Hey all, lately I have noticed that my new Rem brass varies anywhere from .010-.020" below min trim length. In the past, I would simply run them through a sizer die as several necks were nonconcentric and then proceed with loading. I do not crimp so I didn't think it would matter that brass length varied as much as .010" on the first firing. What seems to be the general consensus on trimming new brass to the same length?

Just twist those dented case mouths open with a pair of needle-nose plies and reload them. Want’s the problem?

The real problem is the brass is not uniform.

I uniform all my brass. True up the mouth, resize it, trim it to a length, true up the primer pockets, de-burr the flash holes, and than de-grease them by running them through the tumbler in untreated walnut for a few minutes.

All bulk brass needs to be worked over.

quote:

Originally posted by MickinColo:
The real problem is the brass is not uniform.

I uniform all my brass. True up the mouth, resize it, trim it to a length, true up the primer pockets, de-burr the flash holes, and than de-grease them by running them through the tumbler in untreated walnut for a few minutes.

All bulk brass needs to be worked over.

I agree. Despite the work it takes, all new brass needs to be uniformed, including trimming all to same length to start.

I used to load RP brass, but in many calibers, I found WW to be better. You can sink some extra $$ into it for Nosler brass and all of the work is done for you, but you'll pay for it.

I never load up any new brass without trimming and full length resizing so they are all uniformed before being chambered in my rifles.

Resize the cases, ID chamfer the case mouths, load them and shoot them until some of the cases require trimming and then trim them all to the same length.....walla...get on with reloading again.

You won't change much about new brass by running them throught a sizing die as they already are min spec. (EXCEPT you'll true up the neck).
My routine lately is this. Run a bronze bore brush inside the case neck to get the scale out.
Spray them with a dry lube from my local John Deere dealer. Run them over a M die or use a hornady expander. Do a VLD chamfer inside the case mouth and load. After firing and getting a more accurate resize....that's when I pay a little more attention to things like trimming.
BTW---some of this virgin brass has very good runnout and shoots very good just taking the easy way out that I do.

Thanks for all of the replies. Up until now, I was doing exactly what vapodog described. I think I will try trimming my new brass to the same length and see if it helps with accuracy.

Just a minute, you haven't heard my opinion yet.

Some of these things done to brass must be by benchrest shooters, for goodness sake.

To exaggerate for clarity, say you buy 500 cases and only a few are 20thou too short.
Why uniform correct brass to match the duds? and at what effort.
Now imagine your shooting. Don't quite know the range, don't quite know the wind effect, haven't got much of a field rest, you've got buck fever, etc., so just what difference do you all think the case length is going to play in this shot. (Even if your loads and barrel are otherwise perfect.)

So you just want to see what accuracy you can get? Well there is no law about picking out a batch that is already the same length.

Ditto with this flash-hole business. If it's got a nice big hole in there somewhere, do you think the hot blast of the primer will know the difference? (Compared to your barrels preference to a well made bullet?)

Some effort has been made to refute the myths of weighing powder to the enth degree, neck turning, case weighing, chanting, etc. and a lot of interesting and good infomation is given on reloading tips, but too often to the beginer who just needs the basics and safety.

If the correct ingredients are cobbled togeather as they come, accuracy should be very reasonable. (like mine)