit. So if I neck size it then check case length it should fit everything else should be the same ?

Reason I say this is I took my once fired Hornady brass and ran it thru the action again and it fit . I resized it and it didn't till I tried the neck

Now I have the lee case trimmer that you insert the case tighten down and trim the neck with .  If I take the center depth gauge out and attach to a drill I should be good to anneal ?

[Bassfish1952]

Expect Lee offers a collet neck sizing option that likely comes with good reviews. With a process like Old Bob presents There may be merit to be realized.

For what it is worth, https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1011211120?pid=321320

I think it's worth it to try so I am going with the lee from Amazon , It's cheaper and faster



Thanks

[grayfox]

2 things typically can prevent a case from chambering, well 3.
1. Case shoulder length too long, this is checked by the datum point, measured as length from the base to mid-way up the shoulder slope. 6Arc 1.183" give or take (from memory). The case during the firing process stretches out to the chamber forward "shoulder" stop. Resizing is to bump that shoulder back down until it fits again in your chamber, this is the "bump" that you want to do as ~0.003 or 4 for a gas gun. Some bolt actions, and I say some, might not need that bump b/c during the firing process the shoulder does not elongate beyond the chamber "shoulder." This feature is usually the culprit when a re-used case will not chamber - the datum length is too long to fit. Try to jam it and you get a crumpled shoulder. I have my resizing die set that all my brass fits in all my guns of that caliber. I'm not in the mood to mess with one set of cases for one gun. If a chamber is way too long (and I've had those) I usually get rid of that barrel. Might be ok for some but I don't want that in my setups.
2. Overall length of the case is too long, 6Arc Saami 1.490" max. There is a slight stop beyond the Saami max where there is a lip that will prevent an untrimmed case (that's too long) from chambering. The case mouth bumps up against this lip when case is beyond length max. This is the one you're finding now, that trimming will fix.
3. The third one is a case whose walls are too fat to fit, usually from a too-hot of a load fired in one gun (looser chamber) that now will not fit in another's chamber... Re-sizing also fixes this, but this one doesn't happen as often as the other 2. If this one is happening, your loads are too hot and you ought to back down in powder. Or that chamber is too wide out of spec...

[Bassfish1952]

2 things typically can prevent a case from chambering, well 3.
1. Case shoulder length too long, this is checked by the datum point, measured as length from the base to mid-way up the shoulder slope.  6Arc 1.183" give or take (from memory). The case during the firing process stretches out to the chamber forward "shoulder" stop.  Resizing is to bump that shoulder back down until it fits again in your chamber, this is the "bump" that you want to do as ~0.003 or 4 for a gas gun. Some bolt actions, and I say some, might not need that bump b/c during the firing process the shoulder does not elongate beyond the chamber "shoulder."  This feature is usually the culprit when a re-used case will not chamber - the datum length is too long to fit.  Try to jam it and you get a crumpled shoulder.  I have my resizing die set that all my brass fits in all my guns of that caliber.  I'm not in the mood to mess with one set of cases for one gun.  If a chamber is way too long (and I've had those) I usually get rid of that barrel.  Might be ok for some but I don't want that in my setups.
2. Overall length of the case is too long, 6Arc Saami 1.490" max.  There is a slight stop beyond the Saami max where there is a lip that will prevent an untrimmed case (that's too long) from chambering. The case mouth bumps up against this lip when case is beyond length max.  This is the one you're finding now, that trimming will fix.
3. The third one is a case whose walls are too fat to fit, usually from a too-hot of a load fired in one gun (looser chamber) that now will not fit in another's chamber... Re-sizing also fixes this, but this one doesn't happen as often as the other 2.  If this one is happening,  your loads are too hot and you ought to back down in powder.  Or that chamber is too wide out of spec...

Ok so if I only have one gun in 6arc (a bolt gun) once I resize 6.5 Grendel and fire it once or I fire a factory load if reusing in the same gun I should be able to just Trim the neck a little from necking down. 
What the heck I will have the die in a few days and see what it does I will check and make sure it fits before loading 


Thanks Guys

[GRH]

[quote pid='5973' dateline='1690129641']
Ok so if I only have one gun in 6arc (a bolt gun) once I resize 6.5 Grendel and fire it once or I fire a factory load if reusing in the same gun I should be able to just Trim the neck a little from necking down. 
What the heck I will have the die in a few days and see what it does I will check and make sure it fits before loading 


Thanks Guys
[/quote]

I'll suggest you need a case comparitor for use with your calipers, to check fired shoulder length. Hornady make a relatively inexpensive set, but I ran into an all-in-one from Creedmore that looks good. The benefit being there aren't inserts to buy/lose like the Hornady set, and it's stainless steel instead of soft aluminum.

[pavementends]

If I read this correctly the fired case will chamber before you resize it but not after? Have you measured the overall length of the case after firing and then after resizing? The loading die causing the case to lengthen "Expander ball as the case is extracted from the die" is the only thing I can think of where then trimming the case cures the issue. Again easy to check with a set of calipers. If the case is longer after resizing remove the expander ball and see if there is any difference. At least then you will know what is causing the issue.

[CZ527 Guy]

"Ok so if I only have one gun in 6arc (a bolt gun) once I resize 6.5 Grendel and fire it once or I fire a factory load if reusing in the same gun I should be able to just Trim the neck a little from necking down.
What the heck I will have the die in a few days and see what it does I will check and make sure it fits before loading "

Seems you are implying you may get by without sizing the body or pushing the shoulder back. If that is the case you are in for a learning curve.

You might get by with 1 or two firings without setting the shoulder back & body sizing. I would not bet on it. Guess I have learned the hard way & would like to save you the headache of not being able to close your bolt on a freshly reloaded round.

Guys that have done this a lot generally always, full length size every firing to insure the round chambers freely. The one, folks struggle with is you do not need to push the shoulder back a lot, (.010") A little is enough .002 head space clearance is optimum. Learning to measure & control the .002 head space clearance can be a learning curve. A learning curve worth doing IMHO.