Case prep question

[zobster]

Hi guys, long time no see!
I'm about to go into reloading for real and I'm fully committed! I've got all the gear to start loading 223. 308 will start shortly.

Now, tell me if I'm stupid or wrong in my case prep procedure of my once fired brass that I've saved up from using factory ammunition.

Tumble 30 mins using hot water, 1 teaspoon citric acid and a small squirt of dish soap, no media/pins.
Rinse with plain hot water and dry overnight in a warm oven.

Lube, imperial sizing wax, FL resize, tumble as above except to remove wax.

Prime, charge and seat projectile.

And also, what lube is everyone using?

[vmaxaust]

Hi guys, long time no see!
I'm about to go into reloading for real and I'm fully committed! I've got all the gear to start loading 223. 308 will start shortly.

Now, tell me if I'm stupid or wrong in my case prep procedure of my once fired brass that I've saved up from using factory ammunition.

Tumble 30 mins using hot water, 1 teaspoon citric acid and a small squirt of dish soap, no media/pins.
Rinse with plain hot water and dry overnight in a warm oven.

Lube, imperial sizing wax, FL resize, tumble as above except to remove wax.

Prime, charge and seat projectile.

And also, what lube is everyone using?

My procedure is different but achieves the same thing.
1) Deprime
2) Pin tumble with water and burnishing compound
3) Lube and size. I use the Dillon (lanolin based) sizing lube on a large pad you can buy from any Clark Rubber store. Roll the cases on this and size
4) I clean cases in X55 solvent (just dip them to get lube off) or you can wash again
5) Measure case length and TRIM to size. This is the operation you left out. You will need to do this for most if not all cases as they will grow after being fired and then full length sized
6) Now load...prime, powder, seat and crimp bullet to correct OAL


Sam

[straightshooter]

OMG
Are you impressed by shiny objects or trying to be a jeweller?
Only one rifle in that caliber?
Then
Neck size
Reprime
Reload
Shoot
When the case eventually starts to get a little hard to chamber then worry about FLS, trimming, chamfering and cleaning.

[zobster]

Not after shiny brass by any means, I'm cleaning before sizing to prevent dirt/crap from getting I to the dies. Also, I FL size simply because I borrowed a mate's die set and as such I have to load for him as well.

Tumble, size, trim, Tumble, prime, charge, seat, fire.

Is crimping needed? I'm really unsure about this bit due to conflicting views.

[bladeracer]

Not after shiny brass by any means, I'm cleaning before sizing to prevent dirt/crap from getting I to the dies. Also, I FL size simply because I borrowed a mate's die set and as such I have to load for him as well.

Tumble, size, trim, Tumble, prime, charge, seat, fire.

Is crimping needed? I'm really unsure about this bit due to conflicting views.

You shouldn't have to crimp .223, and probably not .308 unless the bullets come loose in the mag from the recoil.

[vmaxaust]

Not after shiny brass by any means, I'm cleaning before sizing to prevent dirt/crap from getting I to the dies. Also, I FL size simply because I borrowed a mate's die set and as such I have to load for him as well.

Tumble, size, trim, Tumble, prime, charge, seat, fire.

Is crimping needed? I'm really unsure about this bit due to conflicting views.

Nothing wrong with shiny brass. You are right, clean is safer for the life of dies.

Can only speak personally about crimp. I load only 3 rifle calibers...223, 300 Blackout and 303 British. I use hornady progressive press and Hornady dies. These like most dies have the ability to be set up to seat bullets and crimp in the same operation. I crimp all of these in this way but I set the crimp up to be fairly light. Just the way I do it.

Sam

[juststarting]

Crimping is not needed.

Buy a Lee collet die ($30ish) and don't FL cases shot in your rifle that will be shot in your rifle. If it's for a mate, then definitely FL.

Don't leave overnight, either dry on a kitchen top on a towel or in dehydrator. Drying in the oven without knowing what you're doing, could, unlikely thought, anneal the entire case. That's where s**t starts blowing up in your face.

[zobster]

Also, which lube you guys use? I've been told to use imperial wax, lanolin-alcohol mix, one shot, everyone seems to have a differing opinion.

I've got a tube of the lee lube that came with the kit, I'm thinking of when I finish off that tube. Got about 500 223 & 200 308 to get through.

[Wm.Traynor]

1. Clean inside and outside necks.
2. Lube inside and outside necks with graphite, then size with collet die or NS die.
3. Trim to length.
4. Clean in ultra sonic.
5. Dry in oven (sorry juststarting) on 50C
6. Prime, charge and seat.

[bladeracer]

Also, which lube you guys use? I've been told to use imperial wax, lanolin-alcohol mix, one shot, everyone seems to have a differing opinion.

I've got a tube of the lee lube that came with the kit, I'm thinking of when I finish off that tube. Got about 500 223 & 200 308 to get through.

I only lube 6.5x52mm and 7.62x54R as I don't have neck dies for them.
But that tube will last you for thousands of rounds.

[Cooper]

I usually just de-prime and neck size in one go.
Load and shoot.
I do have a stainless steal media Wet tumbler that I use when the brass gets quite dirty.
To dry the brass in the summer I sit on a towel in the sun.
In the winter I site on top wood heater at the back away from most of the heat. The brass get quite warm. I can pick it up in my hand and put straight to my face. So no danger of Annealing the brass. The last thing you want is moisture in your brass when you reload it.

[zobster]

1. Clean inside and outside necks.

How do you clean the inside of the neck? I understand cleaning the outside by wiping with a cloth but the inside, cotton bud?

[bladeracer]

How do you clean the inside of the neck? I understand cleaning the outside by wiping with a cloth but the inside, cotton bud?

Use a bore brush to break up any carbon.

[Gwion]

Yep, I use 0000 steel wool wrapped around a brass brush and another bit for the outside. I just sit in front of the telly and do case by case. Only takes a few seconds each one.

[Wm.Traynor]

How do you clean the inside of the neck? I understand cleaning the outside by wiping with a cloth but the inside, cotton bud?

Use a bore brush to break up any carbon.

Yes. Sorry. In my hurry, I left that bit out but use one of the next smaller calibre or it will be tight and use an in-out action all around the inside .

[Wm.Traynor]

Yep, I use 0000 steel wool wrapped around a brass brush and another bit for the outside. I just sit in front of the telly and do case by case. Only takes a few seconds each one.

Very good too

[brett1868]

What a can of worms gets opened when asking about case prep.....

Inspect your cases before loading, ensure they are clean and oil free before firing in your rifle. How you get it clean is up to what works best for the time you have and what you're hoping to achieve with reloading.

[duncan61]

I tumble all my brass in medium till its gleaming then do all the work on it.Blow out medium with compressed air ,lube and deprime.when I case trim i wipe the lube of with a rag and deburr and reload

[duncan61]

Depriming resizes.I worked with a few blokes up north who just kept reloading with a hand kit and they started to get stuck cases

[Sarco]

To me all reloading is about consistency.

That is regardless of if I am target shooting or hunting, I want my rounds to perform consistently. Over 20 years of reloading, I have found case preparation gives consistency.

Therefore, I start out with new cases and full length resize. trim to length which also squares of the case mouth for consistent neck tension. De-burr flash holes, prime, load, shoot, clean (wet tumble in pins).

Shot cases, I neck size only (I only load for my rifles). Nearly always, I find that new cases rarely fire form with an even case mouth, so I trim to square the mouth again, prime, load shoot clean. Same process again, less squaring mouths as it not usually required, though it is with some types of cases..

[duncan61]

I have a primer pocket cleaner too.prep is everything

[Granting]

OMG
Are you impressed by shiny objects or trying to be a jeweller?

So what if he is?

[duncan61]

I cycle every round I reload through the relevant rifle to make sure they all chamber correctly before putting them away

[Gwion]

Umm... I can't see why, but if it floats your boat....

[vmaxaust]

I cycle every round I reload through the relevant rifle to make sure they all chamber correctly before putting them away

Case gauge will do the same thing for you.

[brett1868]

full length resize. trim to length which also squares of the case mouth for consistent neck tension

Trimming to length has zero impact on overall neck tension....Neck wall thickness has a much greater influence which can be made consistent by neck turning and varied by the use of a bushing neck sizing die.

[duncan61]

I have had friends have trouble closing the bolt before so I check all,my reloads work in my rifles

[brett1868]

I have had friends have trouble closing the bolt before so I check all,my reloads work in my rifles

A good practise to get into the habit of, depending on the cartridge you can buy case gauges to do this sort of test. I have a 20 hole 1 for 9mm that I use along with many other singles. If test chambering a batch of loaded rifle rounds at home I'll remove the firing pin just in case

[duncan61]

Its mainly.243 as I share with 3 other rifles and my mates 1978 BRNO has a slightly looser chamber than my 2006 HOWA.The other 2 are brand new Rugers with tighter chambers and they use factory but I reload them

[TheDude]

Depriming resizes.I worked with a few blokes up north who just kept reloading with a hand kit and they started to get stuck cases

Get yourself a Lee universal decapping die. Deprimes without touching the case.

I deprime, then put them through a wet tumbler before neck sizing and bumping shoulder back a thou.

Every 5th reload they get annealed between the deprime and tumble steps.