I never experimented w/ this but, thought some of you may have.

I purchased some bum brass w/ some out of center Flash Holes and I was wondering if the accuracy would terribly suffer from out of center Flash Holes?

If not, I may just use the bad ones for Fouler Rounds.

Thanks,

Reloader

The Bench Rest Crowd seems to believe in Deburring the Flash Holes so, that must have a minute advantage but, I've never heard of any experimenting w/ brass that had out of center FHs but, then again most of the BR guys shoot the good Lapua and Norma stuff too.

Reloader

I have deburred the flash holes for years because eveyone else does and everyone swears that it helps your accuracy. To tell you the truth I'm not at all convinced it has that great effect compared to the total scope of things.

Short and sweet answer...

They have no effect.

Reloader we must have the same luck cause a couple months ago I got a lot of brass with some off center flash holes.

Anyway to answer your question.
At least not on a factory stick from my testing. I separated the good from the bad and once I found a good load with the flash hole in the center I loaded the same load into some off center flash holes and accuray was identical. I have not tried it in a custom stick but I don't think it would matter much there either.

Well, in my experience off center flash holes makes no difference at all.

I found that some of the buck military .223 Remington brass that I bought from Midway had off center flash holes. I mean obviously off center.

So I loaded up some of the off center brass and some of the good stuff and shot some groups. I only shot four or five groups with each but oddly enough the off center stuff shot better groups. Just barely, but still smaller groups.
Too small a test to be statistically of any value, but it proved to me I did not need to worry about it.

I would not worry about it.

The most problematic flash hole problem I ever saw was a new Winchester case for the 7mm Rem Magnum that had a primer pocket but no flash hole at all!

R F

quote:

The most problematic flash hole problem I ever saw was a new Winchester case for the 7mm Rem Magnum that had a primer pocket but no flash hole at all!

Can't get much done w/ that one . Man, I bet you were glad you were closely examining them that day.

Reloader

quote:

Originally posted by ricciardelli:
Short and sweet answer...

They have no effect.

Certainly not for a hunting gun.

I have never tested off center flash holes for accuracy.
One observation I would make is that if the brass manufacturer can't get the holes in the middle, what else can't they do right. Is the brass the same thickness all the way around and top to bottom? Are the weights of the cases different.
I feel that off center flash holes are a lack of attention to detail by the manufacturer.
I'm sure that for regular hunting and even anything other than Bench Rest shooting it is probably not an issue. But people should put a little pride into their product.

The worst ever, off center flash holes I have seen were on some Norma 223 cases. Small sample but very memorable.

The best looking brass I have ever seen is from Lapua.

I can't say for sure if it makes a difference, but if you even think it might, it most certainly will.
Joe